• Home
  • Meet Mary Schier
  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Contact
  • Northern Gardener Book

My Northern Garden

November 12, 2008 · 7 Comments

Critter Control, Part 2: Moles and Compost

How to

Today I completed a really unpleasant, but totally necessary job. I disassembled and moved my compost pile in an attempt to get rid of habitat that I suspect has been attracting undesirables to our yard.

For several months, bunnies have been running rampant in my garden, nibbling beans down to the nub and leaving their calling cards around for my dog, Lily, to munch on. (Yuck.) I knew we had another animal in the yard, too, but the signs were less clear. Walking across the grass, I would sometimes feel the ground give under my foot. Then, I started to notice tunnel-like patterns, with raised areas, which sometimes (not always) were raised again the day after I would push them down. My neighbor’s cat, Leo, started hanging out in the yard. But, unlike the pocket gophers who tormented me two summers ago, these critters did not leave huge mounds of dirt in the yard that seemed to scream, “Ha, ha, let’s pretend you’re Bill Murray in Caddyshack!”

walkway with mole tunnels

Signs of mole tunneling on either side of the stone walkway.

Recently, a neighbor, who grew up on a farm and knows all about critters, confirmed that we likely have a mole.  I’ve also noticed chew marks on one of my smaller trees, which might indicated voles, too. One of the standard ways to deal with critters is to remove potential habitat, such as a messy compost pile. Oh-oh. My bad.

My compost pile, which grew to two piles over the past couple of years, is not one of those neat, enclosed affairs turning out black gold every six weeks. The first pile was enclosed in a wire cage, about 4 feet across and 4 feet high. The height of the cage made it hard for me to turn it, and consequently, I did not, and it seemed nothing ever rotted in there. It became a pile of dry weeds and sticks. So, I started a second pile next to it. At first, this was just a pile of sod removed from the yard to which I’d add spent perennials, weedings, and  vegetable kitchen scraps. This baby rotted like crazy, which I think was mostly due to  the dirt clinging to the sod that was the foundation of the pile and the fact that I could flip it around without climbing on a ladder.

Well, it took a couple of afternoons of work, but both piles have been flattened. I did not find any critters or obvious critter nests, but that doesn’t mean that they weren’t there. Here’s the good news: Both piles yielded a remarkable amount of compost. After I took apart the cage and pulled all the dry stuff off the top of the first pile, I pulled out four wheel-barrows full of gorgeous compost that had sunk to the bottom. The second pile yielded three smaller wheel-barrows of compost. I spread most of this on my raspberry and vegetable beds. I took a big load of the dry stuff to the Northfield compost heap, which is open through Nov. 16, and I also started a smaller, open compost pile closer to the vegetable garden.

What to do next year? I’m not sure. While doing research for this post, I came across this video on how to make a raised compost bin that you can rotate, mostly using things from around the house. It’s a good idea, and the couple in the video are kind of cute.

Final note: The cherry tree with the bite marks on it now has a nice collar of hardware cloth to prevent future chewing, I hope.

Related posts:

  1. Critter Control, Part 1: The Beaver A beaver family has taken up residence in my neighborhood....
« Critter Control, Part 1: The Beaver
Dried Bean Philosophy »

Comments

  1. greenwalks says

    November 12, 2008 at 6:19 pm

    Hm, mystery critter! My parents have battled moles for years, but I haven’t had them in my yard (yet). I’m glad you didn’t find anything icky in your compost pile – I’m still haunted by pics I saw on someone’s blog recently of a shovelful of compost + baby rats. Eww!

  2. Penny Hillemann says

    November 13, 2008 at 9:18 am

    Fascinating! As my mother has often said about certain trying situations, “it’s all very interesting, if you can detach yourself!” Understandably it’s hard to stay detached when your garden and trees are under seige!

  3. mynortherngarden says

    November 13, 2008 at 4:55 pm

    Your mother is a wise woman! The beavers concern me because of the sheer volume of destruction they are capable of. The other critters are irritations, but nothing to be too worried about. Fortunately, the cold weather will soon reduce the activity of all of them.

  4. Northern Shade says

    November 16, 2008 at 5:31 pm

    It’s too bad that your compost pile was invaded, but great that you got some rich compost for your garden. It sounds like you have a good idea to outwit the moles/voles next year with a raised pile. I hope it works, as I’m picturing you hiding at the side of your house with a dynamite plunger. Now I have the Caddyshack song running through my head.

  5. Richard Yarnell says

    December 7, 2008 at 8:55 pm

    Don’t be too hard on either the mole or your compost heap.

    First of all, the mole is a gardener’s friend. It rarely attacks plants. It may appear as though the mole, a solitary critter that’s fiercly terratorial even to the point of driving males away after breeding and young away when they can fend fir themselves.

    Moles eat grubs and other insect larvae that would otherwise attack your plants. If you find a mole in your garden, it’s patrolling for things you don’t want to be there. It also will clean up fungi that are trying to get a foothold in your orchard or garden.

    At certain times of the year, they may horde seeds, but usually will not attack herbaceous plants.

    The Vole is a different kettle of fish, Voles are scavangers first but will girdle trees, eat bulbs, and come to the surface to attack plants themselves. The difficulty is knowing which critter you’re dealing with.

    Learn the difference, observe whether there is surface activity that suggests voles, and, if the investation is bad enough, target your action to them. But please, welcome the mole, rake it’s small hills into the surrounding grass, but leave their tonnels alone. They’re your ally when it comes to keeping your garden healthy.

    Now, as to your compost pile. I’m an advocate of batch composting that requires only a few weeks to produce useable compost. For one thing, batch composting produces relatively high temperatures that help eliminate pathogens you don’t want in your garden. While the high temperatures may attract nesting wildlife, because you periodically disturb the pile, you’ll usually kill at least some of the evil doers (like that nest of rats or mice reported above.

    In “The Stack” which we manufacture, we batch just under a cubic yard of material at a time. We chip almost everything (or did when we lived in town). We used a thermometer to know when one stage was slowing down, and turned the pile on its schedule. When we were marketing The Stack, we made several yards of compost at a time in display units. If we had access to material that would make a balance recipe, we could produce finished compost in 30-45 days. Yes, I killed an occasional nest of rodents, but by and large, frequent churning discouraged them from even attempting nests.

    There are, of course, other styles of composting: sheet composting which requires time since it generally doesn’t have a significant thermophylic stage; the old rubbish heap which will require a very long time to work and, IMO, is not a good idea in an urban or confined setting. I have a prejudice against cheap, small composters that don’t promote good “air” circulation or that aren’t big enough to form the critical mass that raises the interior temperature as high as 160F.

    Love those moles.

Trackbacks

  1. Book Review: A Sane Approach to Critter Issues « My Northern Garden says:
    February 13, 2009 at 4:11 pm

    […] 13, 2009 by mynortherngarden Like many northern gardeners, I’ve battled critters pretty much as long as I’ve gardened. At my old house, the issue was raccoons, who had a cozy […]

  2. My Northern Garden » Blog Archive » Attracting Wildlife says:
    May 29, 2010 at 9:52 am

    […] intermittent battles with varmints of the burrowing kind, one of my gardening goals is to attract wildlife. We have lots […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Connect

  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed for Posts

Grow it, Minnesota Podcast

Now Available!

My Northern Garden book

Follow on Instagram

mynortherngarden_mary

Are you trying winter sowing this year? Now is a g Are you trying winter sowing this year? Now is a good time to sow perennials. Winter sowing is a way to get more plants at less cost by sowing seeds outdoors in mini-greenhouses in winter. The best greenhouse is a one-gallon milk jug. (Edit: leave the caps off! This was my first attempt at winter sowing and I did it wrong. The podcast episode explains why.) 

For advice on how to do it from an expert, check out a podcast episode from 2021 where Michelle Mero Riedel explains her process. Great info! Link in bio and in stories. #wintersowing #mnpodcast #mngardening
#gardenpodcast
#growyourownflowers
What’s new in 2023? My winter break in Florida c What’s new in 2023? My winter break in Florida coincided with the Tropical Plant International Expo so I had to attend. Research! So many cool houseplants. And pots! And roses with scent. And new ideas about everything from pest control to house plants as decor and gifts. Enjoy! 
.
.
.
#tpie #tpie2023 #houseplants #gardentrends
When you’re up to your knees in new snow, it’s When you’re up to your knees in new snow, it’s time to dig out your lists of favorite plants and start planning ✍️ this year’s garden.

My January newsletter includes lists of best annuals for pollinators (of course zinnias are on the list), best herbs for beginners and a link to a slightly older blog post about best trees for urban gardens in our current and future climate. Check it out and start making your own list of go-to plants! 

Link to the newsletter is in bio and stories. Please subscribe for occasional tips for Northern gardeners. 
.
.
.
#gardeningtips #annualflowers #pollinatorfriendly #urbantrees
2022 — uff-da — what a year! A few photos al 2022 — uff-da — what a year! 

A few photos all reeled together that mostly weren’t on instagram. Wishing you all a Happy New Year and a bloom-filled, homegrown 2023. 

Highlights include: Garden shots from Florida, England, my home garden, St. Cloud and Washington County, Minnesota, plus the Minnesota State Fair dahlia garden. Steve and I at Hadrian’s wall, then being escorted off the cruise ship after we got Covid (do NOT recommend!), harvest dinner at my brother’s farm in Wisconsin, my friend, Julie’s, indoor ripening set up for the Aleppo peppers she helped me trial, a bit of garden philosophy and @resawithoutherspoon’s amazing Christmas cookies. 
.
.
.
#gardenforlife #gardenyear #mynortherngarden #zone4gardening #happynewyear
Poinsettias are nice but kind of tough to keep goi Poinsettias are nice but kind of tough to keep going with the heat running 24/7. So how about some holiday plants that are not poinsettias. Norfolk Island pine, rosemary, paperwhites, amaryllis or any houseplant with red veining add that holiday cheer and are easier to keep alive or are not meant to last, so no need for guilt when they are gone. 

I have a post over on the @mnhort website with info about great holiday plant gifts that are NOT poinsettias. Link in bio and stories. 
.
.
.
#holidaydecor #holidayhouseplants #amaryllis #norfolkislandpine #paperwhites
My new favorite holiday plant is lemon cypress. Co My new favorite holiday plant is lemon cypress. Cool color. Interesting form. Not too hard to take care of. Put this on your houseplant must-have list! 
.
.
.
#lemoncypress #holidayhouseplants #houseplantslover #coldclimategardening #mngardener
Extra! Extra! My latest newsletter for cold-climat Extra! Extra! My latest newsletter for cold-climate gardeners is out. About every six weeks, I send seasonal info on plants and garden tasks plus lots of links to gardening resources, books to read and more. 

The current issue includes a cute idea for a hostess gift for the holidays (pictured), a free download on recommended tomato varieties for northern gardeners and some musings on talking about gardening with folks suffering from dementia (lots of memories grow in the garden!) It's free, not too long and only comes out once in a while. 

Link to the current issue in bio plus stories. 
Pix: the hostess gift, my mom's amazing blue hydrangeas, one of the recommended tomato varieties (can you guess which one?) 
.
.
.
#holidaydecor #coldclimategardening #mngardening #besttomatoesever #gardeninspo
Happy Birthday to my book! It was five years ago t Happy Birthday to my book! It was five years ago today that the Minnesota Historical Society Press published The Northern Gardener: From Apples to Zinnias. 

The book is about 85 percent how-to for gardeners in USDA Zones 3 and 4 and 15 percent history of organized horticulture in Minnesota. It's still available and selling. It's always a thrill when gardeners tell me that they read the book and it helped them. That's why garden writers write garden books (believe me, it isn't the money!). 

If you are looking for a gift for a northern gardener in your life, this might be an option. It's widely available and because it's been around awhile, it's frequently discounted. 

Photos include two of my favorite sections of the book -- one on martagon lilies (more gardeners should grow them) and one on buckthorn, which gardeners used to love (hence they photographed their families near the shrub) and is now a terror in the woods here. We're always learning.
.
.
.
#mnhspress #mybook #gardenreading #thenortherngardener #mngardening #mnhort
So much growth in 5 weeks! This scented geranium h So much growth in 5 weeks! This scented geranium has put on a lot of foliage and the reason must be the light in my new sunroom. It gets east, south and north light. Even in November when we are pretty dark in Minnesota, it’s doing fine. Great plant that I picked up for $1 at the @hennepin.extension.gardeners sale in October. #happyhouseplants #scentedgeranium #attarofroses #sunroom #houseplantsofinstagram #northerngarden
Is it too early to think about decorating for the Is it too early to think about decorating for the holidays? Nah! I checked out the ideas at @shopbachmans Holiday Inspiration nights this week. Looks like sparkles and an updated Mad Men vibe is trending this holiday season. Love it!  #holidayporchdecor #holidayideas #notanad #sparkle #bachmansideahouse #christmasdecor
Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island, WA, October 20 Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island, WA,
October 2021.

I've been meaning to share this image for over a year. Enjoy! And, if you get a chance, visit the Bloedel Reserve, an expansive, calming garden in the Pacific Northwest. 

#gardentravel #japanesegarden #bloedelreserve #bainbridgeisland #gardenwriter #fallinthegarden
#nofilterneeded
I've been looking out my bedroom window recently o I've been looking out my bedroom window recently on this stunning dogwood. It's called Arctic Fire and is a more compact dogwood, though this one is more than 5 feet tall. What's not to love about those purple/red/yellow leaves and the creamy berries. The branches are a deep red and I will totally be harvesting some of them for a holiday container come November. 

Arctic Fire grows well in lots of sun conditions. This one is between two townhomes and faces east, so it gets decent light in the morning but is in shade in the afternoon. It also tolerates a lot of different soil conditions, which is good because this baby is planted in clay, clay, clay. My understanding is it's only been in the ground a couple of years, but it's growing really well. 

This is a cultivar of Cornus stolonifera, which is native to a lot of North America, including Minnesota. A great choice for smaller gardens and landscapes, especially if you are looking for four season interest. I can't wait to see the flowers in spring. 

#fallshrubs #fallcolor #bestmnplants #arcticfiredogwood #fallcolor #winterinterest #mngardens #nofilterneeded
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Top Posts & Pages

  • How to Pollinate a Meyer Lemon Tree
  • Growing Lilies in Containers
  • How to Grow Lemons in the North (Plus a Recipe)
  • Winter Sowing for Flowers and Vegetables
  • How to Use the Winter Sowing Method to Start Seeds Outdoors
  • Snow's Insulation Power in Winter
  • Winter Sowing Native Plants, Two Ways
  • Mushrooms Growing in Straw Bales
  • How to Winter Sow Wildflowers
  • Out-Smarting Japanese Beetles (And Some Good News)

Post Categories

  • Books/Writing
  • Climate
  • How to
  • Plants
  • Recipes
  • Uncategorized
  • Why We Garden

Copyright © 2023 · captivating theme by Restored 316