whomper Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 (edited) Although I thoroughly enjoy it , I am starting to think it is pointless as day after day another animal finds its way into my yard and picks at one of my plants. Chipmunks wiped out my string beans. I was going relatively unscathed, with the expection of a nip here and there, and then I go out to check the garden saturday and 2 tomato plants that were flourishing are pretty much bare. I was baffled by this. I started thinking I was crazy and maybe I didnt have that many tomatos on there. I go back in the house and tell my wife and she says the neighbors have a ground hog and it found its way into the yard. Groundhogs are public enemy # 1 to a garden in my neck of the woods. I boarded up the plank that was missing between my fence and the neighbors yard but this morning he was just plopped in my yard. I went outside and he didnt move. Honestly, if I was a gun guy , I would have had a clear shot at his ass but I wouldnt go that route. When I get home tonight I will patch up any open spots in the fence between my neighbors house and mine. My neighbor said he lives in her yard. Im basically Ginsued. Once these bastards get the taste for your garden he is going to find a way. I think I am going to go to home depot tonight and get one of those catch and release traps. I wont give up without a fight but honestly, if this dousch wipes me out, I am done planting with veggie garden. Not worth the effort, time and money to all go down the tube in 2 days Edited July 25, 2011 by whomper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt770 Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 Although I thoroughly enjoy it , I am starting to think it is pointless as day after day another animal finds its way into my yard and picks at one of my plants. Chipmunks wiped out my string beans. I was going relatively unscathed, with the expection of a nip here and there, and then I go out to check the garden saturday and 2 tomato plants that were flourishing are pretty much bare. I was baffled by this. I started thinking I was crazy and maybe I didnt have that many tomatos on there. I go back in the house and tell my wife and she says the neighbors have a ground hog and it found its way into the yard. Groundhogs are public enemy # 1 to a garden in my neck of the woods. I boarded up the plank that was missing between my fence and the neighbors yard but this morning he was just plopped in my yard. I went outside and he didnt move. Honestly, if I was a gun guy , I would have had a clear shot at his ass but I wouldnt go that route. When I get home tonight I will patch up any open spots in the fence between my neighbors house and mine. My neighbor said he lives in her yard. Im basically Ginsued. Once these bastards get the taste for your garden he is going to find a way. I think I am going to go to home depot tonight and get one of those catch and release traps. I wont give up without a fight but honestly, if this dousch wipes me out, I am done planting with veggie garden. Not worth the effort, time and money to all go down the tube in 2 days I was planning on putting in raised beds with 6x6's next year and growing tons of stuff but I'm wondering if it is worth the expense and effort. The house is in a wooded setting and I'm sure there are critters everywhere. The selling agent mentioned seeing a doe in the back yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 I was planning on putting in raised beds with 6x6's next year and growing tons of stuff but I'm wondering if it is worth the expense and effort. The house is in a wooded setting and I'm sure there are critters everywhere. The selling agent mentioned seeing a doe in the back yard. If you're anywhere near Kennesaw Mountain/Downtown Marietta you ain't got a chance at getting any vegetables. My old house basically backed up to the national battlefield, it was great for watching wildlife, not so much tomatos. I would plant, oh, six plants per year, probably manged two to three tomatos per year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexgaddis Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 You need to put it in the FRONT yard.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duchess Jack Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 we've been planting inside a 8' x 4' deck box. The base of the box starts like 3' off the ground and its been working pretty well. No critters yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 We must be lucky, because we've got no shortage of birds, chipmunks. squirrels, rabbits, and deer in our midst. We only plant veggies that the deer don't like in the front yard because they'll terrorize anything else (so, pretty much peppers and okra). I would say having dogs helps somewhat, but the veggie garden itself is fenced off and the dogs can't get to it. Yet, we end up with plenty of everything. We do garden in raised beds and stapled wire mesh to the bottom of every one of them when we installed them. That keeps the burrowing effers from getting to our stuff. We also put metal frames over the beds and stretch cloth mesh over the tops when the plants are young. But, by the time the tomatoes are producing, they're far too large to protect from varmints. This year, we're starting, one by one, to actually add another row of 2x12s to the beds, making them taller. That, not only makes it easier to harvest (because you don't have to bend over as far), but also safer from critters. As we turn over each bed, we'll bring in more topsoil and raise the beds. Eventually, they'll all be 18-20 inches above the ground. One trick, at least for tomatoes, is to pick them a day or two early, when they're just turning red, and let them ripen on the kitchen counter. Many times, the pests don't go after them until they're ripe. Sure, technically, a truly vine-ripened tomato is tastier, but they're still pretty tasty and at least you get to eat them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt770 Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 (edited) If you're anywhere near Kennesaw Mountain/Downtown Marietta you ain't got a chance at getting any vegetables. My old house basically backed up to the national battlefield, it was great for watching wildlife, not so much tomatos. I would plant, oh, six plants per year, probably manged two to three tomatos per year. We're two miles west of the battlefield. I have no problem trapping and/or shooting the little bastards. All the neighbors are elderly and wouldn't be able to hear the shots anyway. Edited July 25, 2011 by matt770 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 A vegetable garden can't be properly maintained without the liberal use of a shotgun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiley Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 Had an 80ft tree in our backyard removed this spring due to safety concerns. Turned out it was a squirrel section 8 housing development. Tomatoes have flourished this year once we evicted the culprits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 Had an 80ft tree in our backyard removed this spring due to safety concerns. Turned out it was a squirrel section 8 housing development. Tomatoes have flourished this year once we evicted the culprits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Holy Roller Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 Since we have three outside dogs (well, when it isn't 110 degrees) they do a good job of keeping all the critters away. I do have a doe and fawn that have begun nibbling the tops off my edemames. Apparently they came when the guard dogs were sleeping in the house one night. And the two pups absolutely LOVE mole hunting. I've seen them go dig for hours looking and have seen them dig up, play with, and eat at least a dozen of the bastages this spring/summer. I wouldn't let one fat old groundhog ruin my gardening desires. You catch him Whomp and then take him to the swamp. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylive5 Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 The whole point of a garden is so that critters have something to eat. Why would you deny them that whomp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whomper Posted July 25, 2011 Author Share Posted July 25, 2011 The whole point of a garden is so that critters have something to eat. Why would you deny them that whomp? I just want them to share some with the fat critter that is me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheikYerbuti Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whomper Posted July 25, 2011 Author Share Posted July 25, 2011 Since we have three outside dogs (well, when it isn't 110 degrees) they do a good job of keeping all the critters away. I do have a doe and fawn that have begun nibbling the tops off my edemames. Apparently they came when the guard dogs were sleeping in the house one night. And the two pups absolutely LOVE mole hunting. I've seen them go dig for hours looking and have seen them dig up, play with, and eat at least a dozen of the bastages this spring/summer. I wouldn't let one fat old groundhog ruin my gardening desires. You catch him Whomp and then take him to the swamp. Good luck. I have my yard split in half by a chain linked fence. They have one side that is pretty much theirs and we have a side that is ours. My garden is on our side. I let them over there once in a while. I should do that more so maybe their scent will fend away some of these bastards. problem is my dopey dogs jump the chicken wire and go right for my garden too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJoTheWebToedBoy Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 Packrats..... Catch 10-15 every year once the garden starts producing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 We have deer, rabbits, possum, raccoons and I've even had a groundhog, fox and feral cats. Never had a problem worthy of the name in the veg patch. Deer and rabbit repellent works. Worst problem is white butterflies laying their eggs in the sprouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polksalet Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 ? http://www.yardlover.com/upsy-downsy-hangi...mato-garden-kit ? why not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 ? http://www.yardlover.com/upsy-downsy-hangi...mato-garden-kit ? why not? Well, the first "why not" that I can think of is that thing must literally eat water. I mean, obviously all plants eat water, but growing veggies in the ground, especially a big plant like tomatoes, takes so much less watering. If you're smart about not watering often but watering deep when you do, your tomatoes will develop really deep roots and not require much water at all once they're big. That's just not going to happen with that set-up at all. Of course, if it's that or not getting any fruit, well, that's another thing. By the way, this is a decent place to discuss my new favorite way to train tomato plants. We've done the cages before but often with issues. Earlier this summer, we were on a tour of gardens and this guy who is a prof at NC St Ag department had a really cool set up working. Mind you, it only works if you can devote a decent sized rectangle to just tomatoes. He took poles and laid a large wire "fencing" (really not fencing, but rather the sort of thing you put down when you set concrete, it's large gauge wire with about 4-6 inch spaces between the wires). At any rate, you tie that to the poles laying parallel to the ground. One at about 15" and another at about 30" or so. That's why you need to be able to put 6 or so plants in a reasonably wide rectangular area, like 2 rows of 3 or something. At any rate, As the plants grow big enough to reach the first layer of metal wire, you have to sort of coax it through. Same when it gets to the next level. However, then you get this really sturdy platform that the branches rest on, insuring the fruit hangs well. The plants that we did this way are totally loaded with fruit and none of it is laying on the ground. Also, there's basically no chance of the plants coming down. A stark comparison to the plants that we used our tomato cages on again this year. Those have been as big a hassle as ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 Gardening is weird. Two years ago, I planted all kinds of stuff out in an open little plot on my land and was swimming in veggies. It was awesome. Last year, I decided to try it again with raised beds and netting and it was a horrible year between the heat and lack of rain and critters that could get around any defense. This year, I stuck one tomato plant in the flower bed beside the garage and it's going insane with no protection. I'll bet I currently have over 20 tomatoes on that one plant almost ready to pick. I couldn't imagine doing this on any real scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polksalet Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Another way is to grow taters in a barrel. Put your taters in and cover with dirt. Keep them moist until the spround new potatoes and cover them up. Over the course of a summer the whole barrel will be full of the things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 The only critter problem I am having is that either birds or squirrels are getting my red tomatoes. They take a bite out of one and move on to another one. I have started picking them before they ripen to much. Veggie gardens can actually cost more than buying sometimes, especially when starting them up. However, IMO the produce tastes much better and are free of chemicals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ditkaless Wonders Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 I think it's nice so many here feed the wildlife such a nice healthy diet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylive5 Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 I think it's nice so many here feed the wildlife such a nice healthy diet. There are those at the Huddle that have never shirked from stepping up. Always trying to do their part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chester Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 ? http://www.yardlover.com/upsy-downsy-hangi...mato-garden-kit ? why not? Did that one year. The deer loved them because they could eat standing up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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