Helper in the Garden - Hedgehog

Garden Helper - The Hedgehog

The weather hasn't been very favorable for gardening yet, so arm yourself with specialist literature and plan what else would be good to accomplish in the garden. There's plenty of time to plan and gradually sow new seeds in yogurt cups and seed trays. Eventually, you'll discover that thanks to the long winter, you've pre-grown so much on the windowsill that your beds won't be enough. To shorten the long winter and waiting for work in your own garden, you can order seeds and sowing substrate. You can also fertilize the seedlings.

What else you can do in the garden - if the weather is more favorable, turn the compost. When turning, be careful that a hedgehog family hasn't settled in the compost over winter. Check and repair your gardening tools, or get new ones. Repair and paint fences. Check ties and supports on newly planted trees. During a long winter, hungry birds may attack the fresh buds of shrubs and trees. Therefore, continue feeding birds with oily seeds. You can protect smaller trees by using protective netting, or use a lime milk spray, or aversol against gnawing. If you planted peach trees last year, check the leaves to ensure peach leaf curl isn't spreading. Peach leaf curl is a fungal infection that occurs on peaches and nectarines. Fungal spores overwinter on tree bark. In spring, the first rains transport the fungal spores to fresh buds, where the fungus then attacks the emerging leaves. The spread of leaf curl is supported by cold and wet weather. How do you recognize leaf curl? Early in spring, the very first peach leaves curl up and are bright orange. We fight peach leaf curl with fungicides - fertilizers and sprays. When using fungicides, it's essential to choose the right moment. As prevention, spray the peach tree in late autumn when the leaves have fallen, or in early spring before new leaves appear.

At home, you can take care of houseplants. And plants that you have in warmth for overwintering, which you're slowly preparing to move to their outdoor positions. Clean the plants of dried and diseased leaves. Start watering once a week. Monitor for diseases and pests. Gradually air the plants and accustom them to outdoor air.

Hedgehog - Garden Helper

The hedgehog is the Czech generic name for several genera of insectivorous mammals from the subfamily Erinaceinae (lat. Erinaceinae). The Western European hedgehog (lat. Erinaceus europaeus) is also known as the Common hedgehog. The hedgehog is a medium-sized omnivore found throughout the entire territory of our country. Hedgehogs are among endangered species. Hedgehogs occur throughout Europe, Africa and Asia, inhabiting areas from lowlands up to an altitude of around 800 m. The hedgehog lives on the edges of forests, in clearings, parks, gardens, but also in cities and shrubs.

The hedgehog is a great helper in the garden. It can rid your garden of many pests. It searches for food thanks to its excellently developed sense of smell. Although the hedgehog is an omnivore, it feeds mainly on invertebrates, which include insects (beetles, ground beetles, centipedes, etc.) and slugs. It also feeds on small frogs, devours earthworms, and tastes fallen fruit and berries. It is active at night. You can recognize who you're dealing with by the distinctive snorting and stomping. The hedgehog can swim and climb well, and if forced to, it can also run quite fast. Every night, the hedgehog's diet includes several moth caterpillars, which can cause extensive damage in your garden. During the day, the hedgehog rests in its nest lined with grass and located in less accessible places, such as under stones or among tree roots.

If you want to keep a hedgehog in your garden, it's not demanding at all. It needs a sheltered place for daily and winter rest. The most suitable option is a wild part of the garden that provides enough building material for a suitable nest. Piles of leaves, heaps of branches from pruned trees, compost piles, or wood provide a suitable environment for the hedgehog. The hedgehog will help you in your garden fight against pests from spring to autumn. In winter, it hibernates in the nest it finds or builds. If you want to help, pile up branches in a quiet part of the garden. Pet shops also sell hedgehog houses, which need to be thoroughly washed with water after each hibernation. You can also build a hedgehog house from planks and cover it with branches. You may find a young hedgehog in your garden in autumn. If it weighs 200g, or less than 800g, it has no chance of surviving the winter. Such a small youngster won't survive winter alone. It is usually infested with parasites such as fleas and ticks. Never pick up a hedgehog with your bare hands. If necessary, use gloves or a thick cloth. It's always better to contact a hedgehog rescue center where they will take care of such a youngster. Animal protection associations can provide you with the address of a rescue center.

A danger for hedgehogs in gardens is often a garden pond with smooth walls. If you're serious about living with hedgehogs, attach a small plank to the pond's edge that the hedgehog can use to climb out if it falls in the water. The hedgehog is a good swimmer. Hedgehogs also don't tolerate chemical sprays well. Therefore, use only biological methods of plant protection. When a hedgehog feels threatened by a predator, such as a fox or dog, it curls up into a spiky ball. This defense mechanism deters most animals. Hedgehogs mate from May to October. The female usually has one litter per year, containing 4-9 young, which are born after 31-35 days of gestation. The young are born naked, blind, and without spines. The first white and soft spines begin to grow just an hour after birth. They can curl into a spiky ball after 11 days and begin to see after two weeks of life.

A hedgehog may be disturbed from hibernation by hunger. You can tell by the small tracks in the snow. If you want to feed it, prepare finely chopped pieces of meat or special feed from a pet store. Sweets and milk are not suitable, even though it's said that hedgehogs like milk. It can cause digestive problems and diarrhea. It's better to supplement the meaty snack with a bowl of clean warm water. In nature, the Western European hedgehog lives an average of 2-3 years.

Author: Hana Michalíková