Probably squirrels. They've made a mess of a couple of my uncovered containers, including my strawberry seeds winter sown in a large basket. The seeds sprouted, and as soon as I uncovered the container, the squirrels dug everything up. AACK! I've left most of my WS containers COVERED, even though it's warm - I just untaped the jugs and nudged them open slightly, so the squirrels haven't bothered them.

Laurel

Squirrels and birds. Robins have been digging everywhere in my garden this spring. I love them, but wish they would leave my seedlings alone. :-(

Don't rule out toads. I have a toad that has taken up residence in my container ghetto. It prefers the tin cans and goes from one to another. I just leave him (she? it?) alone as a tradeoff for the benefits I'll gain. No germination in those cans anyway, because of our erratic spring temperatures. I moved the cans with germination and just leave him alone, though I will put him, can and all, in one of the beds tomorrow in case he decides to move to a container with sprouts.

Don't forget the chipmunks and skunks. They are having a field day in my gardens.

Fran

I'm having the same problem! I don't think I'm quite the gardner all of you seem to be, but I like having nice flowers in the spring and summer so I have a barrel in my front yard that I planted with spikes and petunias. Since I planted them last week, I keep having to go and re-plant them b/c something is digging through my barrel. Help!! We have squirrels (with huge attitudes!), racoons, chipmunks - the whole bit. Is there anything I can put on the soil to repel these little buggers????

I found the same thing this morning. Holes are a few inches wide and deep, but don't go anywhere like a tunnel. Some seedlings were unearthed, but not eaten or missing. Also similar holes in my lasagna bed which are not planted yet.

Karen

Sprinkle your little plants and the ground around them liberally with the hottest ground red pepper you can find. My dh makes some that is KILLER! It was always the only way I could keep the tree rats from digging out the plants from containers on my patio and it has appeared to work to keep the rabbits out of my hollyhocks - when I remember to put it on again after rain. GRRRRRR!

I lost a "purloined" Peruvian corn seedling today! I recovered a cob of this amazing corn (15' tall, used as a centrepeice in a bed) from a city bed last fall. Dried it, and had 2-3 viable kernels. Spring sowed two weeks ago, 2 sprouts came up. Planted them out 2 days ago, and the %$#@# squirrels dug them up, and snapped off the roots.
They also ate half an ornamental grass plug that !I BOUGHT! (that'll larn me) and my peas.

I've used the ground cayene pepper before, it's just tough to reapply after each rain or watering. Do the dried hot pepper flakes work? Seems they would last longer.

Karen

Nothing but fencing ever worked for me- plastic black bird netting works charms and I can throw it over pretty much anything. Normally tree rats bother only a freshly planted seedlings and do not go into established beds.