I'm wondering if I could bury a plastic ice-cream tub, the gallon size ones, and plant my tulip bulbs in that? I know there would have to be a drainage hole in the bottom, but would this work to keep the moles out of my tulips? The last time I planted tulips they were all gone the next day! there were moles out there so I figure they ate them. I never saw them again!

That will help Frilly. You can also cut the entire bottom out of a 4-5 gallon plastic plant bucket and bury it in the ground. Voles have never dug that far down in my garden and they abhor climbing over the top of the bucket edge. I leave at least an inch of the rim above ground. The foliage covers it quickly. I also use this method of planting as a way to keep some plants that travel by roots and rhizomes in their proper place.

oh, my I don't think I could dig that deep... granny must have bigger muscles than me! I suppose a bucket would last forever as heavy as they are. The ice-cream tubs are thinner so I don't know how long they would last before needing replaced. I would think a few years though.

If the soil is hard for you to dig it will be hard for the voles also. That is a good thing. lol

Maybe I missed something. Moles ? Voles ?

My understanding is that moles don't eat plant material, but grubs and things like that.

Lyn

all I know is that some tunneling rat ate them all up by the next morning!

That sounds more like a gopher. Do you have them in your part of the country ?

Lyn

I have voles. They are quite similar in size and shape to moles. They eat my bulbs.... except for daffodils and some alliums, ALL my bulbs. Most people call them moles. They make smaller tunnels than gophers and can get in tiny places to eat my bulbs. Voles are a great garden nuisance for me. I do not have gophers here..... so far. smiles

I have moles and voles, I think the little voles like to use the tunnels the moles dig. So I could see the moles digging around the bulbs and the voles using the tunnels to get to the bulbs.
Anyhow what caught my attention was using the plastic ice cream containers. I love using those things for planting in, and the thought of using them for bulbs sounds great too. I try to buy ice cream in the 1gal.1pt plastic containers, they are my favorite. Now I am trying to cut back on eating things like ice cream and thinking about collecting more of those nifty plastic containers is not helping.

I don't think they are gophers. But I did kill a few moles and seen some dead ones on the ground the neighbors cats had ahold of... played w but didn't eat.
Moles are nasty looking things. Voles I think just look more like a mouse, not really ugly like a mole. All I know is they were gone by the next morning-so much for being Queen of the Night!


I love using those ice cream containers for everything. I buy the square ones so they stack easily. they are semi-transparent so it's easy to see what is in them. I like to use them for mixing small batches of paint sometimes. Great for storing muffins, watermelon ect in the kitchen too! Craft supplies...

Frilly, I've dealt with this too, and I think voles use mole tunnels and take advantage of exposed food. My cats catch both frequently. I've used 6" plastic pots underground containing the bulbs, and they did the trick for years.

Frilly, I recalled a tip from another member I wanted to share with you (although I can't recall who it was?..). She surrounded all of her tulip bulbs with Daffodils (small varieties, that are inexpensive and have small bulbs that are easy to work around other things). She said moles/voles were present, but didn't bother her tulips when she started planting that way. I hadn't intentionally done that, but realized later that my rodent prone bulbs near Daffodils had always remained safe.

gemini_sage said:Frilly, I recalled a tip from another member I wanted to share with you (although I can't recall who it was?..). She surrounded all of her tulip bulbs with Daffodils (small varieties, that are inexpensive and have small bulbs that are easy to work around other things). She said moles/voles were present, but didn't bother her tulips when she started planting that way. I hadn't intentionally done that, but realized later that my rodent prone bulbs near Daffodils had always remained safe.

@gemini_sage

I'm pretty sure that it was @Cem9165 that said that. I'm thinking about ordering the small daffodils and doing the same thing. I'll still scatter the crushed oyster shells around the tulips and crocus in the hole when I plant them .

I think you're right Marilyn! Topolino would be a good daffodil to use- it stays short and they're inexpensive.

That's the small daff I'm thinking about getting. Hopefully, it will deter the wild rabbits from eating the tulip and crocus plants after they emerge.

You know what they say about great minds!

I'd never really gotten into many miniature daffs, but have been looking more closely at them lately. Brent and Becky's offers some real cuties! I ordered a few of one called Snow Baby, a little white trumpet, that looks adorable. I had thought this big yard didn't suite minis, but now I'm realizing I need to change my idea of them- if I can effectively use any other small bulb (which I certainly do), then why shouldn't the small bulb be a daffodil? Funny to me when I realize I've been rigid in my thought process without even realizing it.

Hi @Marilyn,

I learned about planting the mini daffs around the tulips and lily bulbs several years ago when I was a member at DG.

Over the years I've planted Minnow, Hawera, Little Gem, and Tete-aTete.

Hawera-6 inches, 250 of them from the Netherland Bulb Co.
were planted in 2011.

Minnow- 7 inches, 200 from Colorblends were planted in 2013.

Little Gem 5-6 inches, is the shortest of all of them and so cute. I planted 100 of them from Van Egelen in 2013 around the tulip and lily bulbs.

Tete-a-Tete- 6-8 inches, was bought locally, and I have planted 100+ since 2010.

This has really helped decrease the loss of tulip and lily bulbs. I've found 2 dead moles in the garden this year, one on the front lawn, and one in my new back bed, Eewwww!

HEY Neal. You have mail and a FB message

yes, I planted many tulip bulbs and never seen them again. I could see where the moles had dug tunnels. it was very discouraging. How do I keep the pesty guys from eating or destroying my bulbs this year?? marlena

I sprinkled a little Cayenne Pepper in the hole. Tulips came up but the deer and rabbits ate the tips,ones that bloomed had squirrels eat the buds.
I gave up.
Its daffodils for me from now on..