I'm throwing in the towel!

[riceke]

I used to try not hitting those little buggers (squirrels) when they run across my path on the road, but not now ...oh no... not now!

[TNTiger]

Originally Posted by riceke

I used to try not hitting those little buggers (squirrels) when they run across my path on the road, but not now ...oh no... not now!

My whole attitude on squirrels has changed too! They aren't so cute and entertaining anymore. They are smart as heck and will work at getting what they want (kind of like me) but they need to go find another food source!

[cythaenopsis]

Squirrels are amazing creatures, but they can be serious pests. I've seen many instances of bird feeders raided by them, which doesn't help much for their image. Tearing up tomatoes makes it worse. I'd never thought they'd be after them, even when green!

Ugg... that is so saddening to think of all the hard work to get a tomato plant to produce nice fruit, all of the challenges passed with success, only to be dashed by some animal casually sampling it. And it's not like the squirrel or bird got much nutrition either. They peck and scratch here and there, then decide "meh, I'm done with it"... nobody gets to enjoy it. At least, if they're interested then take ONE fruit and eat the whole thing rather than wandering around and ruining multiple tomatoes!

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by riceke

I used to try not hitting those little buggers (squirrels) when they run across my path on the road, but not now ...oh no... not now!

I'm picturing you swerving on the road driving behind a little squirrel now trying to take it out!

~Alfredo

[ScottinAtlanta]

Originally Posted by Alfredo

I'm picturing you swerving on the road driving behind a little squirrel now trying to take it out!

~Alfredo

And wishing you luck!

I trapped two grey squirrels in my tomatoes just yesterday - they are now in the Great Attic in the sky.

[nolabelle]

Someone suggested that I hand pollinate the bush cucumbers that were making flowers but no fruit. So I did that and now there is fruit forming. Trouble is the plants are wilting with the heat even though the soil is damp.

Today I remembered that I bought some row cover many years ago and never used it. Miraculously, I found it! The cucumbers are now shaded with the row cover and hopefully the fruits will grow without frying in this August fry session.

Thank you for recommending the hand pollination. It really worked! This place is truly a learning experience. Thank you all!

[Urbanfarmer]

Originally Posted by riceke

Scott: I was blaming my troubles that you exhibited on squirrels too, but came to find out that mockingbirds just love to poke holes in tomatoes as well. Don't know if they were after bugs on the toms or just like them. They seem to roost on top of the fence I have supporting my plants and every once in a while they will jump down on the fruit and take a couple stabs at it. They leave sort of a triangular cut in the fruit. Not saying squirrels don't do it as well, just bsaying there are other culprits out there too.

Last year the birds got us good. This year we have a plastic owl and lots of reflective, holographic tape. Zero bird damage. We move the owl around.

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by nolabelle

Trouble is the plants are wilting with the heat even though the soil is damp.

Not sure what you mean by wilting, but I know my cucumber plants always start looking pitifully wilted during the hottest part of the day, but always spring right back by the next morning. It used to alarm me when I would see them all wilted the first year I grew cucumbers, but now I know it's just the way the plants behave in my garden.

[nolabelle]

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

Not sure what you mean by wilting, but I know my cucumber plants always start looking pitifully wilted during the hottest part of the day, but always spring right back by the next morning. It used to alarm me when I would see them all wilted the first year I grew cucumbers, but now I know it's just the way the plants behave in my garden.

The first time I saw them wilted was a couple days ago. We had been having so much rain that I did not water for a long time. Then we had a couple of days with no rain and very intense heat. The soil felt barely damp, so I figured it had dried out enough to water again, so I did. I do understand now that it's how plants behave in the heat, but to be on the safe side with the new baby cucumbers, I put the row cover.

I also moved my peppers and tomatoes under the carport. I was worried that my pathetic tomato plants had late blight, but the leaves were simply fried from the heat. There was no spore action going on... just crispy fried brown leaves.

[riceke]

Originally Posted by Alfredo

I'm picturing you swerving on the road driving behind a little squirrel now trying to take it out!

~Alfredo

Actually Fredo it was the opposite. I swerved almost taking out a tree trying to avoid hitting them. I value all life and their right to exist. I just wish they had the same feeling especially in my tomatoe bed. I don't mind them taking a tomatoe but when they take a peice out of everyone I have I have less compassion for them. Same thing with my bird feeders...they own it even though I put out a squirrel cake for them. Ungrateful greedy critters.

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

Not sure what you mean by wilting, but I know my cucumber plants always start looking pitifully wilted during the hottest part of the day, but always spring right back by the next morning. It used to alarm me when I would see them all wilted the first year I grew cucumbers, but now I know it's just the way the plants behave in my garden.

Father'sDaughter and nolabelle,

You're right, cucumber plants wilt during the hottest part of the day, usually that's midday or early afternoon, but they'll come back up once the heat/hottest time passes.

On a related note, my biggest and most productive cucumbers were in a part of my garden that recieved direct sun only twice during the day.

The first, was in the morning up to midday, then it would be in a complete shade cast from my home (because of the way my house is in relation to the way the sun moves across the sky). Then again it would get direct sun in the later afternoon, say 4pm or so until sundown. It was a microclimate created by my house blocking the sun during the hottest part of the day (which also made it the ideal spot to put my houseplants and where they go for summer vacation).

The cucumbers loved this growing condition, on top of that, there is a downspout water drain pipe there so all the rainfall water would come down there right next to where the cucumbers were growing. I've never grown cucumbers so big and productively as in that spot.

Just wanted to mentioned this to you, as I think it's a good idea/garden practice to find or become sensitive to the microclimates within your garden around your home so you can take full advantage of them, and make them work for you. Maybe you have an area that gets shaded during the hottest part of the day, but gets direct sun for the rest of the day? If you do have such a spot in your garden, I would at least suggest tryng to grow your cucmbers there next time just to see how they do in comparison to where you usually do.

~Alfredo

[nolabelle]

Alfredo, that's great that you can find such spots for the plants!

My two bush cucumbers are in containers and I can move them where I want. The spot they're currently in is a sort of an experiment this year for a patio garden. This spot is partially shaded by the wooden fence in the mornings, but they get full afternoons. I don't want to move them because I have no more "dog safe" spots right now. Hopefully the light row cover will help them out until this heat wave subsides.