Possum Magic, Blueberry Pursuit and Fruiting Spurs

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I’ve grown parsley in this patch for years without any bother. This year something’s eating off the tops as well as leaves off young chilli plants. Whatever it is, they haven’t gone for the peas yet!

I know we have possums chomping the top of the roses as they can walk down the fence from the tree line (possum freeway) at the back of the garden.

Are the possums taking to ground level now? We have rats but the damage seems too high for rats. Plus, a chilli branch has been broken, suggesting something larger.

Any ideas?

Steve H, Templestowe, Vic

I’ve recently received several questions like this. That’s because in Melbourne, it’s possum season!

Australia’s native vegetation is predominantly evergreen: eucalypts, acacias etc. And Old Mate Poss has evolved alongside these evergreen trees. However, the suburbs of Melbourne are now very different from a few hundred years ago. Instead of entirely evergreens, the landscape is filled with deciduous trees and nesting sites galore in roof cavities, sheds, and all kinds of curious places. Compared to a gum leaf, new growth on a plane tree must taste like chocolate to a possum. And our marsupial friends readily devour this bounty. Abundant food and cosy nesting sites enable them to breed like rabbits. But then, come autumn, all that “chocolatey” chlorophyl-filled goodness turns to cardboard, and the good times come to a screeching halt.

Suddenly, Ma and Pa Poss and their new brood must go looking for food. Yappy dogs have trained them to stay up high, and normally they avoid coming down to ground level. But in autumn, needs must, and hungrily, they venture down lower. I reckon it’s hungry possums that are enjoying the delights of your garden. Unless you find a way to stop them, they’re likely to continue to do so until spring, when the deciduous trees leaf out again.

What deters a hungry possum? That depends on the possum. Like people, they’re all unique. But prevention is better than cure: once a possum locates a food source, it is difficult to deter it. This article on managing possums is one of the most popular posts I’ve ever written. Have a scroll through the comments section, too, as there’s plenty of interesting, sometimes helpful, and occasionally very amusing advice from fellow gardeners.

I would like to know where you purchase your blueberry plants. I am having trouble locating a reputable nursery to purchase them from.

Bronwyn E, Nunawading, Vic