Newbie Gripes

This is my first time growing anything. I had some beautiful carrot tops coming up - nice and bushy - and last week something came and mowed all the tops off! It was in the daytime, I am guessing a bird. They also sheared off a pot of poppy seedlings I was nurturing. And yesterday I finally got my first tomato to emerge from a seed - after two attempts and six weeks of waiting - this morning - gone! I guess I expected birds to go after the fruit or vegetables after they were actually mature, not just a few centimeters high - and didn't expect them to go after carrots at all. Is anyone else having this trouble here?

I am going to make some kind of a canopy for the whole 4x4, probably with pvc as described in Mel's book - and put bird netting over. And I had heard that copper tape works against slugs, but I truly don't see any evidence, such as slime trails, and I also read that once the tape tarnishes - which will pretty much be right away - it doesn't work. Anyone have any thoughts?

I think that is bizarre. I never heard of it. For awhile my spaniel was eating the tops of bean plants but a fence solved that - leaving the bean plants for the snails. I would think if it is birds that should do the trick, but it still sounds quite odd. Anyone else have any ideas what would do this type of damage?

Sounds like what the bunnies and deer do around here.

Rabbits, groundhogs, squirrels, deer, birds, and cutworms will all shear off plants. In my experience, birds often pull the whole plant up - they'll eat the sprouted seed at the bottom and leave the plant lying on its side. Voles do the same thing.

I've even seen cats and dogs munch on garden plants. We once had a cat that would dig out and eat raw potatoes, and we had a dog who used to eat our asparagus. (Why couldn't he have been like the dog in the old Jerry Clower story and developed a taste for turnip greens, instead?)

Well we don't have rabbits, groundhogs, squiirels or deer - and I don't know about cutworms - so that leaves the birds. I've learned my lesson. There is so MUCH to eat that ISN'T my SFG, I don't know why they have to.

Does it deter them to hang sparkly things near the SFG?

Aloha,

That must be frustrating! It's the first time I hear something like that in Hawaii. I don't think birds would do that. How about mice? Any paw prints around your plants? Droppings?

I hope netting helps!

Nadine
Big Island

Hi!

For slugs I use crushed egg shells. They don't like the sharp edges. I just crush the shells in my hand and sprinkle them about. Once the plants are full enough you don't see the shells.

Claire

I like that idea - crushed egg shells. I will try it. Thank you!

My slugs and snails seemed completely unphased by egg shells. Of course there were a billion of them. I finally went out three nights in a row around 10:30 pm and killed all I could see that were in that end of the yard. And there were plenty.

I also put some snail bait in the garden and I still get dead snails in the morning. Once the garden is in it is time to stand guard for varmints!

I've never had a problem with slugs, and haven't tried this personally, but I remember reading that someone controlled them by sinking a mayonnaise lid in the dirt to ground level and filling it with beer. Apparently slugs love beer, and they crawl into it and drown.

Yes, the beer thing does work.

Thank you for all the suggestions!

Nadine - I haven't seen any mice droppings, but I did see a rat on our property a couple of weeks ago.

Makes me want to set a video camera out there.

I think there may be a market for garden-cam.

Chopper wrote:I think there may be a market for garden-cam.

The
Timelapse Garden Video Camera.





This is the
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development of individual specimens or entire areas over a period of
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to conceal your spent spring bulb foliage (Play
Video). The camera takes a picture at one of six pre-determined
intervals (one minute to 24 hours) and combines them into a single 1280 x
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light sensor that turns off the camera at dusk and back on at dawn,
allowing for continued video capture each day. Movies are timestamped
and stored on the camera's removable 2GB USB flash drive, which can take
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$159.95

Hi,

The information looks interesting. In a post edit box, we can't call for a JS action on another web site to play a video. Perhaps you can just post the link to the sales page where it is located.

Time-lapse Garden Video Camera.

http://www.hammacher.com/Product/76551

ander217 wrote:I've never had a problem with slugs, and haven't tried this personally, but I remember reading that someone controlled them by sinking a mayonnaise lid in the dirt to ground level and filling it with beer. Apparently slugs love beer, and they crawl into it and drown.

Snails do like beer, particularly dark, stale beer. Put it into a shallow can buried in the dirt up to the top edges.

I use Sluggo, which is ok with the organic regs. It will kill slugs but is said to be safe for veggies and the humans and animals that eat them.

For cats and dogs -- give them veggies to eat during the day, and they'll be much more likely to leave your SFG alone. Do make sure that you are giving them veggies that are safe for them to eat...some fruit and veg are toxic to animals.

My dog eats carrots, cauliflower (I usually give him the stalk because he likes to gnaw on it) broccoli (again, the stalk) -- and I usually keep a bag of either frozen green beans or frozen peas on hand that I thaw out in the microwave and mix in with his regular dinner.. He's a big boy (over 100 lbs/50kg) so the bulk helps keep him from feeling hungry, but he's not loading up on calories, either...AND he keeps his big face out of my SFG.

Don't give them more than 10% of their daily intake in veggies...at minimum, you'll give them an upset tummy -- at max, you can make them very ill.

Do NOT give your dog garlic or onions, by the way...they have a chemical compound that is toxic to dogs. If you have ANY doubts, ask your vet about what veggies are safe to give your pal.

[quote="Joan Larcom"]

ander217 wrote:I use Sluggo, which is ok with the organic regs. It will kill slugs but is said to be safe for veggies and the humans and animals that eat them.

Joan,

Where did you get Sluggo on Oahu? How much? I saw another brand using iron phosphate, but those things cost a fortune!

I think Sluggo is the only slug bait that is deemed organic. It is expensive, around $10 a canister but I find one lasts a long time and saves lots of veggies. You can buy it at City Mill now or at Wally's .

Joan