Fall Critters in the Garden

Bob Bauer

September 09, 2016 (Last Updated: March 06, 2023) | Reading Time: 1 minutes

September 09, 2016

The blackbirds are back. They are most welcome in the spring when they chase away all the other birds that are eating everything that is tender. I've had to cover all of my plantings with bird netting until they arrive..

They build their nests only 2-3' off the ground and shoo away everything that comes near. It seems unsafe to build so close to the ground, but every year I find babies hopping around in the shade, so it might be that they are supposed to hop out before they can fly, and being close to the ground helps prevent injury..

September 10, 2016

The door in the garden trap was closed this morning. The cat food was gone and so was the critter. It had torn the wire off the frame and got out through a 3" hole. Such a small animal to be so strong..

I'll wire it shut and try again, although I better be careful because it's WAY tougher than me. It might ambush me and take my pistol away..

September 12, 2016

I saw a frog in the garden today with three hind legs. I couldn't help but think about all the Round Up we've sprayed around here. We used to buy it by the gallon, but as more information comes out about its possible negative side effects, we've become judicious in its use..

Using lots of organic matter in your garden soil can lead to a fungus based soil instead of a bacterial one. I wonder if the main ingredient in Round Up, gipsophilate, could be harmful to fungus? It might explain my spinach problem..

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My Artichoke Plants Look Terrible

Yellow wilted leaves and green droopy ones. The soil is moist around them but they have not the will to live.

Spring is Right Around the Corner

Broken stems, missing tips, chewed spots, bent, twisted and pathetic. This was not a good year to try and get an early start.

January is time to Start Seeds

I had to wear my rubber boots to check the trap in the garden. It was buried.

The Lettuce That Got Transplanted

Shout out to fish emulsion, which always moves the plants along at top growing speed. I didn't even used to grow lettuce until my son introduced me to Deadline.

I Never Did Get My Horseradish Harvested

The freezing nights came and killed the leaves, they fell to the ground, the earthworms came up at night and ate them, and now there's just stalks radiating from the base. I guess I could go ahead and dig some of the roots up, wash them and peel them with a potato peeler.

I Still Haven't Gotten My Onion Sets Planted

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No Gardening Got Done On Christmas Day

Once you get out of the house and start moving around lots of things will dispel your cabin fever. Being cold makes you want to go back in but a fire keeps you entertained.

Green Grass Under Blue Sky

While Removing the Bermuda Grass Runners

They followed the 'sweet spot' in the black, decomposing straw on top of the ground.

I got to Fish Emulsion my Crucifers Today

Plant asparagus once, and harvest it for 20 years. If everything in the garden was as easy, we'd have nothing left to do except weeding.

Had a Prankster Visit the Garden Last Night

I found the zip lock bag that I keep my bar soap in shredded. Half the bar is missing and what's left is full of teeth marks.

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The planting diagram on the package showed you should make the holes 5"deep and 4" wide. The planting instructions said to plant them "only deep enough so that the tops of sets are covered with soil".

Green Peas on Black Round Plate

PGIF (Peas Go in First) Spring Planting

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I've Always Liked Bringing the Cauliflower In

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My Garden Often Feels Like A Dissertation

An extremely complex body of work composed one word at a time. I find myself absorbing it one word at a time and letting sentences unfold.

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Green and White Bird on White Flowers

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They were everywhere, covering all the plants, and scarifying the ground.

Woke Up to the Sound of Wind Turbines this Morning

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I Found a Wilted Corn Patch Today

90° temperatures and full sun all day so I shouldn't be surprised. Watering is becoming an every day necessity now, and I'm glad the plants can tell us when they need it.

When the Ground is Frozen Stay Out of the Garden

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I Got a Fourth Planting of Lettuce

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The Only Problem With the Incredible Amount of Kale

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Winter Tree Pruning

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I've Never Had Aphids Up In the Florets of Cauliflower

They got up into the tiniest crevasses and sucked the plants juices until they got too fat to get them out. I kept breaking the head into smaller and smaller pieces and spraying them with the hose until I got down to quarter inch florets with aphid still stuck inside.

Snow is a Good Insulator in the Garden

All my "pretty pictures" are gone as if someone wiped the whiteboard clean. It reminds me of a moonscape and it's still coming down.

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The Artichokes That I Divided Are Growing Already.

The leaves are spreading out and the plants are getting taller.

Gardeners Gather The Ingredients To A Healthy Soil

We are always on the lookout for soil amendments because you can never have enough. I've been known to slow down when driving past bales of hay or straw, wondering if they have gotten wet and will soon be available for a buck each.

Plant Snow Peas in January

Peas get planted in there this month so I have to start closing the door. February 2nd is outdoor pea planting time here but I get to start them a month early in the greenhouse.

The Most Colorful Thing In the Garden

They seem to be taking over the fence line from the grapes. They don't lose their leaves in the winter so I'm getting more and more seclusion.

Three Of My 10 Tadpoles Came Out Of Hiding Today

Three Of My 10 Tadpoles Came Out Of Hiding Today

Extend Your Artichoke Season

New shoots should come up now and produce a fall harvest. Around them are 4" thick flakes of moldy hay that I put down last winter under which is a teeming mass of earthworms and sow bugs.

I Picked the Last of the Artichokes

Some of the chokes were wilted. I'll add artichokes to my list of wilted veggies.

I've Gotten Tired of Picking Broccolini

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Whelp I Did It Again - Rigged Up My Shade Cloth

Rigged up my shade cloth and got a huge chunk of ground cleared. I was glad I had watered it the day before because it took only about 15 min.

It's Time To Pull the Mulch Back

Encircling them with Deadline is always a Spring chore for me. I can usually put my cold frames over them to keep the cats from stepping on the bait, but this year they are way too big.

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It's Time To Get Your Winter Squash

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Photo of Pathway Surrounded By Fir Trees

I Got a Bag of Fir Shavings

It smells nice too.