Giant Tube Eats New Jersey!

From: Roger Sieloff ISDH <sieloff at ideanet.doe.state.in.us> on 1997.02.18 at 02:46:36(378) > I will be planting Coladium in and amongst the gophers which have freeways > running up and down my property! I don't know if gophers like Coladium, but > they may want to sample them. The tires are a good idea, or you could build > simple, but more attractive open-ended boxes just the right size for the > tuber, lay screen down under each one and plant the tuber, so they can't work > their way up to them. Is that a good idea? Do you mean "Caladiums"? The screen is a very good idea since, although the tubers are poisionous, rodents still tend to excavate them, perhaps just for spite. Your real enemy might be "sow bugs" however. These are little millipede like crustaceans that roll up like tiny armadillos when disturbed. They also have a taste for caladium tubers and will slowly chew their way into them. I suggest a granular insecticide mixed in with the soil if sow bugs become a nusiance. I believe "diazinon" comes in a granular preparation. May the farce be with you, Roger L. Sieloff

From: SNALICE at aol.com on 1997.02.18 at 15:01:02(385) Would it be obvious if I said I knew how to spell Caladium, but I just didn't want to? Yes I am familiar with sow bugs. I have seen some around here that don't roll up into a ball too. There are many more of these than the rollie-pollies. They seem to have less armor around them. I use Slug and Snail Bait around all of my plants which seems to thin them out as well as the slugs and snails. Would it help if I mixed that in with the dirt? I do have a real sow bug problem. When rodents chew on Caladiums do they get sick or die? Wouldn't that be convenient! Thanks, I believe the Farce is with me: I will be farcing my grounds with Caladium real soon. Sue Zunino

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