I believe I am up to 5 or 6 now. Have a few more that I need to get the message to. YOU ARE UNWELCOMED HERE!
Well, I am just green with envy with all the garden produce pics you all have been posting. IF I had planted a garden, it wouldn't be producing like what I have been seeing until August.
The broccoli is done for. Between the caterpillars and 2 more elusive woodchucks, we are getting hit. They are really a nuisance. But I found a clue. I've gassed this hole a few times in the past, but they keep returning. I thought gardening was supposed to be good for your blood pressure?
Sorry to hear Jon - time to deploy the nuclear bunker busters! Wonder if the fence is keeping them inside the garden then??Thought about hiring some pest control? We still don't have a fence... the radio is still our only defense. The tomatoes are taking over everything. Had a few of the sugar babies - oh my goodness... Suppose I'm biased but they had a great flavor.
Had Green Beans from our garden tonight. My grandson came right up and helped pick them. So we have summer squash, cucumbers, beans, and chard so far. Pumpkins and winter squash are running all over the place. I swear those vines grow several inches every day. a nice six foot pathway is now completely hidden in vines. ground hog got the first broccoli plants, but I replanted with garlic and they remained untouched. The rest of the garden remains without bugs or critters now. I planted garlic everywhere!!! First year ever without cucumber beetles. First year to plant garlic with everything.
I'm battling a woodchuck. Made itself at home under a concrete barn foundation. Trying to annoy it to the point of leaving like I did the last one two years ago but I might just tear into this one's burrow with the backhoe and tractor bucket, barn be dammed. Also fighting tons of rabbits. They ate a bunch of stuff so far and keep finding other ways in. Two of my gardens don't have fences so I've lost beans several times. I've got peck holes in tomatoes and something is eating cherry tomatoes. Lost all my broccoli and cauliflower to caterpillars and rust. I was spraying with BT but maybe there were just too many of them. I was picking dozens of them out of my rocket/arugula.
Wow, if BT didn't get 'em, they must have been thick. That stuff is usually a miracle for me. Been pretty lucky with the critters. Last year the deer wiped out my beet/chard; this year I used some "I Must Garden" and two of those ultrasonic screechers--one has a little flashing light, that might spook them. Even the squirrels are staying away for the peaches, so far. I had a trap for rabbits, was going to catch them and put them in the pot--but the neighbors' feral cat patrols the garden and keeps them away. I found a tuft of deer fur by the apple tree, but since the apples are a bust due to that weird spring weather, I don't care. So far lucky about groundhogs. My big problem is the plant diseases due to the hot humidity; even Serenade won't keep them at bay. HUGE crops of green beans and squash, thanks to a beehive about a quarter mile down the road! Also, billb3, I don't know if you want to try it, but if you stick some rodenticide down into the burrow (I recommend a product called OneBite), you might give the groundhog a bellyache. Permanently.
The woodchucks here are brazen to the point that they scramble only 10' away. I found the sonic sound spikes I had put away and may deploy those. I'd rather just take them out of the picture so they don't become my neighbors problem if the spikes drive them out of my yard.
Yeah I caught this one in the middle of my onions and thought I'd chase/scare it like I do the rabbits but it made a half a dozens steps right at me instead. It wasn't eating onions it was just there. I've been shoving and packing rocks down its hole ( it hasn't been digging it has just been using an existing void under the concrete floor ) and it has been digging its way out. I dumped a bucket load (about 7 cubic feet ) of gravel on it's entrance yesterday and there's no sign of it today. I've seen it pulling the wild raspberry canes down so I guess it likes black raspberries. Dunno if it's been helping itself to my red ones. I weed whacked a 50x100 foot area that was loaded with wild raspberries and is now wide open. FY woodchuck.
Some pole beans to replace the peas the rabbits ate. Onions are starting to fall over: Some San Marzano tomato clones planted rather deep: They'll be a little late and I won't get many flushes maybe but that's OK. We'll see what we get. Never know. Some bell peppers I picked this morning:
Wish I had time to take pictures of mine! I am up to my ears in peaches, tomatoes, green beans, squash. I have been dehydrating the squash (makes delicious snacks, as is), and canning everything else. Tomatoes will be made into sauce over the next few nights, some of the peaches will be made into leather. Trying to get as much done as possible, as I will be traveling to SC next weekend to view the Solar Eclipse in its full glory. Hopefully, the neighbors will keep the garden picked. P.S. Greenstick , those pickles look wonderful!!
Yep, worked out the dimensions for our roadside stand. Not sure if we'll have any veggies for sale this year, but we're planning to double the size (at least) of the garden next year. I'm also planning to start selling some firewood and maple syrup.
