On Aug 31, 2005, at 9:01 AM, Kitsune Miko wrote:

Thanks. I was thinking junipers and pines, but also crabapples, some
pyrochomeles, and some elms. Cats up there would be a problem to
keep. There is no barn or house attached to the property, but the
near by creek could provide coons and possums, maybe even fox. People
involved in thsis plot of land will do totally organic gardening. The
place is on a lower hill in Portola Valley where the gophers did in a
fig tree from the bottom. I wouldn't mind if the gophers did some
root pruning. but I do need them to cooperate.

Kits

Jim Gremel wrote:

Most conifers are safe - you wouldn't need wire baskets.

Gophers loved the hornbeams I grew, but they never killed any. The best
preventative for gopher damage is a liberal application of cats. Here,
three cats reduced the thriving gopher population to a worrisome, but
apparently insignificant threat.

I suggest just trying some of whatever you want to grow & let the
critters sort out which they like. I wouldn't use the baskets because
if the gophers really like something I have heard that they will just
climb over & dig inside them. My neighbor made raised beds with
screened bottoms & redwood sides, but the gophers climbed the 12" walls
& tunneled in.

Start with inexpensive plants.

Jim

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