May 29, 2013
Gophers are on the move in southern California gardens and most of us who garden here have a gopher story. Though they don’t like my sandy soil in Point Loma, my Dad battled them in his yard which backed up to a canyon in San Clemente.
Read about gopher behavior and how to control them on the University of California Integrative Pest Management website. If you want the “executive summary” click on the Quick Tip tab.
For another take on the gopher ‘problem’ I think you’ll enjoy Detente With The Gopher (Dry Garden|LA Times)
So here’s my gopher story. My sister had a lovely ‘Yves Piaget’ rose. I was visiting her in Ventura and we strolled out with our coffee before our families were awake to view the glorious flush spring bloom of her roses.
You know where this is going. The ‘Yves Piaget’ rose pretty much looked like this image (from Roger’s Gardens), but it was slightly wilted. Easy, just get the hose and give it some water. Unfortunately, a gopher had severed the roots overnight. The verdict was confirmed in a few hours when my sister lifted the bush from the soil to find no roots.
Detente?
