BATTLE OF THE VOLES: PROGRESS UPDATES, HISTORY, VOLE BASKETS, PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS

Preliminary, the Spring of 2024 was extremely unusual. There was very little snow retained during the Winter of 2023-2024, which meant no rush of water associated with Spring melt. Moreover, there were two unusual late frosts (the second in June, of all things) in the area. The net result was a very poor bloom (Valley wide) for balsamroots. As weirdly good news, for the planted balsamroots, 8 balsamroots in east slope as well as perhaps 4-5 elsewhere bloomed. This was at least as successful (on a percentage basis) as well-established balsamroots elsewhere.

Overall, the strange weather did not seem to affect the overall plant health, as the plants simply reverted to putting on leaves. A very positive note is that that some of the regions on the property are looking more and more like a native ecosystem.

The first balsamroots introduced as seedlings bloomed in the spring of 2021. The bloom level was low (perhaps 3 plants with 1-2 blooms). Spring of 2022 was very similar to Spring of 2021. However, spring of 2023 was a very good year overall for the new balsamroots, with perhaps 10 plants showing at least 1 bloom and several plants (perhaps 2?) blooming as profusely as the well-established wild ones. As a consequence, we declared "Victory" for phase I of the baslamroot project and moved to Phase II.

Phase II would consist of (1) managing the non-native vegetation around the successful balsamroot plants to minimize water competition with the balsamroots and (2) to collect seeds from the Ranch annex, make Furukawa balls, and distribute these in the areas where the balsamroot has been the most successful.

Balsamroot have very long taproots (8+ feet long) and cannot be transplanted successfully from wildland locations. They also have germination inhibitors in the seeds, making them difficult to propagate by directly sowing seed. The best path for re-introduction we're found so far is to not re-invent the entire process of growing seedlings from seed, but rather to buy seedlings from an established source (for example Derby Canyon Natives, see link below). However, that is only the beginning of the process! This page describes some of the many challenges in re-establishing balsamroot even AFTER you've acquired healthy seedlings!

The montaine vole (Microtus montanus) just loves balsamroot seedlings and will uproot unprotected young seedlings (within the first night of planting, by the way). These voles remain active during the winter, and their characteristic "inverted" tunnels that appear right after snow melt (made from grass or mud that are a result of the voles plastering-up snow tunnels) are an indication of prime vole habitat. Unfortunately, prime vole habitat is also prime balsamroot habitat!

The solution to the vole problem (painful as it is) is to surround each new balsamroot seeding with its own personal "basket". The basket can be made from 1/4" hardware cloth (chickenwire does NOT work) and is staked with three or four stakes. The basket will remain with the plant until it is mature enough to resist voles on its own (probably 5 years).

Thankfully, the voles don't seem to be interested in digging under the baskets. As long as the basket is firmly staked AND there is NO hole ANYWHERE around the edge (AND no hole accessing the basket from below) the balsamroot seedings are protected from the voles.

Balsamroot plants complete their entire productive season between the end of snowmelt and the 1st hot days of summer. Basically around April 1st to June 1st. They don't waste any time after snowmelt either - within a few days of the snow melting, the first grey-green leaves will appear. There are three basic planting strategies:

Spring: Obtain the plants as soon as possible from the nursery (April 1st is probably too late, even). Plant them instantly - in melting snow if at all possible. The benefit is that the ground is soft and the plants go in fast. The risk is that even a few days MATTER in this breakneck spring growth activity, and it is pretty easy to create a major disadvantage for the plant with just a few days delay.

Spring (after winter-over): Winter over the plants in a cold-flat and plant them as soon as the 1st snow melts. (This avoids having to sychronize the magic planting days right at snowmelt with the nursery.) The benefit is the plants go in fast and they are there on the magic first day of melt. The risk is loss of plants in the cold-flat over the winter. Our attempt at this in spring 2019 had a 60% yield, which is really low for plants in vole-baskets (90% is what we see for Fall-planted seedlings in vole-baskets). The failing plants appear to be rotted, by the way. If we do this again (and we probably won't, because it doesn't work very well) it may be better to leave the plants in the barn (where they will be cold and dry) rather than outside in a cold-flat (where they are cold and wet).

Fall (right before snow). Plant right before snow in the fall. The plants are dormant at this time, so the timing risks are minimal. The benefits are both that the plants are dormant (giving much more time to get them in), and they will catch first melt in spring at just the right time (because they are already there). The risk is that the gap between first rain (when the ground is wet enough to be worked to plant) and first snow (when the ground is frozen) isn't very long either. We've seen 90% yield the following spring with this approach - and yield losses are virtually all due to basket-integrity issues. (The voles are active during the winter under the snow, and a loss of basket integrity, for example, by a deer stepping on a basket, means the loss of the plant.)

For all these planting hints, it is assumed that you are planting in a wildland or semi-wildland setting, with limited access to water. If planting in the dry (for example late Fall, before any significant rain/snow), you WILL need some water, and a back-pack sprayer (like those used for weed-killing, but dedicated to water-only) can be used. With care, a single "filling" of the sprayer can do about 25 plants, so having back-up jugs in your truck is also a must if you are doing a larger quantity of plants.

Balsamroot seedlings from Derby Canyon Natives come in a 10 ci "cone-tainer" from Stuewe and Sons. Each of the common "cone-tainer" sizes has an associated dibble. GET ONE. The dibble makes planting in wet-soil almost easy - and certainly simplifies planting in dry soil.

For dry soil, a multiple-step operation is reasonably effective: consisting of (1) breaking the soil with a thin shovel, (2) adding water with the shovel still in place (a couple of squirts from the sprayer), (3) removing the shovel and (4) using the dibble to refine the damp hole to the correct size (usually without it collapsing, because it is now damp).

The plants will (sometimes) slide smoothly out of the cone-tainer by simply grasping the top of the plant and pulling gently. Notice I said sometimes. If this doesn't work, try using a 3/8" dowel to push through the hole in the bottom of the cone-tainer. Sometimes pushing from the bottom a couple of times and then grabbing and pulling gently from the top works. If this doesn't work (and yes, I've had occasions where NONE of these tricks work), you may have to use a packing knife to cut open the cone-tainer. If so, cut cautiously, as balsamroot roots will run close to the edge of the container and it is easier to damage them than one might think.

Planting the plants is the easiest part of the process as it is simply tucking them in the hole made by the dibble. Note however, that some of the plants will have short roots and some adjustment may need to be made on the hole. It is not a bad idea to have a small bag of conventional planting mix on hand to do quick "repairs" on the dibble-made holes.

Once planted, give the plant a couple of squirts of water. Even if dormant, the water will help "seat" the plant in the underlying soil. Once the plant is in place, center the vole-basket over the plant and hand-insert the stakes. Some of them won't go in on the first (or second or third ...) try, and you can juggle around to make things more-or-less work. (Part of planning for four stakes is that typically one is not as solid as you might like - and there is security in numbers). Then pound in the stakes with mallet.

Last (but certainly not least) check and make sure there is NO HOLE anywhere on the outside for a vole to sneak in. If there is, then either re-install the basket, or use some of the water to build a little soil "dam" around the edge of the basket to fully block the hole.

• For a list of what to put in the truck before you set out:
  

1. The plants themselves
   
2. One basket for each plant
   
3. Four stakes for each basket
   
4. A water-dedicated backpack sprayer
   
5. Extra water - about 3 gallons for every 20 or so plants
   
6. The dibble
   
7. A narrow shovel
   
8. A small bag of planting mix
   
9. A soft mallet
   
10. A packing knife
    
11. A 3/8" dowel about a foot long