Potato suprise!! EEK!

[Holachicka]

So I made a potato cage out of fencing, planted a few yukon gold and then it started getting extremely hot... After a few weeks with no leaves popping up, I knew they had rotted. Today I decided to dig them out, I just used my hands because they were pretty shallow, I expected them to be slimy and gross, BUT... I did NOT expect one of them to MOVE!!! Pulled my hand up and it was a HUGE TOAD!!! EEK! I'm not afraid of frogs, but when you think it's a potato, it's one heck of a suprise! I did not know they like to burrow under soil like that! Took him down to my pond and set him loose there.

 

[boggybranch]

Yep, just one of the perks of gardening....surprises.

 

[journey11]

He's a good garden buddy to have. They eat slugs and all kinds of bugs. I wonder if there is anything you can do purposely to attract them? Appearently your potato cage made a good habitat!

 

[vfem]

Yeah, we've had some fun surprises with toads lately! Especially just hopping on out from under plants, under mulch... even from holes they dig right into the dirt. Silly toads!

 

[lesa]

I had a big one near my cold frames, this year. I made a little toad hotel out in the garden- with water and a nice place to hide and put him out there. Haven't seen him since!!! Guess he didn't like the new digs!

 

[Holachicka]

I've put my garden close to the pond this year, We've had lots of frogs, toads and tree frogs around, I love it! It was just such a suprise! And he peed all over my foot when I was showing him to my 3 & 1 year olds! They thought that was the funniest part, aside from my yelping when I picked it up and he moved!

 

[Cats Critters and Garden]

I just used my hands because they were pretty shallow, I expected them to be slimy and gross, BUT... I did NOT expect one of them to MOVE!!! Pulled my hand up and it was a HUGE TOAD!!! EEK! I'm not afraid of frogs, but when you think it's a potato, it's one heck of a suprise! I did not know they like to burrow under soil like that! Took him down to my pond and set him loose there.

I'm with you I'm fine if I know their there (snakes, frogs, etc.) but if I don't I scream and freak out in till I know what they are and how big.

 

[hoodat]

So I made a potato cage out of fencing, planted a few yukon gold and then it started getting extremely hot... After a few weeks with no leaves popping up, I knew they had rotted. Today I decided to dig them out, I just used my hands because they were pretty shallow, I expected them to be slimy and gross, BUT... I did NOT expect one of them to MOVE!!! Pulled my hand up and it was a HUGE TOAD!!! EEK! I'm not afraid of frogs, but when you think it's a potato, it's one heck of a suprise! I did not know they like to burrow under soil like that! Took him down to my pond and set him loose there.

The big ones that dig burrows are called spadefoot toads. They can sometimes (and sometimes not) be coaxed into moving into a RED CLAY flower pot - the porous kind. Pile some dirt and/or mulch on top of it so it stays cool and moist. Sometimes they will adopt a fist sized depression if you place a board over it and mulch on top. They seem to like it best if the board is weathered or rotting.The best way to get more is to put out something like a washtup for them to spawn in and you can raise the tadpoles. It's fun. Be sure to put something in there that it can use as a ramp to get back out. Toads can drown.

 

[Cats Critters and Garden]

Toads much be catching look what I found when weeding:

 

[Holachicka]

Toads much be catching look what I found when weeding:
http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/uploads/6981_garden_toad_001.jpg

Aww!!! I have lots of those little ones around, too cute! I really do appreciate the bug catchers. The one I found was more than the size of a potato.

There was no hole for my big guy (named him harrold) It seemed that Harrold may have dug up from the bottom, or covered himself really well, because the top soil was not disturbed at all.