第2482期:Protecting Bulbs from Animals and Cold Weather

It would not be autumn without planting advice from Associated Press gardening expert Jessica Damiano. 如果没有美联社园艺专家杰西卡·达米亚诺的种植建议，就不会有秋天。 Damiano recently wrote about her experience planting garlic cloves. She was concerned not just about protecting them from low winter temperatures. She was worried that animals would dig up her bulbs and eat them. 达米亚诺最近写了一篇关于她种植蒜瓣的经历的文章。她关心的不仅仅是保护他们免受冬季低温的影响。她担心动物会挖出她的球茎并吃掉它们。Tulips, daffodils and garlic, for example, produce bulbs that bloom in the spring in places that have four seasons and cold winters. 例如，在有四个季节和寒冷冬季的地方，郁金香、水仙花和大蒜会产生在春季开花的球茎植物。 To keep away animals, Damiano put netting over the soil and covered it with straw to a thickness of 10 centimeters. 为了防止动物进入，达米亚诺在土壤上铺了网，并用稻草覆盖了 10 厘米厚。 She said this is good to do with any bulbs, especially ones like garlic, tulips and crocuses. That is because animals like to eat the bulbs of these plants. 她说这对任何球茎植物都适用，尤其是大蒜、郁金香和番红花等球茎植物。那是因为动物喜欢吃这些植物的球茎。Netting or a kind of fencing called chicken wire can serve as a physical barrier that prevents animals from digging up plants. Such barriers do not block sunlight and water from reaching the soil. Damiano said they can be secured to the ground with pieces of wood or rocks. They can be removed in the spring. 网或一种称为铁丝网的栅栏可以作为物理屏障，防止动物挖掘植物。这些屏障不会阻挡阳光和水到达土壤。达米亚诺说，可以用木头或石头将它们固定在地面上。它们可以在春天被移除。 Straw is a good mulch material that helps keep the temperature of the soil from changing too much. That can help avoid damage to plants caused by freezing and thawing conditions. It also keeps the soil from drying out. Protecting soil is important during the winter when cold dry weather can damage even the strongest plants. 稻草是一种很好的覆盖材料，有助于防止土壤温度发生太大变化。这有助于避免冷冻和解冻条件对植物造成的损害。它还可以防止土壤干燥。冬季保护土壤非常重要，寒冷干燥的天气甚至会损害最坚强的植物。Damiano said it is important to use straw, not hay, in your garden. Hay is animal feed. It contains tall grass, alfalfa, clover and other seeds that will cause problems in your garden. 达米亚诺说，在花园里使用稻草而不是干草很重要。干草是动物饲料。它含有高草、苜蓿、三叶草和其他种子，会给您的花园带来问题。 She said straw is leftover material from crop harvesting. It is better because it has fewer seeds. 她说，秸秆是农作物收割后的剩余材料。它更好，因为它的种子较少。 Damiano also said straw is less likely to contain chemicals used for insect control on crops. Straw is also good for other purposes around your house, the gardening expert noted. 达米亚诺还表示，秸秆不太可能含有用于农作物昆虫控制的化学物质。园艺专家指出，稻草还可以用于房屋周围的其他用途。Damiano does not like to use some popular fertilizers such as bone meal, blood meal or fish fertilizers. She said hungry animals might find such fertilizers appealing. 达米亚诺不喜欢使用一些流行的肥料，如骨粉、血粉或鱼肥。她说饥饿的动物可能会发现这种肥料很有吸引力。She also advises not to leave parts of bulbs on the ground in your garden because they might be a sign to animals that there is food nearby. 她还建议不要将部分球茎留在花园的地上，因为它们可能向动物发出信号，表明附近有食物。 There are many products meant to keep away animals that eat bulbs, which include squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks and others. Damiano does not use repellants because they must be must be replaced often. She said she does not like doing garden work when it is cold outside.有许多产品可以防止吃球茎的动物，包括松鼠、兔子、花栗鼠等。达米亚诺不使用驱虫剂，因为它们必须经常更换。她说她不喜欢在外面寒冷的时候做园艺工作。 Some repellants can be used to treat bulbs before planting. But, she said, they wear off over time. Damiano considered a physical barrier like netting or chicken wire to be the best defense. 一些驱虫剂可用于在种植前处理球茎。但她说，随着时间的推移，它们会逐渐消失。达米亚诺认为，像网或铁丝网这样的物理屏障是最好的防御。 But, she added, the repellants and other methods can be effective so long as you are diligent. 但是，她补充说，只要你勤奋，驱虫剂和其他方法就可以有效。