| The Chef's Garden This forum is dedicated to growing herbs, vegetables, and gardening in general. |
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04-19-2009, 10:28 AM
|  | ChefTalk Supporter Culinary Experience: I Just Like Food | | Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Illinois
Posts: 819
| |  Garden planted, destroyed the next morning
Well, I just planted about $50 of seeds, in 4 seed starter trays (200 pods) and some more stuff in pots.
And now, the next morning its all destroyed.
It looks like the animal was after either the beans, and/or chevril, and/or everything.
What is the best way to keep animals from wanting the seeds? |
04-19-2009, 04:18 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Central PA
Posts: 672
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>>>What is the best way to keep animals from wanting the seeds?
in all probability you'll never stop them _wanting_ to munch on your stuff - that's Mom Nature at work.....
do you have any idea what kind of critters you're up against? sounds a bit like squirrels or perhaps chipmunks - if they're digging in pots/starter flats.
repellents concoctions & folk methods for rabbits, deer, etc. abound abound abound.
perhaps the most successful is a physical barrier - put some hardware cloth over the pots/flats and weight it down - double bricks - squirrels are very persistent.
I have used 12 inch wide "strips" of hardware cloth when direct seeding to keep the squirrels from digging. of course, as stuff starts to sprout, timing is _everything_
cayenne pepper is also supposed to be a wonderful mammal repellent. my results are mixed. |
05-15-2009, 10:56 AM
|  | Registered User Culinary Experience: Private Chef | | Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: NY
Posts: 24
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sorry to hear that. I feel your pain. I started my seeds indoors a few weeks ago and they were doing very well... Then one morning I find them all shriveled up.... I suspect someone in my house sabotaged it. |
05-15-2009, 11:13 AM
| | ChefTalk Supporter Culinary Experience: I Just Like Food | | Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Illinois
Posts: 819
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cheftomny  sorry to hear that. I feel your pain. I started my seeds indoors a few weeks ago and they were doing very well... Then one morning I find them all shriveled up.... I suspect someone in my house sabotaged it. | Yup, the good news is, its still early in the season, so it not to late to start over.
I restarted mine and have moved it from the house, to pots in the yard. |
05-15-2009, 11:29 AM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Private Chef | | Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: NY
Posts: 24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by abefroman Yup, the good news is, its still early in the season, so it not to late to start over.
I restarted mine and have moved it from the house, to pots in the yard. | Good point. Yes, I have not given up. :-)
Good luck on your garden! |
05-17-2009, 08:28 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Former Chef | | Join Date: May 2009 Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 3
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I use bird netting to protect my vegetables and herbs in pots and in the ground from rodents as well as birds. So far it's worked. I've also heard that mint repels some animals -- rodents? Haven't tried it myself. Good luck! |
05-26-2009, 12:16 PM
|  | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 77
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Although not my favorite recomendation, I have used moth balls in my flower beds and garden borders for years with good sucess. Just put them into the ground around the borders of your beds and/or pots. One word of caution is that they look like candy to kids so I RECOMEND NOT TO USE THEM WITH YOUNG CHILDREN AROUND.
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Last edited by FR33_MASON; 05-26-2009 at 12:19 PM.
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05-31-2009, 06:46 PM
|  | Registered User Culinary Experience: Other | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: around the world on a daily basis...
Posts: 215
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Quote:
Originally Posted by abefroman Well, I just planted about $50 of seeds, in 4 seed starter trays (200 pods) and some more stuff in pots.And now, the next morning its all destroyed.
It looks like the animal was after either the beans, and/or chevril, and/or everything.What is the best way to keep animals from wanting the seeds? | I know the feeling, rotten for sure.
Maybe a gun bigger than the offending animal  I had 3 cheapo store bought mesh collanders around the house, turned one upside down [when the day after planting my thai basil, it all but croaked after being chewed on by gnats or whatever devoured the cute little tasty bush]. Propped on little rocks to hold it off the ground and not topple over the basil, they're staying off, it gets enough light and water still and for me anyway, I'm having success. Why hasn't someone devised a way of using screening or something to protect from hungry buggers. 
Last edited by LuvPie; 05-31-2009 at 06:51 PM.
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08-03-2009, 05:35 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Pacific Northwest WA
Posts: 10
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That sucks. Around here the deer are our only real problem, and slugs. |
08-03-2009, 05:37 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Private Chef | | Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: NY
Posts: 24
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Yeah...I hate the slugs !!! |
08-05-2009, 10:02 AM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 56
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I've always found a standard roll of plastic-mesh fencing to be quite effective. Not only does it keep most critters out, but it also helps to upright the larger plants.
As for the bugs, a little dish soap mixed with water does the trick for me - it's more organic than moth balls or other pesticides and its seems to be pretty repellent. |
09-25-2009, 03:45 AM
|  | Registered User Culinary Experience: I Just Like Food | | Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 1
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hi am a newbie here!...am sad to hear that...why wont you make a fence on your garden...my dad usually do that to keep animals away from his garden...i hope it can help.
Last edited by links03rjean; 09-25-2009 at 03:48 AM.
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09-27-2009, 09:52 AM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Private Chef | | Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: NY
Posts: 24
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I did use a fence and a few other precautions.
The season is just about over...
I was able to harvest a bunch of tomatoes, a couple peppers and one zucchini.
Oh yeah, 3 pumpkins too!
:-) |
09-29-2009, 03:09 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 56
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Glad it wasn't a total loss |
09-29-2009, 03:12 PM
| | Registered User Culinary Experience: Private Chef | | Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: NY
Posts: 24
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Yeah, I'm happy.
Next year its on BIG TIME though! | | |
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