What does a Mole have to do with a Leatherleaf Fern? you might ask.
My Leatherleaf Fern is suffering from root-burn (I think) because I poured some diluted Jeyes Fluid down the Mole’s hole and I think some got to the roots of the fern. The Jeyes Fluid doesn’t harm the Mole, but the smell is strong enough to send him (and me!) scurrying to the other side of my garden fence.
He has an extensive range of underground tunnels with many air holes (those unsightly heaps of soil all over your garden or lawn), so it’s quite a job watering as many of them as I can to keep him on the other side of the fence.
Moles actually do not cause much harm, other than making your landscape look messy, which to an avid gardener or landscaper, can be extremely testing. That said, moles do help to aerate the soil, which makes for a healthy and robust lawn.
Moles do not hibernate. They are usually nearer the surface in winter and deeper in summer. They love moist soil where worms are active, which is why they suddenly appear when the soil becomes cool, and moist in late autumn.
Moles, like the Golden Mole, eat insects and snails and are more attracted by such soil pests present in the roots of plants, than by the actual roots. They are sometimes referred to as ‘surface moles’ and are more active during wet seasons. They are completely blind and rely on their hearing and smell to capture prey.
I have a suspicion that my friend is a Molerat, which feeds on roots and bulbs (and it is these moles that push the soil from their burrows, creating molehills), so he is actually not welcome in my garden.
‘Nuff said.
My fern in the days before the mole :(
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