I have read that dog hair will stop them? Some people go to groomers and get the shaved off hair and sprinkle it on and ROUND THE AREA AND THE SMELL Stops them from messin with that spot. There are chemicals to that go on the ground that the smell keeps them off. Never tried them. Just a few ideas for ya. I had Cats pulling mine up. I trapped them and relocated them.

I might try bending thick wire into a U shape and pinning them to the ground if I had your situation. My husband made me a bunch of metal Us from the wire they use at the top of chain link fencing. It's pale gray and very thick for wire, and we got ours at Home Depot. He cut about ten to twelve inch lengths and bent them loosely in half. I use them to pin down all sorts of stuff in the garden. They also make metal things that are used to pin electrical tubing to walls, they have a J shape and might work as well.
Renee

A rock or a brick works too. It only needs to stay on until they have rooted.

Chad

dog hair just might work. I did get some red pepper that I plan on sprinkling on the worst areas. when I said a big hill I meant long. it goes the length of my driveway. I have iris planted on about 2/3's of it. so, to cover with anything metal would be too expensive. I do have a wheelbarrow full of the rocks that I dug up just getting the iris in. my hill is built on top of rocks & bricks so to plant anything there I have to dig up the rocks first, & then plant. but, I plan on putting the rocks back on the hill next spring after the iris start growing but for now I just need to be able to keep the iris in the ground. thanks for the suggestions, please keep them coming.

I use wooden skewers to keep squirrels out of newly-planted pots. Guess they might work in the ground also. Be careful, though -- those sharp points have skewered me as well!

The red pepper flakes seem to be working for me with my bulbs. After I sprinkled it around they quit bothering them for now. Would love to see a pic of your hill with all those iris in bloom. I bet its gorgeous. Judy

I plan to put pics up next spring of all of my flowers. I did sprinkle the red pepper around & I've only found a few iris pulled out. just in the areas where I didn't get the pepper spread, so I need to get some more out there. I can't wait till spring to see every thing blooming. I hope we have a short winter this year. that would be nice.

I just did pepper flakes and lots of cinnamon. They disappeared quick.

Hey Random Harvest,

Tell me about wooden skewers. The squirrels dig up my young hosta over and over again. Once they get big, they don't seem to bother them much. I have a small one that they have almost ruined. I had a new one this year that may nnot make it. They religiously dig it up about every three days. I plant it again and they dig it up again. I think rocks in the top of the pots have slowed them down some (one suggestion on the hosta forum), but haven't really solved the problem. I'm ready to try most anything. (Stew has been suggested.)

Fortunately, they aren't as bad with my iris.

bkay

They're the skewers for shish kabobs that you get at the grocery store. I push them in the pot around the plant close enough together that I figure a squirrel wouldn't have room to sit, with about three inches of the pointy side sticking up. I fill up the entire pot & if I leave too much room between skewers, the squirrels will dig there. But be careful and don't forget they're there -- I have drawn blood when I forget and reach into a pot.

I have used plastic forks, tines up, both in pots and in beds. The forks also keep cats from messin' around in the beds.

Smiles,
Lyn

Thanks, guys. I'm in the food business and can buy those things by the case REALLY cheap. My radiant edger hosta may make it through one spring without being dug up.

Thanks again.

bkay

hey all, believe it or not this spring I actually found a product on the shelf called "squirrel stoppers that is for spraying on your plants to stop squirrels from digging up your plants. I did spray it on my iris & the squirrels have been leaving them alone so far. I need to spray it again because we've been getting rain the past couple of days. I also need to finish getting the pulled out iris from last fall back into the ground. but, the hill's been too muddy to do anything right now. I've lost some iris due to being out of the ground too long, but the rest are looking pretty good. we'll see in a couple of months when they should start blooming, I hope.