Squirrels bad about diggin

[Bobby Hatfield]

Will them consarn squirrels dig up my chestnut seeds ? Found some tother day while lookin at a fersale motorhome and stole a pocketful, planning to plant'em around the place. Would like to get a tree or two out of them. I didn't see any squirrel evidence there but lots of woods near by so they had other pickins. I am on the pecan orchard route from the woods, so I get'em coming and going.

[Lee Schierer]

Make some shields out of Hardware cloth and put them over and around your plantings. That will keep the squirrrels out!

[Kevin Gerstenecker]

Bobby, you can also start the Chestnuts in pots, or containers, as the Nursery Folks call them. They just need to go thru a cold period, just as in nature, in order to germinate (Sprout). You can usually get a few 1 gallon or 2 gallon nursery containers for free from the Local Nursery or Landscape Contractor. The Black Plastic ones will be fine, or any flower pot, for that matter. Plant them and let them winter over, and next spring, you should have baby Chestnuts coming up. I would grow them in the container until Fall, and then set them out. Containers dry out quick in the summer, so you will have to water them frequently, but this would be a great way to nurture them to ensure their success when you put them in the ground. Good Luck, it is always great to see Woodworkers planting Trees.........something we all should do more of! ;)

[Dennis Peacock]

Will them consarn squirrels dig up my chestnut seeds ? Found some tother day while lookin at a fersale motorhome and stole a pocketful, planning to plant'em around the place. Would like to get a tree or two out of them. I didn't see any squirrel evidence there but lots of woods near by so they had other pickins. I am on the pecan orchard route from the woods, so I get'em coming and going.


Bobby,

Sounds like it's "squirrel stew" time to me.... ;)

Just do like Kevin stated and all will be fine. Got any extries of them seeds? I would like to plant about 12 or so. Sophie is sending me a few from his crop if he has enough to pass around. Clean up the pot, and brang on the squirrels!!!!!!!

[Glenn Clabo]

Bobby,
I have a family of the little varmits at all times in my yard. The Black Walnuts are a big hit. We actually like watching them work so hard getting to the meat of those nuts.
Whenever we plant anything like bulbs we put a few mothballs around them. It's worked so far.

[Bobby Hatfield]

Thanks all for advise, think I will plant them in containers and grow them a year first. I guess they are green, do they need to dry out ? Will a week in the freezer get them ready for sprouting ? The squirrels is done eat up my pears this year, at least chewed them up and spit them out. I guess they just like the juice. Made one awful mess under the tree, and they always beat me to the hickory nuts about the last of July. At least they didn't get the apples this year, they fell off early, I guess cause I didn't spray them again. I like to watch the squirrels in the winter, when I feed them, and the redbirds.

[Brad Schafer]

if you're tight like me, you can cut the top out of a plastic milk jug and plant 'em in there. we've set out many an oak this way.

i like the fox squirrel, but you can have the red jimmies. nasty little varmints,


b