Gardening...it's one thing after another isn't it???

[KnitWit]

We are gardening failures! LOL! We have tried for several years and every year something just completely BOMBS!

 

THIS year, we were JUST out this weekend saying how amazed we are that everything looks like it's coming along so well. TODAY...just now...I went out and caught a DEER *and* TWO BUNNIES buffet dining in our little garden! They were not even that afraid of me. I got about a fourth of the way out there before they ran off. I think I heard them laughing and calling me a *city girl*.

 

Sooooo...what do I do *now*? Seriously. Please use stick figures and very simple words to answer. :D

[Jean in Newcastle]

Sounds like you got 2 hoofs and paws up from the deer and bunnies.:) Basically you need a fence around your garden to keep the critters out.

[LauraGB]

Okay, I'm going to sound like a nut job, but here's what's worked for us in the past.

 

Human hair, chewing gum and egg shells.

 

No kidding.

 

Animals are deterred by the scent of humans, and the little animals (like the rabbits) don't like gum, either. And for some reason, eggs are a big turn off (possibly because they are herbavores?). If you are close with your stylist, ask him/her to save a day's worth of hair and then spread it around the perimeter of your garden. Chew up the gum (the mintier the better, it would seem) and spread that around, too, and then toss in your saved egg shells. Goodness, everytime I answer questions like this I feel all voodoo-like :lol:.

 

And now for the not so crazy stuff: they don't love onions, garlic, chives, etc. They don't love lavender, either. All of those are perennials, so plant them where you want to see them every year.

[KnitWit]

Thank you Laura! My stylist is one of my best friends! :) However, I may line my boys up and buzz them tonight while they chew gum! LOL! My son and I just went back out there and the bunny was BACK. I KNOW he laughed this time!

 

My son said it's either Bunnicula or we are under "the curse of the WereRabbit". :lol:

 

Eggs for b'fast!!!

[Luckymama]

You need a fence of some sort. Sorry. It's the only way to keep the varmints on the other side of the buffet.

 

Signed,

One who knows all too well thanks to deer and groundhogs

[Blueridge]

You can get *liquid fence* from the hardware store. It's an incredibly stinky liquid that you spray around the perimeter of the garden. It works very well, but you may have some problems anyway because deer and bunnies are such creatures of habit, and have already trained themselves to come to your buffet. :D I would try it anyway.

[KnitWit]

Well, they must be paying my dog. She's been out there. Why didn't she run them off? I knew she would welcome criminals and show them the keys...but the wildlife too? ;)

 

A fence is really not in the budget. I had already mentioned one to dh. Maybe we need to rethink that one.

[LauraGB]

 

A fence is really not in the budget. I had already mentioned one to dh. Maybe we need to rethink that one.

 

Deer could just jump the fence anyway (ever see The Yearling?). And once they were in there, they'd convince themselves they couldn't get back out and help themselves to your goods as if they were going to die in there and were consuming their last meal.

 

Then they'd jump back out.

 

Fencing is great for rabbits, though. Any kind at all. El-cheap-o wire fence with crappy stick posts, even.

[RegularMom]

I sprinkle cayenne pepper on the leaves of my bean plants (but not the beans themselves). The bunnies can come in and have a taste if they like, but it's not gonna be what they really wanted. ;)

 

We're working on a deer-proof and bunny-proof fence, but RegularDad's work schedule makes it hard to complete that project right now. So I just keep on with the cayenne pepper and I plants lots of marigold and onion all around things that I want to protect. I also started strewing mint leaves around the plants too, thinking maybe the mint scent will distract the varmints away from the beans. Maybe?

 

I'm in my 3rd year of gardening, and yes, I've had things bomb, but I've also had things go pretty good. Look around and see if there's anything that hasn't bombed? Surely there's something. If there isn't, I suggest planting some mint in a container and putting it in a corner. Then you can look at it and say: well, at least the mint is doing well. :)

 

But, if you do that, may I reiterate the use of a container? I didn't listen to that piece of advice and went ahead and planted mint right there in the ground. Now I've got mint trying to spread everywhere.

 

It's sort of a mint bomb. But at least I've got lots of extra mint to strew around the beans. :)

[KnitWit]

Good point about the deer jumping the fence.

 

Crappy bunny fence I can do.

 

Cayenne huh?

[Marylou]

You can get *liquid fence* from the hardware store. It's an incredibly stinky liquid that you spray around the perimeter of the garden. It works very well, but you may have some problems anyway because deer and bunnies are such creatures of habit, and have already trained themselves to come to your buffet. :D I would try it anyway.

 

Human urine is much cheaper and works just as well. Ask my husband. (Plus we always have an endless supply!)

 

(CAUTION: If your garden is anywhere near the road or where others could see, place urine in container first and then relocate it :D)

 

Gross, but does the trick.

[AnthemLights]

Human urine is much cheaper and works just as well. Ask my husband. (Plus we always have an endless supply!)

 

(CAUTION: If your garden is anywhere near the road or where others could see, place urine in container first and then relocate it :D)

 

Gross, but does the trick.

 

HA!!!:lol::lol:

 

I was going to post the same thing but wasn't quite brave enough. :D

 

Works like a charm.

[RegularMom]

Cayenne huh?

 

Yep. :)

[KnitWit]

Human urine is much cheaper and works just as well. Ask my husband. (Plus we always have an endless supply!)

 

(CAUTION: If your garden is anywhere near the road or where others could see, place urine in container first and then relocate it :D)

 

Gross, but does the trick.

 

Bahahahahaha!!!! :lol: :lol:

 

I have 5 males. This could be my solution. :lol:

[Aspasia]

We're total gardening failures, too! But not in the same way. We just keep dealing with blight, spider mites, blossom rot, etc. We shared some of our seedlings with our neighbor and her plants are totally thriving while ours just look pitiful. We've tried so hard!

 

So I can't relate with the wildlife (except for chipmunks digging little burrows in my soil), but just know that you're not the only discouraged gardener out there.

[KnitWit]

We have dealt with those things too!

 

My Grandee could grow anything, anywhere. WHY didn't that get passed on??

 

As I said, things are *looking good* right now...but we have never actually made it this far. :lol:

 

I nursed a rosemary plant through the winter, went out two weeks ago and it was COMPLETELY brown and dropped all the leaves. WHAT is up with THAT?

[Laura Corin]

I agree about the fence. We have a rabbit fence (the bottom is buried to discourage burrowing in). The deer are an issue, but they tend not to come to the front of the house where we have a security light - they don't turn up in the daytime. They took our whole apple crop from the back of the house (outside the fence) last year though.

 

Laura

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

I would try the ideas that don't cost at this point in the year (hair, urine, eggshells). See what works. If non seem to do the trick, then next year use fencing.

 

We're total gardening failures, too! But not in the same way. We just keep dealing with blight, spider mites, blossom rot, etc. We shared some of our seedlings with our neighbor and her plants are totally thriving while ours just look pitiful. We've tried so hard!

 

So I can't relate with the wildlife (except for chipmunks digging little burrows in my soil), but just know that you're not the only discouraged gardener out there.

This is us. We have tried growing pumpkins for about 6 yrs now using all kinds of seed combinations and tricks. Not a single pumpkin. I even went out one year in the early morning and with q tip in hand tried to fertilize the flowers myself...problem was we only got male flowers. Our carrots mutated into double roots. Finally we had near success, our grape vines looked promising until one night caterpillars consumed every single leaf. I am still determined to get a garden that produces something edible. For now, each spring I get lots of joking from family members.

[lailasmum]

Big Fruit cage? -like a high roofed fence. They can be a bit pricey but should keep critters out.

[Luckymama]

We use inexpensive fencing----flexible 7' tall sturdy plastic mesh sold in 100' rolls at our local Agway-type store. It's called Deer Fencing :lol: Dh attaches it to either wooden 4x4 posts or those green metal fence posts. He attaches it so that there's an extra 6" or so at the bottom which I tether to the ground using rocks or bits of wood or lawn staples. That keeps the groundhogs and the bunnies (until the fox gets them lol) out.

 

Our neighbors' gardens get eaten now. Ours is never touched :D If only I could find a good solution for those dang squash vine borers, my life would be complete.

[KnitWit]

Oh, interesting on the *deer fence*...will check on that.

 

This morning....

 

HORNWORMS on the tomatoes!!

[Luckymama]

Ewwww hornworms! I make dh pick them off for me-----they give me the willies. Check all the leaves and stems on your plants because the hornworms like to blend in.

[KnitWit]

Dh planted 30 tomato plants! We have a LOT of worms. HE is out of town...of course. :) The boys and I were pulling them off (ick) but got chased inside by a big storm.

 

I have felt like Jim Carrey in The Truman Show. "Okay, send in the deer." *pause* "Now, release the bunnies..." *pause* *dramatic music* *nightfall* Just before sunrise..."hornworms!" *pause* "MORE hornworms" *zoom in to grimaces on our faces over the green poop they produce* "Cue thunderstorm" "Heavy lightening" "Gusty wind" *cue music* "And the family begins to wonder if those baseballs that pass for tomatoes at the grocers are *really* all that bad..."

 

:lol: :lol:

 

So, we are enjoying the storm and searching what to do about these blasted worms!

[missmoe]

Big Fruit cage? -like a high roofed fence. They can be a bit pricey but should keep critters out.

 

You can make your own and it need not be pricey--but most likely won't be pretty either! Use chicken wire to drap around the plants the animals are most interested in. Make sure it is secure at the bottom to keep out the rabbits. We've used anything from bricks, rocks, to sticks to help secure and shape the chicken wire.

 

Also a motion sensor water blaster might scare away the animals. They can be hooked up to your hose and are available at lowes, home depot, ect.

 

Good luck!

[gaillardia]

HA!!!:lol::lol:

 

I was going to post the same thing but wasn't quite brave enough. :D

 

Works like a charm.

:iagree:My brother knows all about this.:D

Our problems are the wind, no rain, ever., and the sun. Oh and the heat. It all just stops growing.:001_unsure::blink::sad:

Well, if it does rain, it doesn't help too much.

And you do know what the moth for the hornworm looks like, right?

[gardening momma]

Sprinkle blood meal in the garden. It keeps small critters away (definitely bunnies and cats, in my experience), and will probably keep deer away too. It's stinky and fertilizes the soil too.

[gaillardia]

edited to remove photo

 

[KnitWit]

thanks!

[Laura Corin]

In one direction, we look straight down a south-west valley. The prevailing wind is south west. In the other direction, we can see to the North Sea. We are on a hill. It's windy.

 

Laura

[KnitWit]

Ugh. I dragged the boys around trying to find SOMETHING for those blasted worms. We picked and picked and there were just more and more. (What was dh thinking with the THIRTY tomato plants anyway???)

 

I finally bought Seven dust. Both of my neighbors told me to get it as well as the guys at Tractor Supply, the Farm Supply and Lowes. Okay. I also found some kind of natural barrier thing that had dried blood something, egg shells, garlic something...can't remember the rest. It SMELLS like garlic powder. I bought it, because frankly, it was getting late, the boys thought they were in a famine and I wanted to do SOMETHING before NIGHTFALL *if* there were any tomatoes LEFT by the time we got home.

 

So, there were tomatoes left...and MORE WORMS. I think they had started on the tomatoes because two looked like something took a huge bite out of them. One whole tomato plant was completely uprooted. My neighbor came by and said she saw a deer over there again...in the middle of the day! I put it back in the soil and watered it a bit...we'll see come morning. ANYWAY...it looks like it snowed on the plants. I covered them with that stuff. Then, I pretty much emptied the container of the *barrier* stuff that I bought. The smell is VERY strong and my dog didn't even follow me around there after I started spreading it. Maybe the deer, bunnies and dog were ALL watching and secretly laughing at my stupid naivety, but I am sitting here feeling like I did SOMETHING. :lol:

 

If I am poisoning Bambi by putting Seven out there...don't tell me. And all those men told me they use it and eat their stuff and it doesn't harm us...but I will be washing those tomatoes WELL...if they are still there when they ripen. :lol:

 

Why are we doing this again?

 

(And for all you seasoned gardeners out there...go on and laugh. I have lost all my pride. HOW HARD CAN THIS BE???)

[Tenaj]

Human urine is much cheaper and works just as well. Ask my husband. (Plus we always have an endless supply!)

 

(CAUTION: If your garden is anywhere near the road or where others could see, place urine in container first and then relocate it :D)

 

Gross, but does the trick.

 

My little boys have enjoyed this as their gardening project this week. They particularly found great humor in that fact that their older sister (who is my gardener) is encouraging this and actually becoming annoyed if she realizes they forget to run out to the garden!

 

We also sprayed the bean leaves with a water/oil/cayenne pepper mixture so we're not sure which one is really working but the deer and rabbits have been leaving them alone for the past few days.

[KnitWit]

Yes, after reading this thread, I gave that instruction as well!

 

What oil are you using? I should do that too!

[sarahbobeara]

We are visiting my mom in central Iowa and she has some anti-deer tricks. The one that has scared the deer away from her pole beans is video tape. Break open the cassette and string the tape btwn 2 posts above your plants and the wind will make it hum and the sun glints off of it nicely! You will have to replace it bc it doesn't weather well, but we have seen no evidence of deer since my mom put it up!!

 

Some things will just have to be fenced off from those evil bunnies. Maybe craigslist to see if any gardeners have already given up and have fencing?? Good luck on the worms. Those are just creepy!

[SonshineLearner]

This is part of why I do a CSA :) I let the Farmer do the work... at least he gets results! ;)

[KnitWit]

This is part of why I do a CSA :) I let the Farmer do the work... at least he gets results! ;)

 

I wish we had one!!

 

The stuff took care of the worms. No evidence of deer or bunnies this morning...but I'm not naive. I don't know if that smelly stuff worked, or if they were just at another *buffet* last night. :)

[gaillardia]

I'm sorry you had to use Seven. Have you tried using netting? I've got one little tomato, ONE!

When you said one plant was completely uprooted I imagined the worms had been very busy. Wow. I can't imagine having them as bad as your garden has them.

Garden ripe tomatoes are so yummy, that's why your dh thought 30 plants were a good idea. ;)

Laura, enjoy the view there in Scotland!:D

[KnitWit]

I actually believe a deer or some large animal uprooted the one plant. It is quite large. It's root ball was intact and moist so I'm hoping it will recuperate. This evening, the tomatoes on it still looked fine and it seemed to be perking back up.

 

Those hornworms are dead. We had more than we realized! They seem to have just dropped to the ground.

 

We are a bit encouraged. We picked two cukes for our dinner tonight and they were very good!

 

Oh, when we went out, two bunnies were just sitting there, watching us. Amazing they didn't run off.

[justamouse]

Sprinkle blood meal in the garden. It keeps small critters away (definitely bunnies and cats, in my experience), and will probably keep deer away too. It's stinky and fertilizes the soil too.

 

This is what I do.

[KnitWit]

Has anyone used Bt spray?

 

I tried to find that instead of the Sevin dust. Noone knew what I was talking about. I'd like to try it next time.

[Barb_]

Gardening can be heartbreaking. I've given up now that I live in the desert. Vegetables will grow beautifully, but babying them is a full time job. No sharing the job with mother nature.

 

Barb

[Luckymama]

Has anyone used Bt spray?

 

I tried to find that instead of the Sevin dust. Noone knew what I was talking about. I'd like to try it next time.

 

 

I use Bt (I think Bt variety K) all the time to control creepy crawlies. Between that and diatomaceous earth for slugs my garden is (almost) pest free.

[KnitWit]

I use Bt (I think Bt variety K) all the time to control creepy crawlies. Between that and diatomaceous earth for slugs my garden is (almost) pest free.

 

Can you give me any idea where to look for this? It seems that Lowe's, Home Depot, Tractor Supply don't carry it.

 

I will look for the diatomaceous earth. Is it the regular kind? Or the food grade?

[gaillardia]

I actually believe a deer or some large animal uprooted the one plant. It is quite large. It's root ball was intact and moist so I'm hoping it will recuperate. This evening, the tomatoes on it still looked fine and it seemed to be perking back up.

 

Those hornworms are dead. We had more than we realized! They seem to have just dropped to the ground.

 

We are a bit encouraged. We picked two cukes for our dinner tonight and they were very good!

 

Oh, when we went out, two bunnies were just sitting there, watching us. Amazing they didn't run off.

That sevin stuff is really dangerous to any living creature, that's why they dropped so fast. I hope you don't have to use that stuff ever again!

Those bunnies, they are planning the next course of action. :D

One of my kids noticed that some creature has been eating my only tomato.:001_huh:

It's 100 here. I love home grown cucumbers. I was too late getting plants started again. :glare:

[KnitWit]

Well, the tomato plant was uprooted *before* I used the Sevin and put the stuff around the garden to keep the animals away. I *think* that stuff is helping because the other plants that were getting chomped are being left alone (and they do not have Sevin on them).

 

The container stated, and I was told, that it wouldn't harm the animals as long as they weren't around when I was spreading the dust. THAT SAID...I really DON'T want to use it again. I'm more of a *natural product* person, but the size and number of these worms and the fact that all family but myself and my *little* guys are out of town, warranted quick action to save this ridiculous number of plants! LOL!

 

I welcome ALL advice on what to do *next* time...or before there *is* a next time!! LOL!

 

It is very hot here today as well. I wish these big green tomatoes would ripen! I'd LOVE to have a fresh tomato sandwich right now! :)

Edited June 30, 2011 by MSPolly
excessive use of the word *stuff* :)

[gaillardia]

Yes, I am sorry for using the word "stuff" more than once, maybe we shouldn't use it at all.:lol:

The other plants that were being chomped on, you didn't put Sevin on them, and the bugs are leaving them alone...

Have you contacted your county agricultural extension office or checked out their website? My county ag ext. is very helpful and has a lot of information packed into it. The master gardeners have a few pages posted in it as well. The m.g. have monthly meetings, the co. ag. does too. I'm sure there is someone who could share their experience and knowledge with you. Good luck.

:drool5: cucumbers....tomatoes....

[KnitWit]

Oh! Good idea! I never thought of that! I need help, I will look them up!

 

Too bad you can't come for a salad :)

 

(And yeah, the Sevin was just for those hornworms. I only used it on the tomato plants. I would RATHER have just picked them off but...I caved. LOL!)

[MomsintheGarden]

Can you give me any idea where to look for this? It seems that Lowe's, Home Depot, Tractor Supply don't carry it.

 

I will look for the diatomaceous earth. Is it the regular kind? Or the food grade?

I know exactly what you mean by it's one thing after another! Every year I wonder what will be the big problem, and never get the same results twice. Some years certain pests, not to mention diseases and weather aberrations, can wipe out a whole crop. I figure I probably kill about 1/2 of what I grow, so I am with your dh in planting extra. If you get a lot of produce, you can can/freeze/give away/feed livestock/compost the excess. It's all good.

 

We buy Bt dust from Southern States (our local feed store) in bags under the brand name of Dipel. Bonide produces a liquid form in a white bottle. Bt is a bacteria that kills only moth and butterfly caterpillars. It is approved for organic gardening, and is not toxic to other life forms. Mid to late June is the normal time to begin to see hornworms in your garden. It is very normal to find a bunch all at once and think you are garden is not going to survive the attack!

 

Sevin is a broad spectrum insecticide that will kill all of the good bugs along with the bad, such as ladybugs, bees, praying mantids, lacewings, predatory beetles and wasps, etc. I really don't recommend it. It is easy to use too much, it is really strong stuff, and buying it only encourages the chemical manufacturers to make more.:tongue_smilie: I understand how frustrating it is to have pests, but I guess at this point in my life I would rather have a crop failure than buy it. My neighbor is a big fan of Sevin, but he seems to have even more pests than I do.

 

As far as hornworm caterpillars go, here's what we do:

- We start looking for them in June here in VA, every 2-4 days, because that's when they start becoming noticeable in the garden (in other words, big enough to be seen). We look for damage and frass, then find the caterpillars and squish them. I have to admit that squishing a large hornworm can be daunting! Point the tail end away from you. If you're not into squishing, put them in a container of water. We brush the frass off the plant after we find one, to give an all clear sign.

- If there are a lot of hornworms and/or we don't feel like looking for them, I use a (dedicated) flour sifter to sprinkle Dipel dust it on the plants while the morning dew is still on them (dew makes it stick better). Wear a simple mask to avoid inhaling the dust (it isn't toxic to humans, though). You can spray with the liquid instead if you like. I've tried both and like to use the dust better. You will only need to do this once or twice if you aim for applying it in mid to late June.

- Look for the moths in the early morning. I have only found one in many years of gardening. It was near the base of a non-tomato plant (not even a nightshade), resting with its head up and wings folded. It is a night flyer so I caught it while sleeping. I didn't find very many hornworms that year!

- In your area, you will only need to intensively look for caterpillars for a couple of weeks, then once a week for the next month after that. Children are very good at this because they are at bug height. How about paying them a quarter apiece?

- Hornworms pupate in the ground at the end of the summer, and sometimes you can kill them by digging/tilling in the fall, then letting the earth be exposed to a hard freeze or two. I prefer keeping my soil covered in the winter, but this can be a good practice if you have a real problem.

- If you see any hornworms with little white cocoons on them, leave them alone. They have been parasitized by a small, predatory wasp. The baby wasps will take care of your caterpillar for you. I find that it takes the wasps a couple of weeks do appear on the caterpillars (but I don't leave any on for them; they are quite capable of finding the caterpillars I miss).

- Provide nectar sources for those wonderful little parasitic wasps. They especially like the small flowers in the carrot family, such as lovage, parsley, dill, carrots, angelica, or parsnips. They also like buckwheat flowers, so when it comes up randomly, I usually just let it bloom. I keep a lovage plant in my garden, and let it bloom specifically to attract the good insects. It only takes up a couple of square feet, and you should see it swarm with tiny wasps when it flowers! It coincidentally flowers just before the hornworms come on strong.

- Last, but not least, continue to work on improving your soil. If you feed your soil, your plants be strong enough to withstand many pest attacks.

 

HTH, and best wishes for your garden.

GardenMom

[KnitWit]

Thank you so much GardenMom! That was very helpful. I wish I had your knowledge.

 

Umm...should I tell you that the guy sold me a three-pack for thirty plants? He told me to use it all, about a can per 10 plants. I am wondering if all 5 acres will now be bug free? AND...it hasn't rained since I spread it. We have a soaker hose. Shall I go spray them all down?

 

Well. You learn my error don't you? We are learning a lot! LOL!

[MomsintheGarden]

Thank you so much GardenMom! That was very helpful. I wish I had your knowledge.

 

Umm...should I tell you that the guy sold me a three-pack for thirty plants? He told me to use it all, about a can per 10 plants. I am wondering if all 5 acres will now be bug free? AND...it hasn't rained since I spread it. We have a soaker hose. Shall I go spray them all down?

 

Well. You learn my error don't you? We are learning a lot! LOL!

Oh. My. Word. Three whole cans! What those guys at the farm or big box stores will tell you!

 

Please don't guilt! There is a reason I can give such detailed instructions. Some of what I know is by reading, but most is by doing, a lot of it the wrong way!

 

I'm sorry, but I don't know what to do about Sevin. I would guess that a thorough rinsing would help. From the few articles I have read on the internet, Sevin does not persist in the environment for long, but I don't know for how long.

 

Ok, to make you feel better, I will share my latest garden catastrophe, which happened today. Oldest and dd had just wildlife netting on hoops over our winter squash planting. We had to do something to protect it from marauding deer and our free-ranging chickens. Dh (Reg) had reminded me that netting is dangerous to snakes. I went away to putter in another part of the garden for about an hour, and when I came back a large black snake had strangled itself in the netting. I feel absolutely terrible - poor thing. We've seen that snake around the garden for years. I guess I should have put on insect netting and hand pollinated. Sigh.

 

Anyway, I feel that the only way to get good at gardening is to keep trying, read about it if you have the time, and ask questions. So, you are well on your way to becoming a great gardener!

 

Blessings,

GardenMom

[KnitWit]

Ugh. Yes...three cans.

 

I did not know that about snakes and netting! There is too much that you can mess up with! We have a couple of *resident* black snakes I think. We see them often and appreciate their presence. I would HATE to strangle them.

 

Ugh.