Issues → July/August 2008 → Home & Garden →

Real Solutions: Wood Rot, Chipmunks, Bittersweet

Painting houses, pets in the garden, and more

by R. Wayne Mezitt

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We recently painted our house and found wood rot, which necessitated a lot of repair and replacement work on the clapboards. What can we do to prevent this? -- J.T., Swanzey, NH

Homeowners should inspect for wood rot annually. This is a good time of the year to check the condition of exterior trim, clapboards, windows, porches, and decks, because you'll have time before winter sets in to do any necessary repairs.

Wood rots when it gets wet because the dampness provides an environment favorable for fungi to breed; the fungi eat the cellulose and break it down. Any moisture can potentially attract the types of fungi that attack wood.

Early detection is the key to retarding deterioration. The simplest tool you can use to check your wood is an ice pick. Look for blistering, cracked, and peeling paint, or wood that appears spongy. Gently push the ice pick into the wood. If the pick digs in an eighth of an inch or more, there's probably rot. Treat the area with a borate-based fungicide; then repaint or resurface the wood. If there's major damage, replace the trim or clapboard before the fungi really take over. Wood-moisture meters are available at home-improvement and hardware stores, starting at about $100. It can save you time and money by catching a moisture problem before the fungi have a chance to settle in.

-- Polly Bannister, Yankee Home Editor

Chipmunks are making their home in my flowerbeds. Can you suggest plants that they'll avoid? -- M.B., Nashua, NH

Chipmunks eat seeds, fruits, nuts, and insects; except for certain bulbs, they generally don't prefer the flowering plants we typically grow in our gardens, unless no other food is available. But they certainly do dig tunnels, and your plant loss is probably from disruption of the soil.

Removing water, shelter, and potential food sources (including leaky hoses, brush piles, and pet-food and bird-feed spills) will reduce these critters' desire to hang around your yard. They may be repelled by hot-pepper extract, predator urine (available at your local garden center), and other strong scents.

Cats and dogs may be helpful in keeping pests like chipmunks away (if they're so inclined). If installed properly, physical barriers like wire screening may deter digging and climbing. As with all pests, natural controls will ultimately moderate the problem. Snakes, hawks, and other wild predators will move in once the chipmunk population level is sufficient, if you have the patience to wait.

Cats and dogs love to dig in my flower garden and make a mess. I'd appreciate your help. -- J.F., via e-mail

Making areas other than your garden more attractive would be one solution for your own pets. For your cats, set up an outdoor litterbox and encourage them to use it by rewarding them when they do. Plant a patch of catnip around it, too. For your dog, provide an alternative play area, set up a run, or put a fence around the garden.

If your visitors are neighborhood pets, try making your garden an undesirable destination; fence it off. Scent repellents may work, but some chemical formulations may not be appropriate around edible crops. (Check with your local garden center.) Or apply natural deterrents, such as cayenne pepper and garlic, to your plants.

Placing mothballs, hair (from your barber or salon), or citrus-fruit peels near the plants may be effective. Sharp stones or thorny branches, or planting your flowers through a lattice screen, will keep dogs and cats away, too. Gardener's Supply Company (Burlington, VT; 888-833-1412) offers "Cat Scat," a plastic mat with soft spikes that deters digging. Motion-activated sprinklers or an ultrasonic noise alarm activated by a motion sensor are other alternatives.

What can I do to manage the bittersweet entangling the bank at the back of my house and climbing the bushes and pine trees? I'm 87 years old, and it's hard to get at it. -- Mrs. A, Ludlow, MA

Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is an invasive vine that's become a serious threat to some of our natural habitats in New England. Although each plant is relatively easy to control individually, the species produces profuse suckers and countless seedlings that make management a challenge. Get some professional help to control your established vines. Because problems with invasive plants have now become so widespread, there are businesses that specialize in removing invasive plants for homeowners. Check at your local garden center for recommendations.

I know of no biological controls for this pest. The best way to manage bittersweet is to physically remove the plants, including the root systems, and follow up every year or two by pulling out the new seedlings before they grow too large. To remove established vines, cut the stems near the ground and pull down the tops of the vines, or simply let them dry where they are. Then pull up all the orange-colored roots and leave them to air-dry on the ground. (Bittersweet vines can sprout from any root piece remaining in the ground.)

A more effective alternative to physical removal of the roots is to carefully apply a systemic chemical herbicide to the just-cut stem. This process has minimal impact on the environment and can be done at any time of year, but is easiest while the vines are dormant in winter, late fall, or early spring. Be sure to wear protective clothing and follow all precautions on the label.

-- R. Wayne Mezitt, Chairman, Weston Nurseries, Hopkinton, MA

Got a question about your own New England home or garden? Go online! Visit YankeeMagazine.com to submit your query. Although Polly and Wayne may not be able to answer each question personally, we encourage you to post your own advice for others. Join our home and garden forums and share your tips and solutions. Start at: YankeeMagazine.com/forum