Tulips
By Chaplin
In late spring, I arrived home to find a row of beautiful white tulips planted in a low wall were destroyed. Plants were pulled up and the bulbs - what? It looked like they were partly eaten. Before long, every tulip in my garden suffered the same fate. Other bulbs such as daffodils were ignored. IT, whatever IT was, ruined tubs of displays by rooting into the soil. It had never happened before. What is IT, and will it happen again? I spent quite a lot of money last year on special display tulips, and this week bought some cheap ones from Wilkinsons! Is it worth me planting them? Or does IT just like the expensive blooms?
24 Aug, 2016
Answers
Could be a badger too. It would be helpful if you could give your approximate location so I can rule out wild boar:)
24 Aug, 2016
Squirrels have certainly done this to mine.
when you put the bulbs in the tub put a layer of chicken wire over the bulbs then cover with the rest of the soil. they [it] may then try again but the netting will stop the bulbs getting eaten.
welcome to GoY too :o)
24 Aug, 2016
Pretty sure it was a badger did this to mine but only once - been OK in subsequent years. good luck.
24 Aug, 2016
Wild boar Loosestrife, lol - although do I vaguely recall they are present in woods somewhere in the UK in recent times, can't remember properly.
25 Aug, 2016
think it is the New Forest Bamboo but could be wrong.
25 Aug, 2016
Tough one to answer - squirrels certainly dig bulbs up and eat them, and I suppose if they're desperate, they might dig up growing bulbs, but its unusual - they usually leave them alone once growth has got going. I don't know what else could have done it though - human intervention doesn't sound likely because you describe the bulbs as partially eaten. Fox cubs might have done it for fun, if you have plenty of foxes in your area.
24 Aug, 2016