steelnut

Absolutely love them, I just wish they'd last longer!

Weeeeelll, the second planting of the beans was doing great. I kept spraying the Liquid Fence around the perimeter and also ammonia. But, it's been raining off and on and the rain seems to wash away my efforts. I checked after work today and they got my beans once again, I give up

21 hours ago, lavender said:

The only way to really keep rabbits out is to bury fencing 6 inches to a foot deep around the garden. They apparently won't dig deeper than that. It isn't very practical if you have a large garden. We have had some success with ammonia. Tying saturated cloths at nose level will over ride the scent of that yummy lettuce and beans. It works for coons and corn too but it has to be renewed frequently. Anything that confuses an animal's ability to scent food works. They rely on their noses.

We have a big garden and I'm not even going to suggest to hubby burying the fence, lol! I want to try the ammonia method. Is the only way using cloths? Would spraying it around the perimeter, like I do Liquid Fence work?

20 hours ago, Petee said:

Feral cats are excellent mousers, that's how they survive.  I always had indoor/outdoor cats and they led good lives having the best of both worlds.  Now with allergies, ours live outdoors all of the time.  Give one a chance to up its lifestyle by adopting it, providing it outdoor shelter,  a basic diet and clean water, and love. Yes they may lead shorter lives, or not, but at least they get to have a chance and some vet care.

You may want to try a repellent meant for rabbits or some coyote urine spray.  If any of the leaf axials were left then the plants will regenerate themselves.  If not then you will have to replant.  A proper installed fence is probably in order.  The rabbits are terrible this year.

I've been spraying the stinky stuff around the perimeter of the garden (not cheap, but oh well!) and so far so good. But every time it rains, I have to spray again. But we need the rain. It's 1/2 dozen of this.......it's gardening, no guarantees, just lots of hoping for the best!

On 6/20/2017 at 8:25 PM, steelnut said:

Arggg, the garden was looking so great! This morning I went up just to check and evidently a rabbit got underneath the lowest rung of our electric fence and feasted on the green and wax beans.  No tracks at all, so it had to have been a rabbit. Most only have the stalk left, a few have a some leaves left. Nothing else was touched? 

Question is, if only the stalk is left, they're done for, correct? I tried to research it and got impatient trying to read through all of the sites that didn't give any answers. The plants were 5 - 6" high, I could have cried when I saw what happened.  

I posted previously about my one sunflower bed that the chippies destroyed, I replanted the seeds and the next morning I checked and it was all dug up again! How in the heck do they know that those new seeds are in the ground???  

Just an update, it's those wascally wabbits! Funny, we used to have them everywhere, then the coyote moved in and we didn't see a rabbit for 3 or 4 years. Then they started to come back, then the coyote moved back in. Evidently the coyote moved on, because the rabbits are back big time. To be honest, I'd rather have the rabbits than the coyote.  I just want them to stay out of the garden!

On 6/24/2017 at 10:27 PM, Petee said:

Feral cats are excellent mousers, that's how they survive.  I always had indoor/outdoor cats and they led good lives having the best of both worlds.  Now with allergies, ours live outdoors all of the time.  Give one a chance to up its lifestyle by adopting it, providing it outdoor shelter,  a basic diet and clean water, and love. Yes they may lead shorter lives, or not, but at least they get to have a chance and some vet care.

I just don't think that I can commit to an outdoor cat as nice it would be as to getting rid of some of the critters. I've always thought that cats should be held to the same restrictions as dogs. And even though we live out in the country, we've had a time or two when a cat has walked all over our vehicles, crapped in my flower beds, etc. If I had an outdoor cat, it may stray to someone else's home and do that to them. And the biggest reason is the thought of loving it and having it hit by a car is not something that I want to deal with.

Thanks for sharing the pix Petee, I can't believe they are that big! All thanks to LFG for the excellent info.

1 hour ago, NikonSniper said:

LFG this area of Pa is so corrupt it's pathetic. In my half a century + living in this area I have seen so many things swept under the rug that it would make you puke. The old saying that money, influence, and your name buys you blindness, silence, and deafness is the golden rule around here.......

Post of the day for me. Unfortunately Nikon is right. I've seen the same things that he has.

I am with LFG that I truly hope OSHA won't be bought and that this whole tragedy and the reasons are exposed. It always comes down to following the money trail. Not just nationally, statewide, county wide, but locally too.

2 hours ago, landfillguy said:

Very. I had goosebumps. You guys can't imagine what a massive area that was

I watched tonight's WJAC broadcast and felt the same way, goosebumps. And then listening to the communications between the guys and the video, OMG! I hope they keep investigating.

On 6/25/2017 at 2:15 AM, mr.d said:

It was in Local accidents, started it believe Landfill Collapse in Fox Twp.

I hope the officials keep digging to find out the truth about this.

20 hours ago, lavender said:

Steelnut, put in new trees! We are ancient and just put in a bunch. Get the semi-dwart. Hanzley's says they will be producing in a few years. If you aren't there to pick the deer and your neighbors will love you. You are never too old to plant a tree.

Some things hate my yard too. Mostly it is poor drainage. We live with it.

All of ours are the semi-dwarf and I'd really like to pant some more, but at this point hubby is totally against it. I'll probably work on him about it, we'll see

On 6/21/2017 at 7:34 PM, Bon said:

Sanibel just might be right!! We lost 2 or 3 holly bushes, our rhodies looked terrible till hubby trimmed the hell out of them (beautiful this spring), & the same with our lilacs. Very few flowers this spring because he only wanted to do 1 kind of bushes a year.   I would say trim off the bad branches a little at a time. This is besides feeding it. If you decide to put wood chips or pine needles under the bush, do not put them right up against the bark. Don't put any mulch up against your shrubs or tree's ever!! That's inviting bugs & fungus problems.

I hope that helped you some, if not, keep asking questions. We will get to the root of the problem!! LOL

Hubby trims everything judiciously every year and our rhodies and all of the others come back great. Now as to azaleas  I know that I've planted at least 50 over the years, not one has survived and I babied them, followed all kinds of advice to no avail. Evidently they hate our soil. Pretty much like fruit trees. Our pear trees like our soil, apples are so so. Plums are a no go. I had two peach trees that lasted 20 years, only produced 7 times, but they were so good! They eventually gave up the good fight. I just had to admit and agree with hubby tonight that our best pear tree is also done for this year. I could cry, the very best pears that I've ever had from anywhere, but it's been slowly getting worse and worse. Hubby trims them each year and we've tried numerous things, but nothing is working. I thought about getting another like it, but we're getting older and by the time it would be ready to produce, I hope to be traveling? Yeah right, we'll be right here, who am I kidding.

On 6/20/2017 at 9:28 PM, Bon said:

Steelnut, I always tried to start my sunflowers inside. I love all the different kinds & colors of sunflowers. If you give up this year, just remember to start them inside next year. Plus find a very good mouser cat to scare away the rabbits, chippies, birds, squirrels, & mice!!

I forgot when I responded about getting a good mouser. I'd love to but hubby, son and grandsons are all allergic to cats. Only myself and dil are immune. Even though son and family don't live with us, they always stop in a few times each week and hubby would be miserable. I'd be afraid to have an outdoor only cat. Many reasons. Winter, all of the hawks that we see out here, roaming onto other's property, getting hit by a vehicle ....   

I can't find the original thread, so Steve you can add this post to the original if you want.

I watched this on WJAC tonight, interesting.

http://wjactv.com/news/local/greentree-disputes-cracks-in-mid-january-says-would-get-dash-cam-videos-in-documents

22 hours ago, Bon said:

Steelnut, I always tried to start my sunflowers inside. I love all the different kinds & colors of sunflowers. If you give up this year, just remember to start them inside next year. Plus find a very good mouser cat to scare away the rabbits, chippies, birds, squirrels, & mice!!

Hmmm, I've never started them inside before! My other bed is doing great so far, evidently the chippies haven't discovered it yet. Usually the only problem I have with my sunflower beds are the deer. I faithfully spray the stinky stuff on them to keep deer away, but when we get rain numerous days in a row, it washes it all off and the deer start munching.

2 minutes ago, Gator11 said:

 

 

 

could have been crows or some other bird

We thought about that, but nothing, absolutely nothing else was touched? Our peas are doing great and not one of them was touched, no peppers, kohlrabi, cabbage, etc. 

UGH! But, that's gardening. You just never know! 

Arggg, the garden was looking so great! This morning I went up just to check and evidently a rabbit got underneath the lowest rung of our electric fence and feasted on the green and wax beans.  No tracks at all, so it had to have been a rabbit. Most only have the stalk left, a few have a some leaves left. Nothing else was touched? 

Question is, if only the stalk is left, they're done for, correct? I tried to research it and got impatient trying to read through all of the sites that didn't give any answers. The plants were 5 - 6" high, I could have cried when I saw what happened.  

I posted previously about my one sunflower bed that the chippies destroyed, I replanted the seeds and the next morning I checked and it was all dug up again! How in the heck do they know that those new seeds are in the ground???  

Okay on 6/10, I was heart sick at the way my garden looked. What a difference some rain makes! After the downpour we had on Thursday, I thought it may be all over, I was wrong. Other than the damage to my mucho nacho jalape

Yes, yes I do!! My oldest ween(Harley Ann)loves to chase chippies, all day long. Sometimes we have to make her come in at 9-9:30, you can borrow her for the summer. She eats at 6 & 6, no people food, but lots of cool refreshing water. She also loves to try to get to the rabbits under the sheds & bushes. No luck, lol.

, ,

They are good just sliced thinly for snacking.  Slaw would be a great use for them too.

I love snacking on them too! My favorite is to julienne them along with red onion, carrots and peppers with my Gram's cole slaw dressing. I found a recipe for fritters with kohlrabi and I think carrots and onions that I want to try if mine survive. 

Do any of you grow Kohlrabi? I love it!! I can't take care of a garden anymore. I used to plant that along with corn, pumpkins, onions, garlic, peppers, beans, lettuce, and a cherry tomato plant (weenies love them).

 

Last year by Snappy's there was a guy selling veggies, and he had kohlrabi. We always said we would stop on the way home, we always forgot. I only want 1!!!

I just saw this and saw that Petee has four for you. If it doesn't work out and IF mine survive whatever is invading my garden, once ready, I'll share. I LOVE to make a kohlrabi slaw with other veggies! What do you do with them, same thing?

F'chipmunks are my pest & shoot at them with pellets, with fill buckets 1/4 full with h20 and a few drown, but unless you constantly watch the dumb quarrels knock the wood ramp so chipf's can crawl up it. Tried to convince somebody's indoor cat tha escapes weekly to kill them, but it wants petted, I don't pet it...dumb cat

 

But congrats to all the nice gardens posted

Chippies!!! I have two sunflower beds. One is doing very well. The other one, I had a lot of them coming up, but on Friday, I went to check on them and they were GONE! I could see where something was in there digging around. I know deer love them, but usually they wait until the sunflowers are bigger to attack them. And it wasn't deer tracks in the bed. Today, hubby was mowing and as he came around the garage by that bed, a chippie jumped out of the bed and made a bee line to the patio. I'm just hoping that it doesn't find the other sunflower bed. Hubby said he'd set a humane trap for it, I don't know if it will work or not. I'm going to replant tomorrow, though it's a little late.

Does anyone know of anything to keep chippies out of flower beds?

My cabbage, lettuce is doing great. In the bottom garen looks like the cauliflower, brussel sprouts and Broccoli are getting the leaves eaten by something.

 

I may have to try the vinegar trick and see if it works.

 

Peppers and Tomatoes are in and are pretty much the same as when I planted them.

 

The celery is doing good.

 

The middle of the garden is not bare it has watermelon, squash and pumpkins planted in it.

 

Oh and in pic 5 you can see rogue potatoes from a couple years ago popping up through.

Great pix, thanks for sharing.  Your 4th one looks exactly what is happening to some of our plants. Hubby built two 4 x 10 raised beds last year just to see how they would do. They're in our regular garden. And then we plant the rest as usual. This year, I planted 6 mucho nacho jalapeno's, 12 regular jalape

Gator, thanks so much for the info. I just printed it off.

Doing pretty good

Great looking plants!