TOPIC: varmit proofing a seed bed

Started on a 20 foot long seed bed that will attach to my garage that has a concrete footer. I'm coming out 10 feet on the north side with the ground having about a foot drop.
I'm digging a 1 foot ditch on the 3 sides and putting in 1/2 wire mesh with drainage pipe.
I plan on covering the sides and top with rabbit wire. The 1/2 wire mesh will also extend up 2 feet out of the ground. Hope to set out 100 seed bearing plants.

Anyone got suggestions

rootman

Slugs and weeds will be a challenge. I prefer a woodland setting.
I have done both and over time the plants just do not do well unless planted in the woods. Plant them in a woods suitable for ginseng and they will do well.
Latt

Thanks Latt,

Your right about the wood setting, but sense the garage actually is in the edge of the woods I believe it will work.

rootman

Define varmit! IMHO- deer are fitting in there somewhere....

Whitjr wrote:

Define varmit! IMHO- deer are fitting in there somewhere....

Whitjr,
I'd say any thing that gets into seng would fit in that catagory.
I read that moles didn't eat ginseng, that actually voles and mice using the runways made by the moles eat the roots.
Well let me tell you moles eat it too. I had a mole that would make a bee line from plant to plant and jerk top and all down. I used traps,dug them out and actually shot them out when I seen the ground moving. I finally ran the devils out with castor oil!

rootman

rootman,

Good Luck to you with your seed bed and keeping the varmits all out.

I had the bad luck of some critter (expect possibly field mouse or some kind of woods type mouse) eating all of my berries this year.

Some were red but most were still green when they got eaten.

I tell you this - it did not take long either. One friday they were there and looking good and the next Friday they were all eaten.

I think I will build some cages for mine before they set berries next year (perhaps 1/4\" wire cloth cages) something small enough to keep out the mice type critter.

I think I am also going to move some of my roots to the wild and not have them all in one bed like I did this year.

When you have a bunch of nice roots and tops in one location, the critters will sure find em and have a meal if you don't stop them some how.

They will not annouce their plans either - nothing at all had bothered my seed bed until that week but when they did they wiped out every berry in a week.

Hope you figure out some way to stop that.

Be sure and let us know how it goes (even if they fool you good like they did me)

TNhunter

Thanks TNhunter,
I sure will.

rootman