Checked the plants and trap this morning. No vole, and the adjacent pepper plant was gone. An official declaration of war was declared, and I decided to wait for the rodent with brick in hand.
After 5 minutes, I noticed some of the landscape fabric rustling, so I pounced and hurled the brick. The vole scurried our from under the fabric and evacuated the garden under the fence to a nearby dying hydrangea bush. I gave chase with a shovel and digging fork.
The hydrangea has been removed, and the vole is no longer with us.
Our thermometer read 38F this morning, and it certainly didn't feel like it was anywhere near freezing. There was a patch of frost out back. The tomatos seem fine.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Sunday
Liz woke up this morning telling me about a dream she had where a groundhog ate all of our plants. After church I checked the plants, and found most of the peppers and 4 tomato plants chewed to the ground! Ugh. It also looked like some of the onion plants were bent over toward the road, so I suspected a ground hog from across the street was visiting. Liz left for Lowes to get 36" x 150' poultry netting. I replaced the peppers with the boys. Liz came back and we put the fence up.
While Liz was getting the boys dinner, I noticed 2 of the peppers I had just planted chewed up! Okay, so not a ground hog. We next suspected a vole, and lifted up some of the landscape fabric to find evidence of tunnelling. I set a mouse trap near one of the remaining pepper plants.
We also covered the tomato plants with plastic. Using the stakes we were able to tent the plastic over the plants. They seemed cozy. Accuweather.com said a low of 25F; weather.com forecasted 29F.
While Liz was getting the boys dinner, I noticed 2 of the peppers I had just planted chewed up! Okay, so not a ground hog. We next suspected a vole, and lifted up some of the landscape fabric to find evidence of tunnelling. I set a mouse trap near one of the remaining pepper plants.
We also covered the tomato plants with plastic. Using the stakes we were able to tent the plastic over the plants. They seemed cozy. Accuweather.com said a low of 25F; weather.com forecasted 29F.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Busy Day
From Oesterlings:
2 grape tomato plants, 3" pots, $1.69 each
6 cherry tomato plants, 6 pack $1.69 each
6 roma plum tomato plants, 6 pack $1.69 each
6 red delicious tomato plants, 6 pack $1.69 each
6 red bell pepper plants, 6 pack $1.69 each
6 jalapeno pepper plants, 6 pack $1.69 each
6 chili pepper plants, 6 pack $1.69 each
The 6 packs were pretty leggy, but looked healthy. Liz planted almost all of the tomatos, most of the bell peppers, and half of the other peppers.
Also planted about 32 lima bean seeds (Fordhook, large). We all love limas.
Finished off half a row of peas, and the other half string beans (saved from last year).
Also prepared the flower bed next to the garden. Put in rows of Cosmos, Zinnias, Black-eyed Susans, Snapdragons, and Marigolds (seeds). Will be hard to get to for cutting, but should look pretty.
They are calling for a really cold night Sunday, so we may have jumped the gun.
2 grape tomato plants, 3" pots, $1.69 each
6 cherry tomato plants, 6 pack $1.69 each
6 roma plum tomato plants, 6 pack $1.69 each
6 red delicious tomato plants, 6 pack $1.69 each
6 red bell pepper plants, 6 pack $1.69 each
6 jalapeno pepper plants, 6 pack $1.69 each
6 chili pepper plants, 6 pack $1.69 each
The 6 packs were pretty leggy, but looked healthy. Liz planted almost all of the tomatos, most of the bell peppers, and half of the other peppers.
Also planted about 32 lima bean seeds (Fordhook, large). We all love limas.
Finished off half a row of peas, and the other half string beans (saved from last year).
Also prepared the flower bed next to the garden. Put in rows of Cosmos, Zinnias, Black-eyed Susans, Snapdragons, and Marigolds (seeds). Will be hard to get to for cutting, but should look pretty.
They are calling for a really cold night Sunday, so we may have jumped the gun.
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