I have gophers, moles and voles all over my property and haven't lost any plants because of them. Are you certain that daylilies will survive in a Z2 garden? I would worry more about the climate than the varmints.

I have about 300 kinds of daylilies. Yes, I can grow them.

Brenda

I have no idea what a pocket gopher is but voles are the only critter that is a vegetarian and will eat the roots of plants. The gophers I know, and shrews eat insects, not plants. Makes it tough on your earth worms but they are safe for your plants.

Brooke

Eeeg, I had to look up a map of Canada. I can never get Alberta, Saskatshewan, and Manitoba in their correct places. I was looking at the map, thinking I needed a mneumonic, and it hit me-- Be Cold And Still Manage to Own Quantity! I imagine Quality could be interchanged for the Qu word, but quantity struck me first!

Since I mulch all my perennials I seem to have no problem growing plants rated zone 0 - 4. A lot of daylilies still grow fine in my garden even though it is "cold" here. Yes, I have Quantity but I also have Quality. I love my Siloams. I love spiders, frilly edges (chicken fat), all colors including oranges (not the old fulvas though), eyes, minis and really large flowers. I can't grow the variety with all the tender daylilies as some of you can but love what I have been able to grow here.

Here are some of the daylilies I have...

http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a184/valleyrimgirl/daylilies/

I should clarify...when I say gopher I should also mention that what we call gophers are really ground squirrels. Pocket gophers are actually moles. Have I confused anyone yet? If I could change my original message I would because I should have not said pocket gophers, rather ground squirrels.

So, my question, reworded...will gophers (ground squirrels) eat daylilies ...or irises...or lilies, or other perennials? Has anyone had a problem with them?

Brenda

Yup, I'm really confused now. Do you mean chipmunks? I've heard people refer to them as ground squirrels.

The only thing that eats plant roots are voles. The other critters are just big PITA because they travel underground and uproot new plantings or create air pockets where roots lose contact from the soil.

I've never had voles, thankfully, but am loaded with shrews. I've always had some but have been invaded this year because they are coming from afar to get to the garden soil which gets watered. The drought the last two years is forcing them from the dry soil searching for moist hunting grounds.

One positive side of the shrews - when they tunnel through the soil, it makes pulling weeds r-e-a-l-l-y easy and keeps my soil from compacting.

Brooke

I have voles and that is why I don't mulch year round.They do not dig tunnels themselves,but use the tunnels of moles and chipmunks.They will semi-tunnel through mulch and groundcovers and tall grass,never wanting to be out in the open.Those darn chipmunks will dig a tunnel under my daylily plants,exposing the roots to air.So far no losses to voles or air pockets,but I have to be diligent.

No, this is what we call a chipmunk or striped gopher. Their real name is the Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel(Spermophilus tridecemlineatus). This article talks about it not being common in Alberta (2 provinces away from me) but it is common here. They have never bothered any of my flowerbeds.

http://weaselhead.org/profile/index.php?s=562

I am talking about the Richardson's Ground Squirrel - (Spermophilus richardsonii)...

http://weaselhead.org/profile/index.php?s=561

Brenda

Thankfully I don't have those and no, you do not need to share with me. I would be happy to share some of my shrews with you since I want to be a nice neighbor. I hope your ground squirrels don't do plant damage.

Brooke