Aspidistra attack

Aspidistra or cast iron plant is tough, but no plant can win a relentless attack from voles, or field mice.  Voles tunnel to the crown of the plant and chew the roots and crowns with their sharp little teeth.   I have lost gigantic hostas to voles, but before this week, I did not know about their fondness for Aspidistra.

It took the voles two years to find the Aspidistra as it is behind the Hellebores, which are poisonous to mice.  But one day, I looked out the window and saw the foliage of the Aspidistra on the ground.

 

I got out the shovel and pulled back the oak leaf mulch to expose a network of paths leading to the crowns.  I dug what was left of the Aspidistra and put it in a black bucket.

Not much was left of this once beautiful plant. The largest clump of roots only supported two leaves.

Most of the crowns were hopeless but a few may resprout, given ideal circumstances and some good luck.

I soaked the roots in rainwater in an old wastebasket.

And selected two gray pots with small holes in the bottom, so voles could not tunnel up through the pot. 

I mixed a rich concoction of potting soil, worm castings and compost.

Good luck, little fellas.