How to keep animals from stealing my ferts?

[justBonsai]

Neighborhood animals, also my dog love to steal my chicken poo fertilizer bags and toss em somewhere away from the plant.

This past summer my parents were helping care for my trees meaning a lot of fert bags never were replaced. This in part along with many other issues has made for the worst growing season I've had in bonsai. I've been preparing for the next season and with it new fertilizer bags.

I'd like to prevent any animals from pulling them off my bonsai and wanted to know if there are any deterrents I can stick in the tea bag or on the fertilizer. I was thinking stuffing each bag with peppercorns and pepper flakes. Would this work?

 

[just.wing.it]

How about pinning them down to the soil?
Or covering them with some screen....not to aesthetically pleasing, but might be something to consider.
Your idea might be good too, I'm not sure.. curious to see what others say.

 

[justBonsai]

How about pinning them down to the soil?
Or covering them with some screen....not to aesthetically pleasing, but might be something to consider.
Your idea might be good too, I'm not sure.. curious to see what others say.

I could use toothpicks but that wouldn't be enough. I actually bought something to try out. Its a bitter dog anti-chew spray. I assume all animals, not just dogs will avoid a strong bitter taste. Plan to heavily spray my fert bags and see if it works. Water will probably wear it off after some time but I am sure if they eat bitter fertilizer at least once or twice they won't try again.

 

[just.wing.it]

I've also seen these little fertilizer cages, with a spike in the bottom.

 

[just.wing.it]

Something like this...

 

[Stan Kengai]

Cayenne pepper is a good natural repellent for squirrels and chipmunks, but it has to be reapplied as frequently as weekly, depending on water and rain. I've noticed that the rodents are only a problem at the beginning and the end of the growing season, maybe because other food sources are scarce.

 

[JudyB]

There are small wooden cocktail skewers that I use, they work. Also you could put bird netting over the soil, that will keep birds from stealing moss and other stuff for their nesting.

 

[twisted trees]

Pass a law against it.

 

[Smoke]

...or you could just inject at watering and forego all the unsightly fertilizer clogging on the top of your pretty tree?

 

[sparklemotion]

I was also going to suggest going liquid, but I understand why that's not ideal if you have others doing the regular care.

At my local club, it was suggested to keep critters out of mulched, overwintering trees by popping a mothball or two on top of each pot.

That was easy enough to implement under the mulch, but you'd probably need the basket (or tea bags) to to hold the balls down.

Safety wise, I wouldn't do it if animals you care about might be tempted to snack. And I assume that because this advice was coming from someone who cares about his trees, the mothballs are safe for the trees. But, caveat hortus.

You could also try a slow release pellet like osmocote, that you could work into the top bit of the soil.

 

[GrimLore]

At my local club, it was suggested to keep critters out of mulched, overwintering trees by popping a mothball or two on top of each pot.

Mothballs are a pesticide and I am pretty certain they are banned in several states. If allowed to breakdown in soil they can cause long term damage. Not starting an argument by any means - just giving a byer beware

There are several safe products out there like Molemax and Liquid fence that work good for a lot of mammals. Very safe to use and simply annoy the vermin...

Grimmy

 

[A. Gorilla]

Ohhhh, you said FERTS. Right!

Those kind.

Got it.

 

[CasAH]

Electric cow fence around the area. One zap and they will not come back.

 

[sparklemotion]

Mothballs are a pesticide and I am pretty certain they are banned in several states. If allowed to breakdown in soil they can cause long term damage. Not starting an argument by any means - just giving a byer beware

Good point. Breaking down in the soil is significantly less of a risk when overwintering, so I hadn't considered it.

Sounds like a very bad idea for the growing season.

 

[GrimLore]

Electric cow fence around the area. One zap and they will not come back.

Actually the Goat mesh(electric) is commonly used

Grimmy

 

[just.wing.it]

...or you could just inject at watering and forego all the unsightly fertilizer clogging on the top of your pretty tree?

Ha! That's how I roll

 

[M. Frary]

Don't use poo balls.
Try miracle grow.

 

[Tieball]

Neighborhood animals, also my dog love to steal my chicken poo fertilizer bags and toss em somewhere away from the plant.

This past summer my parents were helping care for my trees meaning a lot of fert bags never were replaced. This in part along with many other issues has made for the worst growing season I've had in bonsai. I've been preparing for the next season and with it new fertilizer bags.

I'd like to prevent any animals from pulling them off my bonsai and wanted to know if there are any deterrents I can stick in the tea bag or on the fertilizer. I was thinking stuffing each bag with peppercorns and pepper flakes. Would this work?

Hmmmmm...use something else....surprise....no more snack bar.
However...if you wish to keep the snack bar open....you can spray the area with Liquid Fence. I believe there are also sprays available that are pepper based.

 

[justBonsai]

...or you could just inject at watering and forego all the unsightly fertilizer clogging on the top of your pretty tree?

I do use liquid ferts but I am not available to handwater my trees every time. I have to rely on a watering system which is why I put my fertilizer in tea bags on the pots.

Don't use poo balls.
Try miracle grow.

Miracle grow works great but I get large internode length and foliage size. I mostly stick to organics now and just stick to brands that have worked for me.

 

[Tentakelaertje]

I heard garlic powder works great against pests like aphids and shit. It might very well do the trick to protect your stuff from cats and other geezer vermin.
Or build a chickenmesh cage the size of your garden and put your bonsai in there.
I've thought about doing just that to keep the asshole birds away, but my mom didn't agree on that