A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum Vegetable Gardening Veggie garden 2016...

If buying wildflower seeds counts, I have begun buying garden seeds....

I don't know what's going on out there right now. I still have the Hollyhock seeds laying on the kitchen counter.

oh yea ????

Since Colby has been in the hospital I just haven't had a chance to check things out. I haven't even started my seeds. I did see a squirrel sitting in the box where the peas are supposed to be growing. Will squirrels eat peas? Or the plants?

Why yes they will.

While they usually prefer acorns, sunflower seeds, nuts, pine cones, etc, when those are not available they will eat your veggies, & flowering plants.

How to help avoid that problem??:

You can have dogs or cats around to help scare them off, or say rubber snakes or fake owls. OR you can offer them other foods by having a squirrel feeder around.

Having said all of that, I have squirrels in the yards to the south and the west of me. I have had very little trouble with them in general & I have lived here since December 2004. So, I think, not to worry until there is a reason to worry.

We have 2 cats, a 110 pound dog, and 15 pecan trees so why are they eating my peas? Going to try the rubber snake in the raised beds and see what happens.

Perhaps Peas taste good after eating buried nuts all winter, just a thought.... (sorry )

Please do let me know if the rubber snake works...I have one squirrel who is now eating all of my wild bird seed.

I'm going to get 2 snakes. Hope I don't end up scaring myself. Squirrels are nothing but a nuisance. I don't think they're cute at all like people say. Even with bushy tails.

I do not think they are cute either. My Husband says "they have to eat too" but ya know what---the squirrels do not want to share with the birds. They want it all for themselves, so I think they should get NONE.

I'm with you Junie and if I can find my bb gun they're gonna be sorry for being in my pea patch. Go eat the pecans.

exactly !!!

Squash, cucumbers, tomatoes are still doing well. The green beans not so much. Green peas and potatoes were great but are finished. Next year the green beans are going in a raised bed.

Sheri, I find beans grow better if you buy the pole varieties.

A lady at the farmers market told me that August 5th is the day to plant fall garden green beans. We'll see if it works. :)

The other day I looked out the bedroom window and saw a squirrel shinny up the shepherds hook to get to the bird feeder. I flew out the door, ran him off, and greased the pole.

A while ago I pulled up a handful of spearmint, brought it in, put it in a cup of water. My kitchen smells so good.

You know the house across from me used to be a forest of trees, many of which were Oak/acorn trees.
As a result, we have a lot of squirrels around. In the big scheme of things, they do not bother my feeders....much. But this year they would get into my wild bird food feeders, once in awhile....I would have to do like you & go out & run them off. Mind you this time of year the only wild bird feeder I have out is in a tree, so it is kinda hard to grease it

I had peppermint out at the farm. My friend brought me 4 pieces out & at the time I was sorta offended as she was moving & so I thought she could have been a bit more generous...WELL..... I soon learned that 4 starts were MORE than enough.

When we moved, I brought many starts, etc with us but the mint was not one of the plants that I brought with me....

I only got 1 pepper this year and I still have a few green tomatoes, so hopefully I will get to eat them before it turns too cool for them to ripen.

Here raccoons are the problem with feeders.

My garden is having the best year ever...I am amazed. I even have large tomatoes ripening on the vine...that never ever happens.

YAY for ripe tomatoes. They are the best !!!!
Sorry for the raccoons..
here the squirrels like to take 1 or 2 bites & then move on to the next one--destroys them all... :(

My tomatoes did ok but not great this year. I planted the same type this year as last and they didn't do well either year. Next year I'm only planting Cherokee Purple. I like them best. Squash and cucumbers did great and are still going.

My tomatoes did not do "great" either. The one pot that did the best, was actually 2 plants put in the same half-barrel planter.

The first summer we lived here, I was so tickled to plant a Cherokee purple and I got 1 tomato that I could not eat b/c is was bad...

I would love to try them again, but if I do can you help me with advice?? Clearly I did something wrong.

I've never had a bad Cherokee Purple. Ate one at dinner tonight. Bought it at the farmers market.

Sheri: I am very happy for you. You must tell me your secret for next year.

I don't think I have a secret. :) Can't keep a secret.

a) I am a thinking you can hear me laugh from here to your house.

b) I am not so good at keeping secrets either---so join the crowd.

But I still do not have any luck growing Cherokee Purple tomatoes...................................................

That's the only tomato I'm growing next year. I like it the best so far. Plus it looks pretty. :)

well then I will buy a couple and you can help me grow it correctly. :)

The middle of October and the garden is flourishing. Looked dead a few weeks ago but it's revived itself.

I find if a person in the Midwest (like me) can keep a pepper plant alive in the heat..it can and will grow wonderful peppers in the fall, when cooler temps abound.

Juniegirl, I think I'm re-thinking where to put a few more raised beds. I was going to put 2 or 3 more on the other side of the house from the other ones but now I'm thinking it will be easier to keep them all clumped together. Whadaya think? I'm definitely moving the straw bales next year. I'm tired of fighting the blackberry vines to get behind the bales.

Well I think the decision will depend on what you are growing and what you will be planting in them. East/west/north/south sides of the house sort of thing.

As far as the straw bales and the blackberry vines....why not trim back the vines and trellis them..make them work for you..I can help with that..I raised blackberries for years back at the farm.

We have an entire field of blackberry vines. Waaaay to much to trellis. Not sure what I'll be planting in each raised bed yet but I'm going to be growing tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans (I keep trying) and maybe potatoes (not sure about this yet). I might end up doing the cucumbers in straw bales again but they did so well this year. I need to get my plan together. If I do potatoes it will probably take 2 of the raised beds.

Well if it were me, I think I would put the tomatoes and potatoes in full sun, and thr dukes and beans in a partial shaded area...

I still would like you to help me grow some cherokee purple tomatoe tomatoes....

If I've got Cherokee Purple seeds I'll send you a few.

Bless you....you will give me step by step directions for care, right . Please . I grew a CP once, I got one tomato and It rotted before it was ripe...yep, true story....

The only step by step I do is start the seed, work lime and fertilizer into the soil, and replant when it's big enough. I'll let you know when I start mine.

Pulled everything up from the garden and turned over the dirt. Hopefully will have 3 more raised beds before next year.

I told my DH that I wanted to buy a raised garden or 2 for next year...he said why don't I buy cinder blocks to use...we will see what I end up doing.

I cleaned off my green tomatoes a few days ago. (sad as I had like 5 really nice sized green tomatoes on the vine yet)

Then today I had fried green tomatoes for lunch--SO very nice indeed !!!

Since it's so warm I planted lettuce yesterday. We shall see.

I never thought about using cinder blocks. It's bound to be cheaper than buying treated wood and we have some stacked around here. Wonder if the dirt will wash through the openings.

I just read how to make one with cinder blocks and the blocks have to be cut. Not gonna do that.

Sam's club makes raised beds out of non-wood material--and they are not too expensive--but not real big either.

well there will be no cutting of cinder blocks here either----we shall see...what about just placing the blocks in the form you want & then say painting the inside with tar or whatever that black stuff is that one puts on basement walls to seal them??? I do think one would have to stake the blocks so they would not move from the pressure of the dirt, but really I am liking the idea more & more. We shall see how I feel in the spring