Bulb Caper

[vette-kid]

My 3.5yo son and I have planted about 100 bulbs over the last few weeks. Most of them Caladium in various colors to add some ground cover and color to heavily shaded areas. We have also planted some lilies and other flowers. Yesterday I noticed some of them disturbed so I poked around looking for that bulb...cant find it. Its gone. Now I learn that squirrels will eat bulbs?! WTF!? I know we also have a resident Armadillo (that I would desperately like to get rid of!) but I'm not sure they eat bulbs. He does root up the lawn and garden area looking for grubs though. My son asks me about every other day why our plants aren't growing. I'm sure he will forget eventually, but still makes me sad that they might not come up after all that work. I was excited to share it with him and show him something useful.

I guess its more of a vent, but I will ask one question. How long should most bulbs take to pop up? We did mostly Caladium and Lilies. I'm curious how long to wait before I can be sure the pests got them without poking around trying to find them all and disturb them if they are still there.

 

[Chuck]

My 3.5yo son and I have planted about 100 bulbs over the last few weeks. Most of them Caladium in various colors to add some ground cover and color to heavily shaded areas. We have also planted some lilies and other flowers. Yesterday I noticed some of them disturbed so I poked around looking for that bulb...cant find it. Its gone. Now I learn that squirrels will eat bulbs?! WTF!? I know we also have a resident Armadillo (that I would desperately like to get rid of!) but I'm not sure they eat bulbs. He does root up the lawn and garden area looking for. My son asks me about every other day why our plants aren't growing. I'm sure he will forget eventually, but still makes me sad that they might not come up after all that work. I was excited to share it with him and show him something useful.

I guess its more of a vent, but I will ask one question. How long should most bulbs take to pop up? We did mostly Caladium and Lilies. I'm curious how long to wait before I can be sure the pests got them without poking around trying to find them all and disturb them if they are still there.

I don't know diddly squat about bulbs but about squirrels and armadillos I am an expert. Here is a site that will tell you everything you need to know about armadillos.http://www.eattheweeds.com/armadillo-cuisine-cooking-a-hoover-hog-2/ and with squirrels all you need is a pellet gun and a BBQ pit.

 

[ApidAdi]

My 3.5yo son and I have planted about 100 bulbs over the last few weeks. Most of them Caladium in various colors to add some ground cover and color to heavily shaded areas. We have also planted some lilies and other flowers. Yesterday I noticed some of them disturbed so I poked around looking for that bulb...cant find it. Its gone. Now I learn that squirrels will eat bulbs?! WTF!? I know we also have a resident Armadillo (that I would desperately like to get rid of!) but I'm not sure they eat bulbs. He does root up the lawn and garden area looking for grubs though. My son asks me about every other day why our plants aren't growing. I'm sure he will forget eventually, but still makes me sad that they might not come up after all that work. I was excited to share it with him and show him something useful.

I guess its more of a vent, but I will ask one question. How long should most bulbs take to pop up? We did mostly Caladium and Lilies. I'm curious how long to wait before I can be sure the pests got them without poking around trying to find them all and disturb them if they are still there.

My friend shoots her armadillos with a pistol. (She lives outside city limits.) Which I find terribly sad, but I understand that they're a pest. I have a soft spot for the weird little buggers.

Caladiums are technically tubers, which means almost nothing as far as how to care for them. It does mean you have to plant them rather shallowly in comparison to true bulbs. How deep did you plant them? It may still be a little chilly yet for your Caladiums to come up, even in your area. They should start coming up when the soil temps get above 70 F. Look for them after April 1st. Even then it may take them a bit. Tubers (Caladiums) and bulbs take their time. I planted some Summer Snowflake in my back garden and it literally took a year for them to come up the first time. I mostly blame this on Home Depot's shoddy plant care. Where did you get yours?
So if you don't see them don't get discouraged! Just be patient, and do your best to scare off filching wildlife.

 

[vette-kid]

My friend shoots her armadillos with a pistol. (She lives outside city limits.) Which I find terribly sad, but I understand that they're a pest. I have a soft spot for the weird little buggers.

Caladiums are technically tubers, which means almost nothing as far as how to care for them. It does mean you have to plant them rather shallowly in comparison to true bulbs. How deep did you plant them? It may still be a little chilly yet for your Caladiums to come up, even in your area. They should start coming up when the soil temps get above 70 F. Look for them after April 1st. Even then it may take them a bit. Tubers (Caladiums) and bulbs take their time. I planted some Summer Snowflake in my back garden and it literally took a year for them to come up the first time. I mostly blame this on Home Depot's shoddy plant care. Where did you get yours?
So if you don't see them don't get discouraged! Just be patient, and do your best to scare off filching wildlife.

I find Dillo's to be one of the most hideous creatures on God's green earth. that's just me though Seriously, I'm not for just shooting things for no reason, but If I weren't in a neighborhood I would camp out all night to shoot that bugger. Serious pest and can carry leprosy. And they are seriously ugly

As for the bulbs, I too got them at the home desperate. A few might be lowes. hopefully they come up at some point. I was pretty excited about it. I bought a handful of small plants too, so at least Ill have something; and I'm starting some seeds too. I put an entire container of Cayenne pepper around my planted bulbs, so hopefully that will keep squirrels and the Dillo away long enough. Of course it rained all day yesterday and half today, so that's probably a waste now.

 

[ApidAdi]

I find Dillo's to be one of the most hideous creatures on God's green earth. that's just me though Seriously, I'm not for just shooting things for no reason, but If I weren't in a neighborhood I would camp out all night to shoot that bugger. Serious pest and can carry leprosy. And they are seriously ugly

As for the bulbs, I too got them at the home desperate. A few might be lowes. hopefully they come up at some point. I was pretty excited about it. I bought a handful of small plants too, so at least Ill have something; and I'm starting some seeds too. I put an entire container of Cayenne pepper around my planted bulbs, so hopefully that will keep squirrels and the Dillo away long enough. Of course it rained all day yesterday and half today, so that's probably a waste now.

I'm just going to put on my biologist hat for a moment. It's true that some armadillos are naturally infected with leprosy. But researchers who regularly handle armadillos for their whole careers might never get it. The CDC says it's possible to contract leprosy from them, but it's unlikely because 95% of the human population is resistant/immune to it. Plus, it's spread by coughing and sneezing, like TB. You're unlikely to be coughed on by a wild animal. Okay, biologist hat is coming off!
I think dillos are adorable, but then again, I also feel that way about spiders and opossums, so I'm probably no fit judge.

If you got them from (I like your name for it) Home Desperate your tubers are probably a bit dehydrated. If they don't come up by the end of the year, consider buying a few pots of leafed-out Caladiums (sometimes call Elephant Ears) and dividing the tubers manually. Cayenne was a good idea! I put it in my bird feeder to keep the squirrels out, but it doesn't stick to the seeds and gets shaken out eventually. I hope it keeps the little thieves away long enough to get some leaves up!