In a recent column there was a question from a reader who had a
problem with moles. I asked for suggestions from other readers and I
received a lot of response. If moles are giving you headaches, you
might find these ideas helpful.

DEAR STEVE: ”I'm not quite sure what eats tulip bulbs, but I seem to
have hit on a solution. The first year we had our country weekend
place I planted tulips and saw not a single one in the following
spring. Whatever it was did not eat or burrow through the daffodils or
the bearded iris I planted.

”Last year I decided to try again and planted a circle of daffodils
shoulder to shoulder around each clump of five tulips. This involved
opening a 12-14" diameter hole of the appropriate depth so that all
bulbs could be deployed at the same time at the same depth. I covered
them all up and when I was up to the appropriate depth, I put in
aconite, muscari and crocus. Everything arrived in its turn this
spring.

“The burrowing creatures at the bottom of the garden - moles or voles
or likely both - almost killed Madame Isaac Periere by tunneling right
under her this year, but avoided the chionadoxa planted in little
clumps between the roses. I'm thinking they are planted at just about
the same depth as the tunneling denizens of the lower yard and I am
going to try tight phalanxes of such things around the ornamentals
down there, making sure I have something planted at every depth I've
seen the tunnels. It's the Catskills; you don't go too deep before you
hit rock and the rock attracts the earthworms and the excavations I
hog out to put in ornamentals like the roses make easy ground for
burrowing creatures.

”I don't know if this sort of defensive planting will work in this
case, but the iris and daffodils I planted that first year are still
there after four years in the middle of mole/vole metropolis. The iris
are planted deeper there than I would have done down in Virginia where
I come from because of the hard winters, so you'd think they would be
subject to mole damage, but I've never found any tunnels under them.
They thrive and grow enormous in the mountain climate and I have not
seen any rhizome rot issues even though they do have to be covered
with about an inch or two of earth.

“My suggestion: I'd try the repellant you described and some defensive
planting. Other things down there that have never shown any sign of
tunneling damage are coneflower and black-eyed susan, daylilies,
peonies and shasta daisies.

“The garden backs up against a rather boggy bit of meadow that slopes
down to our pond and nothing in that meadow seems bothered and the
main residents are an assortment of grasses as well as Joe Pye weed
(pink eupatorium) and its cousin, White Snake Root, white turtle heads
further down, solidago in several varieties, blue vervain, elderberry,
both the early purple and the later red, cuckoo flower (cardamine p.),
false solomon's seal, Canadian Mayapple, an assortment of asters and
daisy fleabane, blue cohosh and trout lily at the higher dryer part,
wild strawberries and other things too numerous to mention that grow
and bloom and contribute to the lovely tumble.

“More cultivated things that were planted before we arrived up at the
dry part where tunneling has been observed are Russian sage, creeping
phlox and lamium, Mallow and butterfly weed also persist as well as
chives. The clump of chives the former owners left behind is now a
five foot swath. Onion-like plants might be a clue!” - Alice Standin

DEAR STEVE: I read your column with a question from a woman having
critter problems. How well I know the problem! A friend gave me a
Spurge plant a couple of years ago that truly works. As you know, they
are quite invasive and toxic. As my garden is extensive, I have a
“Spurge purge” about once a year, but now I have no moles or voles”. –
Jo Laxton

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs
and landscaping to and for resources and
additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed
newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org