Good morning all. Another cool morning here and a nice sunny one. Probably the last of the nice cool temps for a while! I guess it is basically summer, so heat is to be expected.
Well, as for sharing - I will help anyone in need. I share my garden produce with lots of people. I feed all the critters! (yeah I know!). But, I don't want to share the garden with them!!!!!
Monday morning, I went out to check the garden, and overnight something decided to help itself to 2 of my tomato plants. Grrrrrr
One was pulled out by the roots and laying on the ground. The other was out and roots were gone.
I have stuck the one with roots back in - but it is very doubtful that it will survive.
Mind you I have tomato cages around plants - but animals can get under them.
I had figured it was racoons, as I find dirty water in the water bowl some mornings, so I know they are around. Now this morning I am wondering. I saw a HUGE rabbit out behind the neighbors yard. So, whether it be Rocky or Bun-Bun - I have taken better precautions.
I made little cages with mesh wire and placed 'inside' the cages from the bottom up to about 10"-12". I had a bunch of mesh wire in the shed - so got it out and cut to work.
I have also made some gadgets to try and scare things away.
Got to figure out ways to use what we have and protect our gardens!
Now all those FREE sunflowers plants out front became interesting to the squirrels. I had 2 big buds (about to open) eaten off, and a plant or two bent in half. Well - dang it. I want to see them bloom.
I knew squirrels would like them, but last year they didn't bother them. Sooooooo, I made up a mild solution of water and dish soap and sprayed them down. I don't think they like the soapy taste - as they haven't bothered again! Here's hoping!
Oh the frustrations of gardening. I am just thrilled I don't have the bears many of you keep talking about. Oh my gosh! That has to be scary. You gals make sure you keep whistles with you - hopefully that would scare them off, if they happen in the yard while you are out.
I am going to make up a batch of homemade Miracle Grow today, so I can fertilize the plants. Everything could use a good drink of fertilizer.
How are your gardens doing? Are you keeping the wildlife out? What tricks do you use?
Do you have 'natural' or 'recycled' ways you use in the gardens?
I love coming up with little tricks to just upcycle and not buy.
Have a beautiful day.
Our garden is inside a privacy fence so no wildlife except bugs and birds
ReplyDeleteIt’s been a cool wet spring but it looks like summer dry heat is coming soon
You are lucky to have your garden free from animals. Yes mam, the heat will soon be upon us I am afraid!
DeleteThat cat food can lids idea is good! I'll try it. I have plenty of those lids, and more coming every day. Little Ally does like her food. :) Daughter was suggesting CDs for reflection, but that's pretty old-school and who has a heap of those to discard? At my house they're long gone.
ReplyDeleteYes Hot Weather coming this weekend. Spring was nice while it lasted.
MaryB
Thanks. Yes, I have a never-ending supply of those lids as well! I remember using old CD's a long time ago - but like you, I don't have those any more, other than my music.
DeleteYep, I think the cooler temps are going bye-bye!
Aggravating critters! Hope your tomato plant survives. People used to string up aluminum pie pans to deter pests. Good thinking on adding mesh to the plant cages. I looked out the window last week and Jacob, one of my Chihuahuas, was in a pot with a pepper plant. He had gotten in the cage and was just sitting there. We scolded him and he hasn't done it again. We have a privacy fence but still have lots of squirrels and an occasional opossum. The 'possums will come through the dog door on the screened porch. One year the doves came along and very neatly nipped off the green beans...twice.
ReplyDeleteIt's going to get hawt! I've been loving these cooler temperatures.
Yes the critters can be aggravating. There is a bit of everything here, so it is to be expected. Now I have taken precautions. Hopefully it works. Oh goodness, 'possums in the screened porch -eek! I guess they have to eat too!
DeleteYes, loving these nice days.
If only it were a perfect world. It seems that as soon as the garden starts to flourish, something (s) come along to mess it up. I feel your pain! I think the worst scourge for the garden is a woodchuck as they can do a lot of damage in minutes. Something is picking off my little sprouts; probably earwigs. I'm finding ants are destroying seedlings too as they build their nests in one spot. I keep busting up their nests to keep them busy. Robins are moving in on the ripening strawberries. "Please, leave some for us!" Frustrating that they decapitate the green ones too or is that the squirrels?
ReplyDeleteHope to get out and work in the garden today. I'm going to oversow a lot of squash, etc to try to make up for the losses.
I am watering every morning while the seeds emerge. Mostly everything is looking lush and still getting lots of onions, asparagus and greens.
I saw a post on Instagram of what someone paid to get their garden going for the season..new seed pots, seeds, soil and a few plant starts..$750. I think they thought that was cheap! I have to buy some carrot and lettuce seeds as I've sown what I had and want more. Mostly I use my own saved seeds plus I got a lot of free seeds from Home Depot a couple years ago (October purge). I go to the woods and scratch up leaf mold, mulch with leaves and of course my compost.
I have hundreds of jack in the pulpit, asparagus, oregano and mint coming up all over. Could make some money selling if I were in town more.
Hope that your tomato survives. Put the amputated top in a jar of water. It may root. You can also root the pinched off parts of tomato plants for more plants too. This is a new technique for me and I love it.
The last time I grew green beans - they got stripped overnight buy woodchucks. Everything except the stems! I hear and feel your pain.
DeleteAlways something isn't it? Sounds like your things are going good in spite of the minor problems. 750.00 sounds like a lot to me! I spend so little each year, and I buy many of my plants. I can do that with a small garden.
I think the tomato is a goner - but I may try again with a couple more. I still have plenty.
Thanks for the tips!!!
Cheryl, I was having a terrible time with critters and one of the things I read was to remove the leftover chicken feed and any water source if possible. I did it and it works!!! I still set my live traps for just in case but maybe you should try removing the water pans and any leftover food.
ReplyDeleteI do have trouble with the squirrels digging stuff up, I think they're looking for long ago buried nuts.
Gardening is always a crap-shoot LOL, luckily I have fields around me so a lot of the critters eat there instead of my garden. I also read if you have a solar powered motion detector light to use it and some people use and old radio for slight noise.
Good Luck
JC
I do remove the leftovers at the end of the day - stopped for a while - then started doing it again. Yep, I could dump that water too. Good idea.
DeleteMy squirrels are no trouble for the most part, as they are nicely fed! LOL - I know I am crazy.
I keep thinking about getting a motion light for out there - another good idea. I need to get on that. I have looked at them, just need to do it!
Thanks
I have a cherry tree that's not very prolific plus I can't reach the top (so I end up leaving about half behind). I can usually get enough for a pie or a couple jars of jam. Last year I checked on them and decided they needed one more day to ripen and then I'd pick. Wouldn't you know I went out the next day and I kid you not exactly ONE cherry hung on the tree! I was so mad!
ReplyDeleteOh no. Seems the way sometimes. My brother has done that with tomatoes - he will wait one more day - then go out and it is half eaten.
DeleteOh the thrills of gardening!
It is slugs and snails that are the real pests here. Last year I read that if you douse plants with a strong garlic spray they won't touch them. Wrong! They just said "yum, yum," and tucked in even more and I had to throw away my spray bottle as it smelt disgusting. This year it was a strong black coffee mix. Same result. I am starting to think that they like Continental cuisine!
ReplyDeleteHave you tried saucers of beer? They crawl in and melt, basically!
DeleteThat is a bummer. It seems there are so many things to deter, yet here we are still TRYING! Surely, we can outsmart the critters!
I don't plant veggies, just herbs and flowers. My yard is mostly shade so there are few sunny spots. For slugs I sprinkle coarse corn meal around. They like it but can't digest it. So far that's keeping them under control, and I think the snails as well. I've had no luck with beer.
ReplyDeleteAnother great tip. Thanks. I have done the beer thing and it worked for me - but I know others who say it didn't for them either. I have done corn meal for ant mounds.
DeleteEnjoy your flowers and herbs!
Something cut down the one heirloom pepper plant I kept for myself. (A Jimmy Nardello plant-an Italian heirloom I've wanted to try). I'm trying to root it to replant. I have other peppers though. Slugs and aphids have been a real plague in my strawberries, but Sluggo helped, (and it is supposedly non-toxic to everything else), but the aphids! I saw ladybug lions and tiny lacewings in the garden so that will help control the aphids. But what to do about the ants that farm the aphids? Any (organic) solutions anyone? Next time I'll try the cornmeal for my slug problems. I'm thinking of taking a gardening sabbatical next year and maybe some of the problems will diminish naturally, kind of like farmers leave some fields fallow, or like crop rotation. We can't eat everything we produce, and I can't give away buggy produce. I made some great jam out of my berries though. Better than that fancy French brand with the gingham top. And a lot cheaper.Ha! Dee/NY
ReplyDeleteLike I mentioned above, I did corn meal on ant mounds - kind of mixed it in them a little. Supposedly they can't digest it either. Scalding water works too - but not next to plants.
DeleteSorry you lost your plant. It sure seems like everyone is having some kind of problem this year. Dang.
I hope you can save your plant!
Homemade jam - YUM!
i'm gonna try the cornmeal tomorrow. Somehow I missed where you said you used it for ants too. Don't you get a kick out of trying different things in the garden? Especially when they work. Ha! I just used the leftover near boiling water from my water bath canner to kill weeds in gravel. There's a crack in the road that is full of weeds too, so it may get the same treatment soon... when noone's looking....
DeleteI hope the cornmeal works for you too. I love using anything natural that I can. It is amazing how the simplest things work for other things. We just have to put on our thinking caps!
DeleteI have used scalding water on weeds too!
Hmmm, I think I am going to try the can lid idea to see if it will keep the birds out of my cherry trees.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Hope that works for you. I would think it would.
DeleteGive it a try!
Why wouldn't the pop top lids work to scare critters? DE is natural and works! Diatomaceous Earth
ReplyDeleteThat is why I am using the lids - to scare off animals. Hopefully the movement works and the shiny would scare birds as well. I have used DE on plants and around for certain bugs. Have had no success with it killing ants in mounds though.
DeleteWe have problems with deer, rabbits, squirrels, snails and slugs here in the PNW! Hubby made chicken wire cages to fit over the raised beds to keep the deer and rabbits out. We had to totally enclose our blueberry bushes in deer fencing to keep the rabbits out and the birds from eating the berries! The first year we planted them, I had a similar experience with waiting one more day to pick them. When I came out the next day, they were all gone and a Robin was eating the last one!! He had to put deer fencing around our apple trees, too! Last year the squirrels stared digging in my veggie and flower pots! They’d never done that before, so I put rocks on top of the soil in the flower pots and chicken wire around the tomato cages. Seems like it’s a constant battle with the critters!
ReplyDeleteNana C.(aka Laura C)
Good grief that is a lot of problems with the garden. Darned old critters. I guess I shouldn't complain - some of your sure have a lot of work just to protect your crops. Hope you get a harvest and that it is good.
DeleteRaccoons like to wash their food believe it or not so I would definitely not leave standing water out for them at night
ReplyDeleteYeah, I have stopped leaving water for the outdoor cats because of the racoons. You can tell when they have been here, as the water is filthy! Messy little buggers. Hopefully they move on - no water - no food (hopefully).
DeleteHiya Cheryl, I have now through Amazon the stuff needed to make Miracle grow. How well does it work?
ReplyDelete