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Gardening Thread

Pit, I have a major squirrel problem. The little shits are eating all my green tomatoes. Back on the farm the solution would have involved a .22 and a stew pot, but in one of the denser neighborhoods in Greensboro I have to be a bit more discrete. So far, the only thing that comes to mind is putting varmint net over the whole garden (which would be a pain in the ass for harvesting and pruning, but better than getting no tomatoes at all). Anybody have a better non-lethal solution?

I use bird netting. Works great for me. Re the cost of a raised bed, I use bricks (three high on each side). Maybe cost me 20 bucks; throw in ten for Black Cow, and homemade compost, I doubt I spent $100 bucks on my entire garden. $15.00 for re-purposed food grade barrell was my biggest saving.
 
Pit, I have a major squirrel problem. The little shits are eating all my green tomatoes. Back on the farm the solution would have involved a .22 and a stew pot, but in one of the denser neighborhoods in Greensboro I have to be a bit more discrete. So far, the only thing that comes to mind is putting varmint net over the whole garden (which would be a pain in the ass for harvesting and pruning, but better than getting no tomatoes at all). Anybody have a better non-lethal solution?

It'd cost you $$, but you could hire someone to trap them and relocate them. That's not a viable long term solution IMO though, because the others in the area will just reproduce and come back next year. Is it a fenced in back yard? If so, a dog might do the trick.
 
I don't think trapping would work at all, but it's easy to do yourself. Just get a $20 trap and peanut butter. Squirrels are easy.

I gave up growing maters cause couldn't figure out how to keep em away. I think you need to live in the country but why don't squirrels eat country folks maters too? someone told me it helps to plant as close to your house as possible.
 
So my neighbors failed miserably at watering my plants. I came back and one of my marigolds had been completely destroyed by something. The Basil, Catnip and other Marigold plants were bone dry. The 5 straight days of 100 degree heat probably didn't help, but my plants are currently on life support.
 
That sucks, TW. Lame neighbors.


923, I think bird netting is your best option. We use it because we have blueberries and strawberries, and it adds like 2 minutes tops to each day's tasks, and is cheap and effective against most critters.
 
Sorry to hear that, TW. Luckily our neighbors seemed to keep our garden alive while we were gone (thankfully since it was basically above 100 every day we were out of town). We got back yesterday and picked something like 9 lbs of cucumbers (I need to learn how to pickle!), 2 lbs of squash (we told the neighbors to help themselves to the squash while we were gone, so they ate a few), and maybe 3 lbs of green beans. The tomato and eggplant sprouted up quite a bit while we were gone as well, and some of the peppers seem to be doing well (the ones that aren't getting taken over by the squash leaves).
 
I don't think trapping would work at all, but it's easy to do yourself. Just get a $20 trap and peanut butter. Squirrels are easy.

I gave up growing maters cause couldn't figure out how to keep em away. I think you need to live in the country but why don't squirrels eat country folks maters too? someone told me it helps to plant as close to your house as possible.

I know a bit about this. My dad's maters are in a huge one-acre garden in the middle of a cowfield. They are 150 yards of open ground away from the nearest squirrel habitat. Thus, no squirrel problem. He has to fight the deer and sometimes raccoons, which he does with fencing and firearms, respectively. Most country folks' gardens are similarly in fields and not right under oak trees.

I live in a dense urban neighborhood with huge old oaks and dogwoods. This is a great thing, but it also means that there are a shitload of squirrels, and they have easy access to my garden anytime they want.

I'm getting some netting today, I think. I've worked too hard to keep those maters alive through the heat wave to lose all my work to the squirrels.
 
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It'd cost you $$, but you could hire someone to trap them and relocate them. That's not a viable long term solution IMO though, because the others in the area will just reproduce and come back next year. Is it a fenced in back yard? If so, a dog might do the trick.

We're actually getting a puppy in August, so probably next summer it will be spending some time in the yard and that will probably help put the fear of Dog into the little bastards. I agree, trapping is totally pointless in my context, there are dozens of squirrels living on my block. I could trap all summer and it wouldn't make a dent.
 
Our dogs have already caught 3 squirrels this summer. Once I moved my garden from the back yard to the front yard, my squirrel problem subsided. Before that, they'd climb the damn corn stalks and eat my corn.

This drought has wrecked my garden this year. I ended up throwing out all of my green beans, because I got busy and left them on the bush for too long. I'll probably start getting some corn this week, but even its stunted because I've not been watering it. Granted my grapes and hops are doing well, but I water them 3 times a week.
 
yeah, squirrels are getting the best of me right now. i just go back from vacation and they have eaten a lot of my tomatoes...fuckers! i have to see if i can find my old bb gun!
 
So this might sound strange, but another thing we've used to keep critters away (we don't have a dog anymore), is to go brush the neighbor's dog, take the hair and spread it around the garden. I also used my own hair when I shaved my huge beard and when I shaved my head. Scares off rabbits at least. We don't have as much of a squirrel problem on my street, but there are so many rabbits, it's crazy.
 
yeah, squirrels are getting the best of me right now. i just go back from vacation and they have eaten a lot of my tomatoes...fuckers! i have to see if i can find my old bb gun!

I cant help but laugh when I read this, especially in this voice:
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You guys are crazy. Squirrel is good eating.
 
I also tried a fake owl that was useless for squirrels but really got one of my dogs so good I had to put in the shed
 
Use some hot pepper spray and they won't come back...or if you have any animals collect their hair and spread it around their scent may keep them away
 
Use some hot pepper spray and they won't come back...or if you have any animals collect their hair and spread it around their scent may keep them away

did you buy the pepper spray or make it yourself? Do you have to reapply after every rainstorm? I assume it washes off the vegetable easily for human consumption.
 
dog (animal for the guy with the beard) hair is supposed to work and should be put into your compost bin, if you have one, to keep rats and other vermin away.

so, i found my old bb gun...so i got that going for me, which is nice!
 
Gardening Gurus. A storm just really fucked up all of my potted plants. Some, the root ball completely exited the pot, and others were just blown around. There are quite a few broken stems on my Basil and Catnip plants. What should I do? Surgery? Splints?

tsy, I see you stalking the forums from Tapatalk. Answer me bro namath.
 
I am a novice myself, so I don't have any good post-storm advice.

But I would like to note how excited I am about a new round of vegetables coming in to our garden! Our spinach went gangbusters early on, then we had a ton of squash and green beans, and our cucumbers have been going crazy for a while now.

But we are finally getting in some eggplant and peppers! (which reminds me, has anyone grown Gypsy Peppers before? And what do you do with them?)

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