Protecting bulbs

suedun30 · October 2018

Something (mice?) has carefully excavated round my recently planted crocus and eaten the corm but left the shoot. If I replant some and also plant some garlic cloves beside them will this help or should I give up on crocus? I've planted some garlic in the veggie plot and so far whatever it is has left that alone.

Buttercupdays · October 2018

Mice love crocuses and tulips. I once set a trap on top of a bowl of crocuses and caught 4!

Plant them as deep as you can, maybe use some soil, harder to dig than potting compost, use fine mesh netting and something like wood chip or gravel to cover them and try to put the pots somewhere out of reach, not where they might usually run.

If you are lucky they might make it, mine do most years, though last year they didn't. But it was an exceptionally hard winter!

Obelixx · October 2018

They showed the mesh trick on Beechgrove recently after losing all the crocuses planted in a particular spot. Plant the bulbs deep, cover with soil and then mesh and more soil so the meshstops them burrowing below to get at the bulbs. Once you see the foliage coming thru, carefully lift the mesh to allow the flowers to grow unfettered.

Fairygirl · October 2018

I use netting on pots, mainly to prevent the squirrels getting in, but I've also used it in borders where there are clumps of crocus. I plant quite deep anyway, which helps.
I do have mice, but they seem to leave those small protected bulbs alone. I've never lifted the mesh in those little areas - it gves the foliage a little bit of support, especially if the weather's rough.

Protecting bulbs

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