Popular Post Fred W. Hargis Jr Posted August 4, 2019 Popular Post Report Share Posted August 4, 2019 This is getting tiresome. After a bad spring (rainfall) I finally got some parts of a garden planted (re-did the tomatoes 3 times) and have a few stalks of corn up, and some tomatoes on the vine. But the melons (cantaloupes) were going gang busters for whatever reason. Then last week just as the corn silked coons got into it and destroyed several stalks. Now, I always put up an electric fence but held off during the heat, planning to do it this week. So I rushed the equipment out and got the fence set up..solved my problem. Until last Friday...I found one of my melons in the yard with about a 3" hole eaten into the end and the melon flesh cleaned out. I figured Saturday I'd extend the electric fence to surround them as well. By Saturday morning whatever it was got 2 more melons (on the vine) so I rushed to get that job done. Meantime I'm cleaning out out pole barn to make room for some summer clearance sales items I bought and go back to the darkest corner which doesn't get visited often. There I find 2 groundhog holes and numerous stored items buried by the dirt they excavated. The 2 holes inside seemed to be for 2 different animals...since I found 2 more outside the barn underneath a Juniper bush. I threw smoke bombs (those poison gas type) into the holes and covered the openings...I only hope I got 'em. Then cleaned up the mess and sort of re organized the barn. I discovered while working in there the coons have decided the barn was their toilet as well. I'm mixing up some cayenne pepper solution to sprinkle around in there to keep them out; as I understand it they can't stand the smell. I'm wore out after the episodes and can only wonder what's next. Sheesh...I don't remember doing anything to Mother Nature to bring down her ire. Al B, Cal, Artie and 2 others 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Smallpatch Posted August 4, 2019 Popular Post Report Share Posted August 4, 2019 (edited) Fred I feel for you...Maybe gardens are too many headaches.. I quit a few years ago when the dirt I bought was full of wild onions.. then I decided I could beat the onion problem...so after about six full deep sessions in about a three weeks time with the tiller I thought I had it made ….Four days ago using a hand held sprinkler I gave the ground a good soaking...and about 1000 or more onion sprouts are showing up. I bet if wild onions was just found to be a new cure for cancer and make it worth 100 dollars an ounce my garden would end up unable to grow anything. Then my wife suggested why didn't I use the small two cycle tiller for those onions... Hey, I had plum forgotten about that little tiller. And yes it works great if the ground had been fully tilled with the larger machine first...So I get it out and as I had mentioned to smarty pants it would probably need new gas lines and the primer bulb... Sure nuff and it being a craftsman brand I can't find the model numbers on any site that has sears parts...but hopefully we can find some parts in the town Wed. when we go shopping.. I did find parts for other sears models and lots of times this type of stuff stayed the same through many years. Hope so anyway...Ethanol has caused hell with all the little gas lines and those primer bulbs in all brands of machines that uses gas... Edited August 4, 2019 by Smallpatch FlGatorwood, Fred W. Hargis Jr, Michael Thuman and 3 others 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post FlGatorwood Posted August 4, 2019 Popular Post Report Share Posted August 4, 2019 I quit gardening some years ago when I could go to Walmart and find okra, sweet potatoes, corn and peas already harvested, washed, bagged and frozen for less than I could water mine for. However, mine tastes better, but I don't have the time to garden. Economy wise, buying the commodities brands in a plain wrapper is cheaper than what I can grow. And, I don't have to fight the critters who prefer to harvest before I wish. Artie, John Morris, Gunny and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HandyDan Posted August 4, 2019 Report Share Posted August 4, 2019 I usually put four tomato plants in some flower pots. My brother grows them from seed and gives them to me. For the last few years the deer have been wiping them out as they did this year. Growing them is a just for fun type of deal for me. I can't remember the last time I had a pear from my tree. The squirrels get those. This time of year local grown veggies are plentiful and reasonably priced so there you go. Gunny, FlGatorwood, Cal and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Thuman Posted August 13, 2019 Report Share Posted August 13, 2019 On 8/4/2019 at 1:25 PM, Smallpatch said: Fred I feel for you...Maybe gardens are too many headaches.. I quit a few years ago when the dirt I bought was full of wild onions.. then I decided I could beat the onion problem...so after about six full deep sessions in about a three weeks time with the tiller I thought I had it made ….Four days ago using a hand held sprinkler I gave the ground a good soaking...and about 1000 or more onion sprouts are showing up. I bet if wild onions was just found to be a new cure for cancer and make it worth 100 dollars an ounce my garden would end up unable to grow anything. Then my wife suggested why didn't I use the small two cycle tiller for those onions... Hey, I had plum forgotten about that little tiller. And yes it works great if the ground had been fully tilled with the larger machine first...So I get it out and as I had mentioned to smarty pants it would probably need new gas lines and the primer bulb... Sure nuff and it being a craftsman brand I can't find the model numbers on any site that has sears parts...but hopefully we can find some parts in the town Wed. when we go shopping.. I did find parts for other sears models and lots of times this type of stuff stayed the same through many years. Hope so anyway...Ethanol has caused hell with all the little gas lines and those primer bulbs in all brands of machines that uses gas... All what i have done to keep weeds at bay and critters at bay was to go the TSC and purchase compress bailed hay. When I lay it down the tightly in 1.5" T layers around my plants no more weeds no more ground hogs but I have no deer. TSC says the ground hog knows the smell of hay and normall avoids it to get in trouble with the farmer and horses. If you starve the onions of light they will die and compost. If you place your squash and other fruit on top of the hay it will not ground rot nor normally will boring insects find it. FlGatorwood, Gunny and Cal 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al B Posted August 14, 2019 Report Share Posted August 14, 2019 Great gardening hints Michael. FlGatorwood and Cal 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Smallpatch Posted August 15, 2019 Popular Post Report Share Posted August 15, 2019 Dan I was like you said the critters always beats us to the fruit...except this year. I had been hanging CD disk up in the pecan trees to keep the squirrels and blue jays away so dumb me after about 20 years we are finally getting peaches pears and almonds using the CD disk....The disks must shine at night enough to keep the raccoons and foxes away cause we still have peaches that's still hanging about a foot off the ground. The two pear trees are so tall I only hung the disk as high up as I could reach with out a ladder and it seem like all the pears are still there.. Just hang them so they will turn in the wind and not get caught around the branches....Wife has been calling friends asking them to come get some stuff... Artie, HandyDan, Al B and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.