10 replies to this topic

[Blocky71]

So i get my first few fly traps and they get continually battered by the rain, i then get some propagator lids to protect them from the rain and we have a freak hot day and i wasn't around to remove lid, I get home and all my babies are wilting badly.
I then get sick of living my life around putting lid on, taking lid off depending on the weather so decide to build a greenhouse.
Due to the weather again being a real pain in the ass i only manage to get it half built before i have to go back to work, i return home tonight to find this.....


I'm guessing it was a cat or magpie  or whatever but somethings been in uprooting and chewing off traps whilst i was working, i'm gutted, they were just reviving.
I'm wondering if i'll have anything worth putting in new greenhouse by time its built!
Proper frustrated!

[mantrid]

I would remove the gravel, so the pots will be more stable.
Move the pots from the small tray to the large tray so the large tray is full then the pots wil support each other

[Blocky71]

The gravel was originally poured in around the pots to help keep them stable, It seems that, according to my neighbour anyhow, that two cats crossed paths on the fence then decided to have a scrap on my plants.
It's depressing seeing them all battered , i can't wait to get a roof over them

[Richard Bunn]

I feel your pain I really do. I've experienced similar destruction to my beloved Sarracenias due to the wind and haven't been able to build the greenhouse partly due to weather partly due to the fact I'm disabled and am relying on help.

[dchasselblad74]

I've had a few really bad experiences with varmints aswell. Both raccoons and squirrels have uprooted, chewed up and downright destroyed some of my prized Sarras and Nepenthes and VFT's...and I just felt that same disgust and stomach twirling feeling while I repot my plants and asses the damaged irrepairable ones and I just want to   !$%#&...You know what I mean , cause I feel that these darn animals are just     in my face....I know how you feel my brother Just look at my growlist and the ones that are "RIP" are the ones I lost to mostly varmints

Edited by dchasselblad74, 13 July 2012 - 01:10 AM.

[alexa]

Don't let this get you down too much, the plants will recover and you'll soon have a greenhouse up and running. I believe that all growers have had problems when getting collections together, you'll get over it, a bummer I know but not a total diaster.

Alex.

[Richard Bunn]

I would definitely get rid of the gravel though as it does make an uncertain footing under a pot.

[Blocky71]

Hi guys
Firstly thanks for all your replies and advice, I'm sorry to hear of all your woe's, it seems between the weather and the wildlife we have a lot to contend with, Richard even more so, I hope the greenhouse project gets sorted soon, you must be very frustrated, Ireland's a little far mate otherwise i'd of happily given up a few afternoons to help.
You've lost some far more valuable plants than me Dchassel, i guess i should be grateful we only have cats and the odd bird that take an interest!.
Anyhow i'm hoping next weeks weather will let up enough for me to get the roof sorted on the plants new home, seems everyone's plants are pretty retarded this year so even if the more mangled plants at least survive that'll  be something.
Thanks for your encouragement, Lets hope the rest of the "summer" brings some growth enducing sunshine for us all.
Thanks as always ;-)

[meizwang]

A good and humane way to handle pesky animals ruining your plants is to catch them with a trap and some bait.  If they are wild, you can then release them in the neighboring woods without harming them.

I commercially grew 1/2 a million venus fly traps, and imagine having 5,000+ plants at a time all turned over....every day!  It was a nightmare and a lot of work.  Once you get them out of the area, they don't come back!

[Richard Bunn]

OMG that sounds like a soul destroying nightmare.

[Nigel H-C]

Think yourself lucky, I had a pheasant flying around the nursery last year and they carry some serious weight!

Nigel HC