Q. I was cleaning out my shed and found a big pile of empty snail shells in the corner. No snails or shells anywhere else — just in that corner. What gives?
Probably rats. They like to eat snails and tend to hang out in a favorite spot to enjoy them. I’ve also found piles of snail shells in some tucked away corners of my garden. They don’t mind climbing into trees to devour fruit, but for some reason they want to sneak away to eat their snails. Perhaps snails are a guilty pleasure.
If you have rats in your garden (or shed), first make sure any food sources are inaccessible. Keep pet food in heavy plastic or metal containers and don’t leave food dishes out unattended, especially at night. Try to remove cover so they are visible to predators as they scurry around. Empty bird feeders at the end of the day since they are very attractive to rats and mice. Most importantly, take every precaution to ensure that the rats stay outside by sealing any entry points to your house. Smaller holes can be stuffed with steel wool. Inspect your attic vents and cover with ½ or ¼ inch hardware cloth. Keep tree limbs away from the house to deny easy access to the attic and roof. Rats are an important part of the ecosystem because they feed owls, hawks, coyotes, snakes, and other predators. We don’t want to eliminate them from our environment, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t keep them out of our homes.
Q. Last year, I planted tomatoes, and they were growing pretty well until suddenly they just wilted and died. I kept them watered, but not overwatered, so I don’t think it was a water issue. They started to turn yellow and wilt on one side, then the whole plant collapsed. What could have caused this?
The sudden collapse after unilateral wilting indicates that your soil likely has fusarium, a fungal disease that can affect a variety of plants including tomatoes, asparagus, pea, watermelon, and cantaloupe as well as some ornamentals such as date palm, gladiolus, pyracantha, daffodil, freesia, carnation, and aster. It lives in the soil and is difficult to eradicate, though crop rotation and soil solarization can sometimes help.
To decrease the chance of fusarium setting up shop in your soil, avoid overwatering and improve drainage. Sometimes planting on raised mounds will achieve this. Also, avoid overfertilizing since this provides nutrients for the fungus. Remove any infected plants and discard them in the regular trash instead of composting them.
If you want to grow tomatoes, look for fusarium-resistant varieties. These will be labeled with an “F” on the plant tag.
Los Angeles County
mglosangeleshelpline@ucdavis.edu; 626-586-1988; http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/
Orange County
ucceocmghotline@ucanr.edu; http://mgorange.ucanr.edu/
Riverside County
anrmgriverside@ucanr.edu; 951-955-0170; https://ucanr.edu/sites/RiversideMG/
San Bernardino County
mgsanbern@ucanr.edu; 909-387-2182; http://mgsb.ucanr.edu