Miscanthus Muncher!!!!!

[greekfreak]

Hey guys,

so I had something incredibly interesting happen to my very first miscanthus planting done about three weekends ago. We planted 100 rhizomes and fell short so I ordered 200 more to help seal the deal on this screen.
Fast forward three weeks, we receive the 200 extra rhizomes. I’m stoked to get this going. I walk to the pond dam where we planted the first one hundred, and I dropped everything in my hands in amazement. Something dug up one of my rhizomes!!! I then walk, the entire line..... 90% of the rhizomes had been dug up. Some were completely missing. Some were just laying on top of the dirt. Others were in the hole as if we’d just plucked them in there.
Any ideas here? Our planting method was a 2” auger bit on a drill. Was wondering if I used a spade and planted them that way if maybe I can prevent this? Other wise, it’ll be going the tree saver route. Either attempt to fence the 300’ x 20’ wide strip in or do a tube over the hole. Not sure. I asked a few guys that deal closely with the company I bought them from. They were stumped as well.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

Had skunks dig up a bunch of mine. They see fresh dirt and like to investigate.

 

[Catscratch]

What trampled said. Skunks, armadillos, coons, etc all like fresh dirt.and will root through holes looking for grubs and whatnot. I put out a trailcam once after a similar event and found it to be a turtlerat.

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[fishin coyote]

Muskrats?

 

[greekfreak]

Had skunks dig up a bunch of mine. They see fresh dirt and like to investigate.

How did you combat this?

 

[jsasker007]

Waiting to hear a solution as well.

 

[Bill]

I blamed rabbits. I bet it was skunks.
Now I’m worried.

 

[Da U.P. 'eh]

I planted mine with a dibble bar. Just made a crease dropped them in and pinched them shut over the top. Doesn't really expose any fresh dirt. Perhaps that may help.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

I've had both rabbits and squirrels dig up some of mine that I planted in pots this spring. It seems like as soon as they actually root and begin to emerge they don't get bothered very much.

 

[greekfreak]

I planted mine with a dibble bar. Just made a crease dropped them in and pinched them shut over the top. Doesn't really expose any fresh dirt. Perhaps that may help.

I ended up planting mine this weekend in a similar way. I used a shovel, spaded the hole open, plucked the rhizome in there and pressed the slit back together. Hopefully it works. We will have to wait and see.

 

[greekfreak]

Also, on a side note. Does anyone here know what a good vs bad rhizome looks like? I noticed some rhizomes look like they have some growth on them whereas others do not. I was not sure when planting. The ones with no growth on there, will they grow?

 

[DavidHunter2001]

Rototill a bigger area. Then they wont know where to dig. I planted a bunch of them and they did not dig up any.