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Santa Cruz, CA

We have gophers in our area and last year we put aviary wire under the spot where we planted the pumpkin. We dug out about a 3 foot wide by 2 foot deep section and laid the wire down in a bowl shape. Is that really deep enough? How far down do the roots go and how big are the roots two feet deep? Aviary wire is small chicken wire that gophers can't get through.

2/2/2006 12:27:02 PM

Newcastle England

hi always wondered what a gopher is,are they really destructive to crops.if so can you not shoot them,we have rabbit problems over here but the lads with the air rifles normally sort it out pretty quick.are they similar to rabbits.cheers peter.

2/2/2006 3:51:15 PM

Santa Cruz, CA

Hi Peter, Gophers live underground. They can come up through the pumpkin eating their way into the pumpkin cavity. They also chew on the roots eating all of them until right before the soil surface. Cats can sometimes get them and traps but they can take down a small garlic patch in just a few days. We have to protect the pumpkins. We unearthed three gophers the last time we turned our soil.

2/2/2006 5:08:41 PM

addison Il

IM sorry creekside i just spit out my drink thinking of you unerthing a critter when tilling if that where me and sis we would have gotten quiet a scare lol sorry.

2/2/2006 6:00:31 PM

San Diego

I used castor oil sprayed over the patch and a gopher stick which makes a moise every 20 seconds or so, worked wonders in my gopher infested patch. It's much less work than having do dig that much! Jimmy

2/2/2006 7:03:11 PM

Norton, MA

The roots go beyond the width of the plant, some say by far. The depth is very often debated. I've heard 6" - 6'. The roots off the vine seem to go strait down (I've had the a quarter to an eigth of an inch thick 2 feet down). AleX Noel.

2/2/2006 7:05:37 PM