Garden thread

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  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,372 Member
    Rabbit fence will not keep the deer away. They may or may not figure out the flashing thing eventually.

    They make motion-detection devices you attach to a hose and when triggered they throw water towards wherever you've set them to. That does seem to startle the critters away when they come up. I worry, though, that there would be a broken hose and you'd dump five or eight gallons per minute (or more) onto the ground for hours and hours and hours.
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,072 Member
    edited June 2021
    My garden is surrounded by ~ 18"/50cm of low chicken wire that keeps the rodents out. Then I added long pieces of rebar and strung garden netting tall enough to keep away the deer. The net goes all the way to the ground - over the chicken wire.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,598 Member
    Just a gardener history story:

    We used to put chicken wire around individual sections of the garden, to keep out small critters, but also put the lines of fencing close (narrow) enough to discourage deer (not roomy for them, mostly worked).

    One day I was out working in the yard, scared up a baby rabbit (small but big enough to be independent). At full speed, s/he dashed through one of the tiny chicken-wire hex spaces, across the veggie bed in a split second, and out another tiny chicken-wire hex space on the opposite side . . . without slowing down even half a beat at any point.

    So, chicken wire works on *some* rabbits, I guess. 😆
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Just a gardener history story:

    We used to put chicken wire around individual sections of the garden, to keep out small critters, but also put the lines of fencing close (narrow) enough to discourage deer (not roomy for them, mostly worked).

    One day I was out working in the yard, scared up a baby rabbit (small but big enough to be independent). At full speed, s/he dashed through one of the tiny chicken-wire hex spaces, across the veggie bed in a split second, and out another tiny chicken-wire hex space on the opposite side . . . without slowing down even half a beat at any point.

    So, chicken wire works on *some* rabbits, I guess. 😆

    Yep, at my last place the wide chicken wire kept out the mama wood chuck, but not the babies >.<

    I reinforced it with plastic chicken wire that has the smaller holes.

    While that was in progress I tried blood meal, and bird scare tape - none of that worked.

    Putting a radio out in the garden blasting Metallica DID work :lol:
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    My sister has a garden scarecrow, an electronic device that beeps and lights up when something passes by or enters the garden. Now she also has a wild rabbit that's eating all her green beans and isn't afraid of the noisy scarecrow. Any advice of any other garden deterrents for her to try, short of trapping/relocating him? :)

    This worked for the wild rabbit I had in my yard before we got the cat and rabbits stopped digging into our yard. It's only 18" though, and kind of expensive. If she has a larger area I'd use at least 2' tall fencing that comes in rolls.

    Also, rabbits can dig. One of the reasons it worked for me is that I used it inside of raised beds.

    https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NB1EECB/

    Here it is around my strawberries:

    6zm3kqafgnb6.jpg
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    To keep deer out of large gardens you need a tall fence. This site recommends 7', but says you can use a smaller fence for smaller areas. My mom has a 4' fence around an area that is around 8'x 8' and they do not jump into that.

    https://www.critterfence.com/resources/how-to-deer-proof-your-garden
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,072 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    So, chicken wire works on *some* rabbits, I guess. 😆

    That's exactly why I add garden netting over the chicken wire.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,598 Member
    MsCzar wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    So, chicken wire works on *some* rabbits, I guess. 😆

    That's exactly why I add garden netting over the chicken wire.

    There's also a thing that I believe is officially called "rabbit fence" or "critter fence" that is a metal-wire fencing with smaller holes near the bottom, larger holes further up. It probably costs a little more than chicken wire, but I don't think hugely much more.
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    So glad about all the go-away-rabbit ideas! Will talk with my sister again to see if she wants my help implementing any of them. Evidently her rabbit's been helping himself for a few years now. :)

    Now....some suggestions as to how to keep one of my very creative persistent dogs out of my strawberries. :( We have a fence but she jumped it. So we put a taller fence around the outside of that. Somehow she made it between the 2 fences and jumped it again. So we tied it all together tighter. She then went under. So we put boards around the places she was finding, supported them with tools and large rocks. Placed another tool at the gate that hooked it together. I wedge it in there really well when I leave the garden area. I put the dogs in the back yard while I mowed for half an hour yesterday. Came back out to find the tool on the ground, my strawberries had been trampled, but there she is, looking oh so innocent and pretty in one of her dug-out holes on the other side of the yard. There is something in that particular soil she wants because she doesn't bother the plants except for digging and she doesn't bother anything else.
    Good thing she's such a sweetie in all other ways. :)
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,282 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    SuzanneC1l9zz wrote: »
    It's been really gusty and when I looked out the kitchen window this morning I saw that the wind had knocked over my tomato. The wind also seems to have dried it out faster than usual so I gave it a drink when I picked it up. Hopefully that's a one off!

    I'd consider staking it, especially if there's stem damage or still-shallow rooting. FWIW, if you have any old pantyhose or similar thin knitted socks that are worn out, those make really excellent plant ties, cut into strips. They're very soft, flexible, don't cut in like strings.

    Pantyhose!! I have used my husband's old t-shirts and other things, but I'm SURE I have pantyhose that I'm not going to wear again, lol. Perfect! I need to support mine to the stakes. They're getting tall and bushy.
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,282 Member
    @mtaratoot those golden raspberries look amazing. My neighbor at the community garden has loads and shares them with me. They are spectacular! What a bounty!! If memory serves, you're in Corvallis? Get ready for the heat... ;)
  • SuzanneC1l9zz
    SuzanneC1l9zz Posts: 460 Member
    Something is eating my zucchinis! 😡 Something big, that's biting off chunks. Magpie? Squirrel? The pot is on the patio table so it's not a rabbit. When I went to water yesterday two had been eaten and a third had a big bite out of it. Two leaves that would've blocked access to them were bitten off, and there were bites out of the table cloth over the pictures of leaves and berries. It's definitely hungry, whatever it is! Mom has some sort of critter netting that she's going to give me to protect the plant. I was looking forward to eating those! 😢
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,282 Member
    OK friends, how do I protect my veggies from extreme heat? I did DEEP watering this morning, but we are not accustomed to 100F+ weather. I understand that the lettuces that have been hanging on might just throw up their leaves and bolt (or die), but what about my tomatoes? Will they just fry? They're barely fruiting yet because I live in a temperate place (or so I thought). I have half a mind to take a golf umbrella or two and try to shade parts of my box, but that would also involve going out and moving them and honestly, I'm not planning to leave the house much until this passes. It's a 400sqft raised bed. Help! :worried:
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,072 Member
    Draping with cheesecloth and misting frequently might help - but 100F+ is tough to overcome. Just a few days of 85F+ caused all my spinach to bolt.
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,372 Member
    girlwithcurls2 wrote: »
    OK friends, how do I protect my veggies from extreme heat? I did DEEP watering this morning, but we are not accustomed to 100F+ weather. I understand that the lettuces that have been hanging on might just throw up their leaves and bolt (or die), but what about my tomatoes? Will they just fry? They're barely fruiting yet because I live in a temperate place (or so I thought). I have half a mind to take a golf umbrella or two and try to shade parts of my box, but that would also involve going out and moving them and honestly, I'm not planning to leave the house much until this passes. It's a 400sqft raised bed. Help! :worried:

    Tomatoes love heat. They grow 'em in the Central Valley of California in the summer for goofiness sake. But you won't hurt 'em to screen some of the light. I think they might do that down in the Central Valley at times.

    Stress, to a certain level, seems to make a plant decide to make more delicious fruit. If the plant "thought" it might not make it, it might invest more resources into making its fruit tasty to spread seeds.
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,282 Member
    Well, I get it that they grow these things in hot places. I just wasn't sure if mine were going to just give it up from shock. It's NEVER hit 115F here. EVER. The beans have some crispy leaves. I pulled lettuce that was starting to bolt. Everything else looks OK. The tomatoes in containers aren't doing as well. It's harder to keep those roots happy. My "drought tolerant" flowers are saying, "We're not, actually." There's also a very dry wind blowing around. I guess I should be more concerned about my kid who is on-call for fire duty during summer.

    @mtaratoot I did go pick raspberries last week before the heat ramped up. They were gorgeous and plentiful! I'm waiting for the Liberty or Legacy blueberries to ripen. I'm guessing it will be sooner this year :)
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,372 Member
    girlwithcurls2 wrote: »
    Well, I get it that they grow these things in hot places. I just wasn't sure if mine were going to just give it up from shock. It's NEVER hit 115F here. EVER. The beans have some crispy leaves. I pulled lettuce that was starting to bolt. Everything else looks OK. The tomatoes in containers aren't doing as well. It's harder to keep those roots happy. My "drought tolerant" flowers are saying, "We're not, actually." There's also a very dry wind blowing around. I guess I should be more concerned about my kid who is on-call for fire duty during summer.

    @mtaratoot I did go pick raspberries last week before the heat ramped up. They were gorgeous and plentiful! I'm waiting for the Liberty or Legacy blueberries to ripen. I'm guessing it will be sooner this year :)

    I have had to water my potted tomato twice day. It wilts more than just to say, "Holy ocelot, it be damn hot!" but to say, "I am approaching permanent wilt point." Pot is black and intentionally put in a hot microclimate. I haven't done potted tomatoes, but I had so many, this one is an experiment. San Marzano, so will likely get end rot at some point.

    Got some strong winds, and the temperature has finally moderated a few hours sooner than forecast. Whew. It's now all the way down to 84 inside my house.
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    edited June 2021
    girlwithcurls2 wrote: »
    Well, I get it that they grow these things in hot places. I just wasn't sure if mine were going to just give it up from shock. It's NEVER hit 115F here. EVER. The beans have some crispy leaves. I pulled lettuce that was starting to bolt. Everything else looks OK. The tomatoes in containers aren't doing as well. It's harder to keep those roots happy. My "drought tolerant" flowers are saying, "We're not, actually." There's also a very dry wind blowing around. I guess I should be more concerned about my kid who is on-call for fire duty during summer.

    @mtaratoot I did go pick raspberries last week before the heat ramped up. They were gorgeous and plentiful! I'm waiting for the Liberty or Legacy blueberries to ripen. I'm guessing it will be sooner this year :)

    Oh my. :( 115?? You must live in the same area as my dd. I sent her a text yesterday telling her to be careful, go home from work if she needed and drinks lots of water(yep, always the mom). She said it got to 115 yesterday. :( Unreal. That's like Death Valley temps. Be careful!!!
  • SuzanneC1l9zz
    SuzanneC1l9zz Posts: 460 Member
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    Trying to thwart the magpie. I also set up a snack station for him half way across the yard, but he's got some stiff competition there from a squirrel. Hopefully it'll keep them both happy. The beans I re-planted are up, and I re-planted to fill in large gaps in the rows of beets and Swiss chard. Now to see if I can keep the seeds moist enough to germinate in 30+ degree heat!

  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,282 Member
    @SuzanneC1l9zz that's what my potted veggies look like! I am keeping squirrels and crows (?) out. I have these things so wrapped up, if they actually produce fruit, I'll be on an obstacle course of my own making to get to it!
  • SuzanneC1l9zz
    SuzanneC1l9zz Posts: 460 Member
    @girlwithcurls2 both cages have "doors." I just have to unthread a piece of thin wire from the mesh and I can peel them open. Mom also reminded to cut out some larger holes for the big bumble bees.

    @Ironwoman1111 you're in western Canada too? So far the only heat-related casualty in my garden is one kind of shriveled zucchini, but RIP to my water bill lol!
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,372 Member
    Some of my shrubs, trees, and bonsai suffered some from the heat. I think it was the last day when the wind was blowing 30 knots. When it's that hot and that dry, plants shut their stomata to try to limit moisture loss. As hot as it was, once the wind added to the demand, the roots just couldn't keep up with how much water was leaving through the leaves. Just some brown and crispy leaves; the plants will recover.

    The raspberries just kind of stopped ripening. When it cooled off, they resumed. I kept the garden watered pretty well. I might harvest today; I have the day off. I can hardly keep up with them and the blueberries, and now there's marionberries too. I need to dig up my garlic; what hasn't been eaten by worms. Something got to them this year.

    My neighbor planted some young trees to replace a failing birch he had to remove. I don't think they will survive.
  • Ironwoman1111
    Ironwoman1111 Posts: 3,913 Member
    edited July 2021
    @SuzanneC1l9zz wrote: »

    @Ironwoman1111 you're in western Canada too? So far the only heat-related casualty in my garden is one kind of shriveled zucchini, but RIP to my water bill lol!

    “Shriveled zucchini”😂 My flowers are around the house and I think the heat radiating from the stucco is cooking them! But my corn is a happy camper🌽 it’s taking it all in!🙌🏽😀

    Today is looking more like a normal summer day for these parts, yes, western Canada, way up north. It’s so strange to walk outside into a wave of heat!😳 The next few days are going to be so nice!
    My water meter broke last year. I called the county and they said they couldn’t come and replace it because of covid and to enjoy not paying for water 🤷🏽‍♀️ okay, we’ll take it. I’m sure they’ll come any day now that the restrictions were lifted.
    I hope you get a break on your water usage soon!🤞🏽😀🌱
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    After three days in the mid-upper 90 degrees F, we are in a cool, rainy period. I leave a bucket out as a rain gauge and we got a whopping 3" overnight!

    My strawberries are done :(

    (But honestly, in the month that they are popping it goes from a joy to a chore to harvest them so I'm always ready for them to be done.)

    My peas had a really good year. I use snow peas (edible pod) in bean salad this time of year. I kept up with the first batch of sugar peas but have SO MANY snow peas...

    I just looked out the window to see how tall the pole beans are (4"; no blossoms yet) and noticed the second batch of sugar peas are leaning so off to fix that and think about doing something productive with my day.

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