"Funny thing is, my hens-and-chicks keep getting dug up by squirrels or something."
Had the same issue with squirrels uprooting my succulents. Ended up sprinkling cayenne pepper around the plants—worked surprisingly well. Might be worth a shot before giving up on them completely...
"Ended up sprinkling cayenne pepper around the plants—worked surprisingly well."
Wish I'd known this sooner, haha. We had squirrels digging up our flower beds constantly during our first summer renovating. I tried everything from shiny pinwheels to fake owls...nothing worked. Eventually, my neighbor suggested coffee grounds. It seemed weird, but I drink enough coffee anyway, so figured why not? Surprisingly, it helped a lot, and bonus—my hydrangeas loved it. Might be another easy option if you run out of cayenne pepper. Glad your storm shelter checked out okay, btw. Always feels good when something passes inspection easily after all the work put in.
Coffee grounds, huh? Never thought of that one...might give it a shot since my tomatoes are under constant siege from rabbits. I've tried cayenne pepper before, but rain washes it away pretty quick. Did you notice if the coffee grounds held up better after watering or rain? Also curious—did it change the soil acidity noticeably for your hydrangeas? Mine are picky enough as it is, lol. Glad the shelter passed inspection smoothly, btw. Always nice when something finally goes right after all the headaches of renovation.
I've tried coffee grounds around my veggies before, and honestly, they do hold up better than cayenne after rain. They kinda form a crusty layer once wet, which seems to stick around longer. Didn't notice a huge acidity shift in my hydrangeas, but I wasn't piling it on thick either—just a thin sprinkle. If you're worried, maybe test a small patch first? Glad your shelter passed inspection; always feels good when something finally checks off the list after all the hassle.
Interesting about the coffee grounds—never thought they'd hold up better than cayenne. I've mostly stuck to eggshells myself, but now I'm curious if they'd have a similar crusty effect after rain. Ever tried eggshells around your plants? Wondering if they'd last as long or just wash away... Glad the shelter passed inspection smoothly, always nice when something finally goes right after jumping through hoops.
