General gardening thoughts

[HaagenDazs]

It's not illegal to own a $45 bb/pellet gun from Walmart ... because that's what I use.

[Corky]

We are having a problem with squirrels in our gardens. They have eaten all the small green tomatoes, lettuce and sprouting radishes, etc. I tented bird netting over the gardens but they crawled under them. Anyone know of something that will keep the little pests out or something natural I could sprinkle over the beds that they don't like. Someone told me blood meal worked against rabbits but so far I haven't tried that.

I take my onion and garlic peels and save in a container in the refrigerator, when full I add cayenne and chili powder and fill with water and let sit for 3 months. Afterwards, I put the liquid in a spray bottle and spray around the plants. Although I container garden, I have plenty of squirrels in my yard and they don't touch any of the plants. Don't know if it is the solution or the numerous acorns. They may not be interested in the produce after feasting on acorns.
I agree with GG, pellet guns and SHOTGUNS are very effective. Ready for some Brunswick Stew?

It either must be that there is enough other food for the varmints or that you let the mixture ferment.  I started spraying that concoction (in addition to coffee grounds, dog hair, human hair) on my costco tomato plant this year.  Now I didn't let it sit for 3 months but there were times where the jug would sit for several weeks before I would refill my spayer.  Didn't faze the squirrels and chipmunks one bit.   But V hated when I made the stuff and it was pretty rough to get a whiff of it while spraying the plant.

It is nice to actually still have home grown tomatoes though.

Try adding more cayenne to your concoction. My concoction is also good for keeping squirrels out of the attic, like you mention with the addition of human and dog hair.

[totm]

We are having a problem with squirrels in our gardens. They have eaten all the small green tomatoes, lettuce and sprouting radishes, etc. I tented bird netting over the gardens but they crawled under them. Anyone know of something that will keep the little pests out or something natural I could sprinkle over the beds that they don't like. Someone told me blood meal worked against rabbits but so far I haven't tried that.

I take my onion and garlic peels and save in a container in the refrigerator, when full I add cayenne and chili powder and fill with water and let sit for 3 months. Afterwards, I put the liquid in a spray bottle and spray around the plants. Although I container garden, I have plenty of squirrels in my yard and they don't touch any of the plants. Don't know if it is the solution or the numerous acorns. They may not be interested in the produce after feasting on acorns.
I agree with GG, pellet guns and SHOTGUNS are very effective. Ready for some Brunswick Stew?

It either must be that there is enough other food for the varmints or that you let the mixture ferment.  I started spraying that concoction (in addition to coffee grounds, dog hair, human hair) on my costco tomato plant this year.  Now I didn't let it sit for 3 months but there were times where the jug would sit for several weeks before I would refill my spayer.  Didn't faze the squirrels and chipmunks one bit.   But V hated when I made the stuff and it was pretty rough to get a whiff of it while spraying the plant.

It is nice to actually still have home grown tomatoes though.

Try adding more cayenne to your concoction. My concoction is also good for keeping squirrels out of the attic, like you mention with the addition of human and dog hair.

How many tablespoons of cayenne do you put in a 1/2G container?  I think I had increased to 3 or 4T.  The mixture is pretty red and burns the eyes/nostrils when spraying.   Do you strain the solids from the liquid?  I run the whole thing through the blender and then strain the solids through cheesecloth.

BTW, the spray bottle I got at Home Depot sucked.  The similar spray bottle I got from Autozone was much better quality.

[AndyBoy]

We had these citrus trees last year but no fruit at all. This year they are going crazy and are loaded. The last photo is a Myer lemon I planted, one of three trees but it is the only one with any fruit. We also have a blood orange and another tangerine variety but they are having trouble this year with insects. A local expert said they needed to be sprayed in June next year to remove the pests.

[Corky]

We are having a problem with squirrels in our gardens. They have eaten all the small green tomatoes, lettuce and sprouting radishes, etc. I tented bird netting over the gardens but they crawled under them. Anyone know of something that will keep the little pests out or something natural I could sprinkle over the beds that they don't like. Someone told me blood meal worked against rabbits but so far I haven't tried that.

I take my onion and garlic peels and save in a container in the refrigerator, when full I add cayenne and chili powder and fill with water and let sit for 3 months. Afterwards, I put the liquid in a spray bottle and spray around the plants. Although I container garden, I have plenty of squirrels in my yard and they don't touch any of the plants. Don't know if it is the solution or the numerous acorns. They may not be interested in the produce after feasting on acorns.
I agree with GG, pellet guns and SHOTGUNS are very effective. Ready for some Brunswick Stew?

It either must be that there is enough other food for the varmints or that you let the mixture ferment.  I started spraying that concoction (in addition to coffee grounds, dog hair, human hair) on my costco tomato plant this year.  Now I didn't let it sit for 3 months but there were times where the jug would sit for several weeks before I would refill my spayer.  Didn't faze the squirrels and chipmunks one bit.   But V hated when I made the stuff and it was pretty rough to get a whiff of it while spraying the plant.

It is nice to actually still have home grown tomatoes though.

Try adding more cayenne to your concoction. My concoction is also good for keeping squirrels out of the attic, like you mention with the addition of human and dog hair.

How many tablespoons of cayenne do you put in a 1/2G container?  I think I had increased to 3 or 4T.  The mixture is pretty red and burns the eyes/nostrils when spraying.   Do you strain the solids from the liquid?  I run the whole thing through the blender and then strain the solids through cheesecloth.

BTW, the spray bottle I got at Home Depot sucked.  The similar spray bottle I got from Autozone was much better quality.

I just pour the marinated liquid only from the onion and garlic peels into a spray bottle. Then I add both cayenne and chili pepper (whatever is closest and handy) to the spray bottle. The spray bottle I use used to be my wife's ironing spray bottle. I got into trouble for that one. I don't know why you couldn't use a pump up pressurized container. I keep one for pesticides and one for herbicides, probably one for anti-squirrel matter next spring. I haven't checked on various sizes. Hope I can find a 1/2 gallon one.

[LizR]

Visited Farmer D's and picked up a "compact" tomato plant, some sort of southwestern-sounding pepper plant, and basil. I really wanted lemon thyme but they did not have any.

I don't recall what kind of tomato it is off-hand, but I did ask them to recommend something for me because I have had terrible tomato problems for the last several years. They also recommended Tomato Tone, which we bought. We will see - it is already very much not a cost effective experiment!

Other than that, the only things we are attempting this year are popcorn and bush and pole beans.

[AndyBoy]

I have 4 4' X 6' raised bed gardens this year. We are using the square foot garden method and everything is looking good except the squash. Getting end rot so I have been spraying the leaves. We had trouble with squash last year also. I had to make chicken wire cages to keep the squirrels out. This was taken a couple of weeks so everything is about twice this size right now.

[Mike GadgetGeek Stock]

I/we too would like to grow them, we have some shaded area and rich soil, they could do well here.

I have puzzled over putting a couple of raised beds in the front lawn, I have NO pushback from Deanne, it might happen.  I would love to grow several of the things we use in quantity.   Parsley, Thyme, Oregano, (my rosemary bush is a couple feet wide), and some beans now and again. 

....

[Mike GadgetGeek Stock]

I have 4 4' X 6' raised bed gardens this year. We are using the square foot garden method and everything is looking good except the squash. Getting end rot so I have been spraying the leaves. We had trouble with squash last year also. I had to make chicken wire cages to keep the squirrels out. This was taken a couple of weeks so everything is about twice this size right now. 

Very nice..

........

[AndyBoy]

We have basil from our herb box coming out our ears so I just made a batch of pesto. As I was washing the basil a small, green tree frog hopped off onto our kitchen counter. Cute little guy, he is back outside now. Nice to know our herbs are so organic that a frog is hanging out on them.

[Mike GadgetGeek Stock]

We have basil from our herb box coming out our ears so I just made a batch of pesto. As I was washing the basil a small, green tree frog hopped off onto our kitchen counter. Cute little guy, he is back outside now. Nice to know our herbs are so organic that a frog is hanging out on them.

I wish I had basil enough to make pesto Andy..  Our Thai basil at the community garden is not showing anything but stemmy growth.  This soil will be MUCH better when I do that bed NEXT year.  I am going to amend the dickens out of it.  I also am going to pull my arugula up, it has gone to flower without very much leaf growth.  I can see the nitrogen deficiency in the soil with that, but I have a plan.   

We do have a drum composter, I am going to make 20 day compost in it, I have never done it the "speedy" way, I have always just built on what was there until I wanted to sieve it, give it two weeks to let it dry out and it is good.  This other way is a 14 to 20 day regime that all goes in there at one time and then produces compost in ~20 days..  We'll see.....   

 I have two HUGE bags of oak leaves and frozen or bagged vegetable cutting/trimmings for 20 days.  Here goes. 


......

[Mike GadgetGeek Stock]

I picked my first jalapeno today and sliced it up in our omelet for brunch.  Not too hot yet, but it was little..

tomatoes are getting big but are not yet reddening up..





...

[AndyBoy]

Picked about several pounds of beans this morning. We have Kentucky Wonder, Purple Pod and Rattlesnake planted and they are really producing right now. We are having beans for dinner and I froze two large packages of them.

[LizR]

Wow - that is great AB! I got a VERY late start and just planted some Kentucky Wonder and Rattlesnake last weekend. The little fellows are already up and growing.

When did you plant yours?

[AndyBoy]

Picked my first tomatoes today, they were still warm from the sun when I brought them inside. We have lots more coming in, these are Russian Black Krims. My wife is going to visit her Mother so I sent them as a gift to her.