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TomNJ · June 22, 2018

I planted my corn bed last month and not a single plant emerged. I thought that maybe I was negligent during a hot dry spell and the germinating seeds dried out at a critical time, so I replanted the bed last week This time I watered every day, sometimes twice.

Yesterday I noticed what I thought were deer hoof prints in the corn bed, until I realized that the holes aligned perfectly with the rows and spacing of the corn - straight rows at one foot intervals. Some critter actually dug up and ate every corn kernel, all 500!!

Whatever it was it had a keen sense of smell as it just dug up the seeds where they were planted, no where else. It went down the rows and dug a hole every foot exactly where the corn was. One friend suggested it was a skunk, and another said a Brown Thrasher. I doubt that a bird could have that good of a sense of smell, so I'm thinking skunk or opossum.

Any ideas??

PS - I replanted today with an earlier variety and will cover with row cover fabric until the plants emerge.

June 22, 2018	#1
TomNJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Floyd VA Posts: 767	Who dug up my corn!! I planted my corn bed last month and not a single plant emerged. I thought that maybe I was negligent during a hot dry spell and the germinating seeds dried out at a critical time, so I replanted the bed last week This time I watered every day, sometimes twice. Yesterday I noticed what I thought were deer hoof prints in the corn bed, until I realized that the holes aligned perfectly with the rows and spacing of the corn - straight rows at one foot intervals. Some critter actually dug up and ate every corn kernel, all 500!! Whatever it was it had a keen sense of smell as it just dug up the seeds where they were planted, no where else. It went down the rows and dug a hole every foot exactly where the corn was. One friend suggested it was a skunk, and another said a Brown Thrasher. I doubt that a bird could have that good of a sense of smell, so I'm thinking skunk or opossum. Any ideas?? PS - I replanted today with an earlier variety and will cover with row cover fabric until the plants emerge.