Not that I could probably do anything about it, but last year, and now
starting again this year, just as my tulips are about to open, something
is cutting off the flower buds so that I find them lying on the ground
with about a 1/8" stem (consistently). The cut isn't always a smooth
one, and the buggers aren't *eating* them (which wouldn't bother me as
much as having them just destroyed for pleasure!). Last year, there was
absolutely no other damage to the tulips or other plants. This year,
I'm seeing a bit of shredding of some tulip petals and even a leaf or
two.

Any idea what does this -- and WHY???

Audrey.

hey, could possibly be a squirrel, do you have any visiting your garden?

The little buggers are very curiuos and if they think it has seed in it they will tear it apart.

If you dont have squirrels in the garden then im not sure.

Squirrels are abundant... I didn't think they'd be doing it for two
reasons:

1. they usually dig and eat the bulb if they can
2. I figured they were too heavy to get up and snip off the bud without
doing more damage.

I would never have imagined the reason they were doing it, but now that
you say it, it makes perfect sense! Thanks for the info!

Audrey.

dommy wrote:

hey, could possibly be a squirrel, do you have any visiting your
garden?

The little buggers are very curiuos and if they think it has seed in it
they will tear it apart.

If you dont have squirrels in the garden then im not sure.
--
dommy
------------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk

audrey im not 100% sure but its a possibily seeing as you have squirrels.

When i planted sunflowers a few years back the flower hadnt even opened it was closed yet the squirrel jumped on all of them and ripped them apart.

I never plant sunflowers or sweet corn anymore, not worth the hassle.

however something else could be doing it so anyone with further contributions to help audrey please post

Last year I saw a squirrel cut the top of one of my columbines (3 - 4 inc=
hes high).
When I rushed out to scare it off, it dropped the stem down. The columbin=
e died.

It may be a rabbit also.

Fran=E7oise.

Audrey Copperwheat wrote:

Squirrels are abundant... I didn't think they'd be doing it for two
reasons:

1. they usually dig and eat the bulb if they can
2. I figured they were too heavy to get up and snip off the bud=
without
doing more damage.

I would never have imagined the reason they were doing it, but now that=

you say it, it makes perfect sense! Thanks for the info!

Audrey.

dommy wrote:

hey, could possibly be a squirrel, do you have any visiting your
garden?

The little buggers are very curiuos and if they think it has seed in =
it
they will tear it apart.

If you dont have squirrels in the garden then im not sure.
--
dommy
---------------------------------------------------------------------=
---
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk

My vote is squirrels.

I had this happened at my old house. I had tulips for years and not a
problem, then 4 years ago all the tops were snipped off. I could not figure
it out until the next year when I saw them do it. That is the year they
started going after my sunflowers as well. Oh it was so frustrating and I
could not stop them. So far it has not been a problem here. We do have a
cat who is an excellent mouser (and whatever else it can chase).

D~


"Audrey Copperwheat" wrote in message
...
Not that I could probably do anything about it, but last year, and now
starting again this year, just as my tulips are about to open, something
is cutting off the flower buds so that I find them lying on the ground
with about a 1/8" stem (consistently). The cut isn't always a smooth
one, and the buggers aren't *eating* them (which wouldn't bother me as
much as having them just destroyed for pleasure!). Last year, there was
absolutely no other damage to the tulips or other plants. This year,
I'm seeing a bit of shredding of some tulip petals and even a leaf or
two.

Any idea what does this -- and WHY???

Audrey.

I bet it's rabbits ! They eat my tulips all the time . Now they started
on my daylilies and the bachelor's buttons . It's driving me nuts ...
but there's nothing I can do .
Good luck !
Rosie z5

Oh yeah, we had them too.

D~


"rosemarie face" wrote in message
...
I bet it's rabbits ! They eat my tulips all the time . Now they started
on my daylilies and the bachelor's buttons . It's driving me nuts ...
but there's nothing I can do .
Good luck !
Rosie z5

rosemarie face wrote:

I bet it's rabbits ! They eat my tulips all the time . Now they started
on my daylilies and the bachelor's buttons . It's driving me nuts ...
but there's nothing I can do .
Good luck !
Rosie z5

These aren't being eaten! they're just having the about-to-open tulip
buds chopped off and left lying on the ground.

Plus, I've always attributed clean diagonal cuts to rabbits. None of
these cuts has been diagonal. And none of my other types of flowers has
ever been bothered. [Geez... am I gonna *pay* for saying that? %-]

I vote for bugs. I had this exact same thing happen last year. I think it
was either earwigs or ants. Why and how would a squirrell lop off a tulip
with a perfect diagnal or straight cut? Wouldn't there be teeth marks or
wouldn't the bloom be crushed?

mm


"Audrey Copperwheat" wrote in message
...
rosemarie face wrote:

I bet it's rabbits ! They eat my tulips all the time . Now they started
on my daylilies and the bachelor's buttons . It's driving me nuts ...
but there's nothing I can do .
Good luck !
Rosie z5

These aren't being eaten! they're just having the about-to-open tulip
buds chopped off and left lying on the ground.

Plus, I've always attributed clean diagonal cuts to rabbits. None of
these cuts has been diagonal. And none of my other types of flowers has
ever been bothered. [Geez... am I gonna *pay* for saying that? %-]

Audrey,

I understood what you said. From your explanation, it sounds just like what
the squirrels were doing to my tulips. Not saying this is definitely your
problem just this may be the same thing. Took me forever to catch them in
the act.

In the fall one year they took to taking one (and only one) bite out of each
of my full grown pumpkins. Now idea what caused them to do that. Made all
the pumpkins go bad before Halloween. From what I could tell, they only did
it one year. The next year they did it to one or two of the pumpkins, but
not the whole crop.


D~



"Audrey Copperwheat" wrote in message
...
rosemarie face wrote:

I bet it's rabbits ! They eat my tulips all the time . Now they started
on my daylilies and the bachelor's buttons . It's driving me nuts ...
but there's nothing I can do .
Good luck !
Rosie z5

These aren't being eaten! they're just having the about-to-open tulip
buds chopped off and left lying on the ground.

Plus, I've always attributed clean diagonal cuts to rabbits. None of
these cuts has been diagonal. And none of my other types of flowers has
ever been bothered. [Geez... am I gonna *pay* for saying that? %-]

"mmarteen" wrote in message
...
Why and how would a squirrell lop off a tulip
with a perfect diagnal or straight cut? Wouldn't there be teeth marks or
wouldn't the bloom be crushed?

Nope. When I caught the squirrles doing it to my tulips, the critters
snipped the tops right off, just under the blooms.

D~



mm


"Audrey Copperwheat" wrote in message
...
rosemarie face wrote:

I bet it's rabbits ! They eat my tulips all the time . Now they
started
on my daylilies and the bachelor's buttons . It's driving me nuts ...
but there's nothing I can do .
Good luck !
Rosie z5

These aren't being eaten! they're just having the about-to-open tulip
buds chopped off and left lying on the ground.

Plus, I've always attributed clean diagonal cuts to rabbits. None of
these cuts has been diagonal. And none of my other types of flowers has
ever been bothered. [Geez... am I gonna *pay* for saying that? %-]