What's Growing In Your Garden? Horticultural Science

[Mercedes Benzene]

I've been trying to grow sunflowers for weeks now. The problem is, out of the hundreds of seeds I've planted, something has eaten the seedlings. I'm assuming rabbits, but I guess it could also be squirrels or even birds.

As a solution, I've been starting the seeds in plastic cups, and I'll transplant them later. I hope that works.
Any suggestions for preventing critters from eating them once they're transplanted?

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Mercedes Benzene

I've been trying to grow sunflowers for weeks now. The problem is, out of the hundreds of seeds I've planted, something has eaten the seedlings. I'm assuming rabbits, but I guess it could also be squirrels or even birds.

As a solution, I've been starting the seeds in plastic cups, and I'll transplant them later. I hope that works.
Any suggestions for preventing critters from eating them once they're transplanted?

I've lost a few Sunflowers this season to slugs I think. Do you have slugs or snails there? A little salt sprinkled in a circle around the seedlings will keep them out. Once the seedling is big enough the slugs/snails shouldn't be a problem. For other pestys, a little cover of chicken wire. It needn't be more than a foot or so tall, as once the Sunflowers are that big they are getting a pretty tough stem. Startings inside a good extra measure, and go ahead and plant more seeds outside too.

[Mercedes Benzene]

Originally Posted by Turtle

I've lost a few Sunflowers this season to slugs I think. Do you have slugs or snails there? A little salt sprinkled in a circle around the seedlings will keep them out. Once the seedling is big enough the slugs/snails shouldn't be a problem. For other pestys, a little cover of chicken wire. It needn't be more than a foot or so tall, as once the Sunflowers are that big they are getting a pretty tough stem. Startings inside a good extra measure, and go ahead and plant more seeds outside too.

We do have slugs here, and they're usually a problem, but I've seen no characteristic evidence on my destroyed sunflowers. It's definitely a small-mammalian problem.
I can try chicken wire. I also just did some research and it would seem that cayenne pepper repels bunnies and squirrels. I may try that also.

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Mercedes Benzene

We do have slugs here, and they're usually a problem, but I've seen no characteristic evidence on my destroyed sunflowers. It's definitely a small-mammalian problem.
I can try chicken wire. I also just did some research and it would seem that cayenne pepper repels bunnies and squirrels. I may try that also.

Roger. Might be cats. I won't dog that subject though.

Here's my olla irrigation experiment. Holding water fine so far.

[maikeru]

Originally Posted by Mercedes Benzene

I've been trying to grow sunflowers for weeks now. The problem is, out of the hundreds of seeds I've planted, something has eaten the seedlings. I'm assuming rabbits, but I guess it could also be squirrels or even birds.

As a solution, I've been starting the seeds in plastic cups, and I'll transplant them later. I hope that works.
Any suggestions for preventing critters from eating them once they're transplanted?

Here are a few ideas:

--Cover them up with grass or weed clippings or mulch with used coffee grounds and that should hide the seedlings. Scatter randomly on top and around the seedlings, so predators get confused and have to waste more energy and time to find food. You want to make life hard for them.

--Scatter broken eggshells heavily around the seedlings to dissuade them. It'll also act as gradual fertilizer. Should also work for slugs and snails. Maybe use in combo with clippings or mulch.

--Grow spiky or pungent herbs close by. If animals brush against them, they'll be deterred. Some things that smell great to people smell awful to animals. E.g., garlic, onions, rosemary, lavender.

[maikeru]

Originally Posted by Turtle

Roger. Might be cats. I won't dog that subject though.

Here's my olla irrigation experiment. Holding water fine so far.

Looking good so far, Turtle! I'll buy some more terra cotta pots tomorrow and get the glue gun ready. I need to be careful. I have seedlings sprouting up all over. I killed some tonight by accident while digging.

Finally, I have some decent photos of my biochar garden outside. These were taken tonight after I was done with the garden work. If I'd taken them a few weeks earlier, you would've seen a lot of twiggy-looking dead things and dry grey dirt (or dead stuff sticking out of snow from freak snow storms we've had this spring)...but most of the trees, shrubs, and bushes are not dead! Just slow to come out of dormancy. Today I discovered my grape vines are starting to bloom, even though I half-thought them gone.

Science Forums - maikeru's Album: Gardening Like the Wild

I hope to have more luxuriant white clover, vetch, and ground-cover growth later. Still working on this. My white clover is scattered all over. If you see any little fuzzy green stuff in the photos, that's clover & vetch. For a full list of what I'm growing in there, please see my blog post. I'm losing track of what kind of seeds I've chucked in there, but I'll recognize them when they come up.

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by maikeru

...
I hope to have more luxuriant white clover, vetch, and ground-cover growth later. Still working on this. My white clover is scattered all over. If you see any little fuzzy green stuff in the photos, that's clover & vetch. For a full list of what I'm growing in there, please see my blog post. I'm losing track of what kind of seeds I've chucked in there, but I'll recognize them when they come up.

I pull up clover like crazy. I let the "vetches" go in spots though as I'm trying to ID them. So far my books have not helped.

I have little tomatos already and here is a shot of the main bed. Also in the shot you may see a radish blooming (young seed pods edibleicious), some spinach, peas, green beans, and broccoli.



wildflower bed

[Racoon]

Looks good Turtle!
I can tell you have been making serious progress.

My Strawberry patch wayyyy outperformed last year. I have about 4 good sized tupperware containers of frozen, processed strawberries in the freezer now..
I went on a slug pre-emptive strike late spring .. I turned over all hiding spots and stabbed all the slugs underneath before the strawberries began.. I noticed that my strawberry ruination was cut in half!
I had so many strawberries this year in my little patch that I let the rest go for now and the slugs can have 'em.

Raspberries are coming in. They have overrun the neighbors fence (underground rooting) and are starting to turn crimson.

Peppers and Tomatoes are coming along nicely.
Deck garden doing good as per usual..