Outside my back door I have a dozen pots of various herbs on a gravelled
area. Something is digging in the pot of thyme throwing the compost onto
the gravel. About a third is now out and the roots of the time exposed
almost to the bottom, this has been happening over several days. What is
it likely to be? There is very little moisture there, though there are
odd trails of slugs/snails on the exposed compost. Not worried, just
wondering, mind you it is a bit of a pain as I will have to clean up the
gravel nearby. I intend replanting with a new thyme plant then cover the
compost with mesh. That still does not explain the cause. Any ideas please?

On 11/07/2013 11:03, Broadback wrote:
Outside my back door I have a dozen pots of various herbs on a gravelled
area. Something is digging in the pot of thyme throwing the compost onto
the gravel. About a third is now out and the roots of the time exposed
almost to the bottom, this has been happening over several days. What is
it likely to be? There is very little moisture there, though there are
odd trails of slugs/snails on the exposed compost. Not worried, just
wondering, mind you it is a bit of a pain as I will have to clean up the
gravel nearby. I intend replanting with a new thyme plant then cover the
compost with mesh. That still does not explain the cause. Any ideas please?

My neighbour complains of blackbirds digging into the soil on her pots.
If not blackbirds could it be hedgehogs searching for grubs?

--
Wendy Tinley
SE Sheffield
4 miles west of junction 30 M1

On Thu, 11 Jul 2013 11:03:21 +0100, Broadback
wrote:

Outside my back door I have a dozen pots of various herbs on a gravelled
area. Something is digging in the pot of thyme throwing the compost onto
the gravel. About a third is now out and the roots of the time exposed
almost to the bottom, this has been happening over several days. What is
it likely to be? There is very little moisture there, though there are
odd trails of slugs/snails on the exposed compost. Not worried, just
wondering, mind you it is a bit of a pain as I will have to clean up the
gravel nearby. I intend replanting with a new thyme plant then cover the
compost with mesh. That still does not explain the cause. Any ideas please?

It's probably a bird. I have seen Jays and Blackbirds having a dig in
my pots. The Jays are digging holes to hide their collection of thing
to eat later. The blackbirds dig to check whatever the Jays have
buried.

Steve

--
EasyNN-plus. Neural Networks plus. http://www.easynn.com
SwingNN. Forecast with Neural Networks. http://www.swingnn.com
JustNN. Just Neural Networks. http://www.justnn.com

On Thu, 11 Jul 2013 13:22:28 +0200, Martin wrote:

On Thu, 11 Jul 2013 11:57:59 +0100, Stephen Wolstenholme
wrote:

On Thu, 11 Jul 2013 11:03:21 +0100, Broadback
wrote:

Outside my back door I have a dozen pots of various herbs on a gravelled
area. Something is digging in the pot of thyme throwing the compost onto
the gravel. About a third is now out and the roots of the time exposed
almost to the bottom, this has been happening over several days. What is
it likely to be? There is very little moisture there, though there are
odd trails of slugs/snails on the exposed compost. Not worried, just
wondering, mind you it is a bit of a pain as I will have to clean up the
gravel nearby. I intend replanting with a new thyme plant then cover the
compost with mesh. That still does not explain the cause. Any ideas please?

It's probably a bird. I have seen Jays and Blackbirds having a dig in
my pots. The Jays are digging holes to hide their collection of thing
to eat later. The blackbirds dig to check whatever the Jays have
buried.

and the thieving magpies take the lot.

The magpies are frightened off by the Jays!

Steve

--
EasyNN-plus. Neural Networks plus. http://www.easynn.com
SwingNN. Forecast with Neural Networks. http://www.swingnn.com
JustNN. Just Neural Networks. http://www.justnn.com

On 11/07/2013 12:33, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Thu, 11 Jul 2013 11:03:21 +0100, Broadback
wrote:

Outside my back door I have a dozen pots of various herbs on a gravelled
area. Something is digging in the pot of thyme throwing the compost onto
the gravel. About a third is now out and the roots of the time exposed
almost to the bottom, this has been happening over several days. What is
it likely to be? There is very little moisture there, though there are
odd trails of slugs/snails on the exposed compost. Not worried, just
wondering, mind you it is a bit of a pain as I will have to clean up the
gravel nearby. I intend replanting with a new thyme plant then cover the
compost with mesh. That still does not explain the cause. Any ideas please?

I have a seed tray full of mesembryanthemum cuttings 'down the
garden'. Some of the larger bits are flowering. Something, I assume a
bird, has pulled all the flowering bits out and strewn them around!
The non-flowering bits are undisturbed. Birds do do funny things!

Thanks folk, birds get the bird! :-))
I see all of those types in the front garden, so assume it must be one
or the other, or a combination. But why should they confine themselves
to one pot, the thyme?

"Broadback" wrote in message
...
Outside my back door I have a dozen pots of various herbs on a gravelled
area. Something is digging in the pot of thyme throwing the compost onto
the gravel. About a third is now out and the roots of the time exposed
almost to the bottom, this has been happening over several days. What is
it likely to be? There is very little moisture there, though there are odd
trails of slugs/snails on the exposed compost. Not worried, just
wondering, mind you it is a bit of a pain as I will have to clean up the
gravel nearby. I intend replanting with a new thyme plant then cover the
compost with mesh. That still does not explain the cause. Any ideas
please?

I am thinking toad or toads, have a gentle investigation and you may find
the culprit still in there, they are not hunting just looking for a cool
spot to spend the day and often return to the same pot night after night.


--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

On Thu, 11 Jul 2013 15:31:47 +0200, Martin wrote:

On Thu, 11 Jul 2013 13:26:44 +0100, Stephen Wolstenholme
wrote:

On Thu, 11 Jul 2013 13:22:28 +0200, Martin wrote:

On Thu, 11 Jul 2013 11:57:59 +0100, Stephen Wolstenholme
wrote:

On Thu, 11 Jul 2013 11:03:21 +0100, Broadback
wrote:

Outside my back door I have a dozen pots of various herbs on a gravelled
area. Something is digging in the pot of thyme throwing the compost onto
the gravel. About a third is now out and the roots of the time exposed
almost to the bottom, this has been happening over several days. What is
it likely to be? There is very little moisture there, though there are
odd trails of slugs/snails on the exposed compost. Not worried, just
wondering, mind you it is a bit of a pain as I will have to clean up the
gravel nearby. I intend replanting with a new thyme plant then cover the
compost with mesh. That still does not explain the cause. Any ideas please?

It's probably a bird. I have seen Jays and Blackbirds having a dig in
my pots. The Jays are digging holes to hide their collection of thing
to eat later. The blackbirds dig to check whatever the Jays have
buried.

and the thieving magpies take the lot.

The magpies are frightened off by the Jays!

Everything is frightened off by the beaks of parakeets.

The first day in our new house two parakeets decided to visit the bird
feeder. We haven't seen them since.

Steve

--
EasyNN-plus. Neural Networks plus. http://www.easynn.com
SwingNN. Forecast with Neural Networks. http://www.swingnn.com
JustNN. Just Neural Networks. http://www.justnn.com

On 11/07/2013 16:25, Charlie Pridham wrote:

"Broadback" wrote in message
...
Outside my back door I have a dozen pots of various herbs on a
gravelled area. Something is digging in the pot of thyme throwing the
compost onto the gravel. About a third is now out and the roots of the
time exposed almost to the bottom, this has been happening over
several days. What is it likely to be? There is very little moisture
there, though there are odd trails of slugs/snails on the exposed
compost. Not worried, just wondering, mind you it is a bit of a pain
as I will have to clean up the gravel nearby. I intend replanting with
a new thyme plant then cover the compost with mesh. That still does
not explain the cause. Any ideas please?

I am thinking toad or toads, have a gentle investigation and you may
find the culprit still in there, they are not hunting just looking for a
cool spot to spend the day and often return to the same pot night after
night.



We've just had a field mouse come and introduce himself at our back
door. Bold as brass. Never seen one round here before

On Thu, 11 Jul 2013 11:31:12 +0100, Wendy Tinley
wrote:

On 11/07/2013 11:03, Broadback wrote:
Outside my back door I have a dozen pots of various herbs on a gravelled
area. Something is digging in the pot of thyme throwing the compost onto
the gravel. About a third is now out and the roots of the time exposed
almost to the bottom, this has been happening over several days. What is
it likely to be? There is very little moisture there, though there are
odd trails of slugs/snails on the exposed compost. Not worried, just
wondering, mind you it is a bit of a pain as I will have to clean up the
gravel nearby. I intend replanting with a new thyme plant then cover the
compost with mesh. That still does not explain the cause. Any ideas please?

My neighbour complains of blackbirds digging into the soil on her pots.
If not blackbirds could it be hedgehogs searching for grubs?

Probably blackbirds. I have a nest with a second brood of young
currently scavenging around my garden. They throw soil out of pots,
throw the gravel onto the paving slabs of the path and scatter
"mind-your-own-business" all over the place. If you had bulbs in the
pots and squirrels around I'd blame the latter. A friend has a
neighbour who feeds the squirrels and though he's a good neighbour
otherwise she secretly curses him as she keeps losing bulbs!

Pam in Bristol

"Broadback" wrote in message
...
Outside my back door I have a dozen pots of various herbs on a gravelled
area. Something is digging in the pot of thyme throwing the compost onto
the gravel. About a third is now out and the roots of the time exposed
almost to the bottom, this has been happening over several days. What is
it likely to be? There is very little moisture there, though there are odd
trails of slugs/snails on the exposed compost. Not worried, just
wondering, mind you it is a bit of a pain as I will have to clean up the
gravel nearby. I intend replanting with a new thyme plant then cover the
compost with mesh. That still does not explain the cause. Any ideas
please?

Squirrel.