It did. YAY! My beet seeds are already sprouting, which makes me happy. I do love beets. I'll have to cover the teeny plants with row cover though, since they're near the gully fence this year and those damned rabbits have already snuck in under cover of darkness to eat most of my pea plants. Bastards. I should let the dogs into the garden, but I don't want them to trample the planted beds, so I'll just have to cover my plants up.
We've been eating lots of asparagus. I've also been noting lots of little asparagus beetle eggs on the asparagus. While we're still eating the spears, I can just wash them off as I cut the spears, but when I let the spears start to grow, I'll have to take more drastic action.
Since we seem to have a theme of Annoying Things that Want To Eat My Plants, I will also mention that the lettuce, arugula, and radishes are finally getting big enough to actually harvest, except the flea beetles have already discovered the arugula and radishes and made some of them into lacy little bundles of chewed-up leaves. More row cover.
And the MOST Annoying Things that Want To Eat My Plants were those wretched sheep. They escaped the paddock through the barn into the garden and ate some of my broccoli and cabbage plants before I chased them out and locked them in the upper pasture for the safety of my poor garden. Luckily, I have no shortage of broccoli and cabbage seedlings (thanks, Andy!), so I just replaced the ones that were eaten. We'll still have plenty of sauerkraut this winter, not to worry.
Sometimes gardening feels more like warfare than anything else.
6 comments:
The rabbits chase the bugs, the sheep chase the rabbits, the dogs chase the sheep and you are run ragged. Good thing you had all those extra seedlings. How is your tomato collection doing?
Here in suburbia, we've not yet had to encounter any garden pests other than insects, birds who want at my vine ripening tomatoes, etc. and a dog who loves bell peppers. But, I'm sure our garden on our acreage will bring out the critters and I'm not looking forward to these experiences!
two words, electric fencing.
then let the dogs out to patrol the perimeter of the garden.
Just wait 'til Cubby's a teenager and the annoying creatures that want to eat all your food are his friends.
Word verification: renhwjd -- when you nhwjd a second time.
Seriously. It's warfare. And babysitting. I watch and watch and make sure and double check and when something comes up awry, I KILL.
There's nothing shameful or crazy about sitting next to the squash plant and hand picking beetles into a big jug with needlenosed pliers so that you can get your eightball squash to ripen.
Though, thankfully, I have Jada the Mighty to fend off fuzzy invaders. And she does so without stomping the beds - I think it helps that they're raised because she just runs the squirrels, possum, raccoons, voles, moles and birds out from between the beds.
I wish you much luck with the evil rabbits - I hear those are the worst! Of course, I find them adorable, but then again, they're not trying to eat MY plants.
If they were - "Jada..."
Have you tried the marigold trick? I'm not convinced. Supposedly, marigolds will repel the bunnies. My neighborhood bunnies are pretty tough little furballs, though.
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