frustration

PaulF · June 22, 2014

So with all the help from everyone, this year for the first time my peppers germinated, grew strong and tall and healthy. When they were transplanted into the garden they actually looked like pepper plants rather than little tiny green somethings.

Fourteen plants of six different varieties all nicely caged, lots of new growth and flowers and the beginnings of small pepperlets.

The garden is surrounded by a picket fence with chicken wire around the bottom to keep out rabbits. The top by an eight foot deer fence. The garden is perched on top of a hill overlooking a few acres of trees, grasses and brush. The "hollow" is home to all sorts of wildlife which is OK as long as it stays out of the garden. The rabbit population is kept in check by a pair of bobcats that prowl around every so often.

Well, either they are filled up on something else or have not been doing their job because some daggone rabbit made a meal of eleven of the fourteen peppers. The gun is out and open season has been declared on rabbits whether they are the culprits or not.

I found the possible entry point and it is plugged and another chicken wire fence has been put up around the peppers. Green beans, lettuce, kale and several other juicy green plants were not bothered.....just my first good pepper crop in years. Aaaughhh!

JJJessee · June 22, 2014

If you have groundhogs in NE, they are a possible culprit too. That is what works my peppers and greens the most mischief. Peppers often will re-sprout of course.

bitterwort · June 22, 2014

Little hardware-cloth cages around individual plants can be useful, and they're reusable from year to year.

saltmarsh · June 22, 2014

Also voles will knaw them off flush with the ground. Do you see any rabbit pills around the garden? They normally leave a little something where they have been. And I agree with JJJessee the peppers will often regrow from the root if you have a couple of weeks to wait on them.

KarenO · June 22, 2014

I hate rabbits. they ate all my broccoli and did a number on my kale as well. Community garden folks think they are cute... They would be cute in a stew I think. Wish I could impose an open season on them too.
Karen

b54red · June 22, 2014

Paul did they eat just the fruit or everything? If it was just the fruit I would lean towards it being rats. They will decimate a pepper crop and keep coming back every night til you kill them.

Bill

PaulF · June 22, 2014

I think not voles since the plants were about a foot tall. Not rats since there was no fruit yet only little nubs that would have grown into peppers. And hardware cloth is a good idea for next year. Here's to hoping you are correct and they grow back. At least that way I will be on par with all the other years peppers are way late. Thanks for the suggestions.

JJJessee · June 22, 2014

Hardware cloth is BRILLIANT!

My problems thus far has been just when the plants are young.

clkeiper · June 22, 2014

Oh Bummer! that stinks. I declare open season on all rodents... skunks, groundhogs, raccoons etc. They all do well to be inoculated with a little Pb while in the garden.

AlittleSalt · June 23, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by b54red

Paul did they eat just the fruit or everything? If it was just the fruit I would lean towards it being rats. They will decimate a pepper crop and keep coming back every night til you kill them.

Bill

I never thought about rats or mice eating crops. We have big fat lazy ones in a nearby barn. They build nests in the old metal desks we use to work on cars and the tractor. I'm setting Rat traps in the morning!

peppero · June 23, 2014

Afew years back, a deer munched some of my tobasco plants.That was the bad part. The godd part was that they came back as much better plants. I learned that bad can sometimes turn out good.

jon

Dutch · June 23, 2014

Paul, Please PM me your mailing address. Let me mail you some pepper plants. You have helped many. It is your time to receive.

Dutch

pdxwindjammer · June 23, 2014

Nice offer, Dutch! I love the pay it forward mentality of the gardeners on this forum!

Dutch · June 23, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdxwindjammer

Nice offer, Dutch! I love the pay it forward mentality of the gardeners on this forum!

Yep, and I would think that he will be busy with the 4th of July Brownville Freedom Run again this year. So I hope that sending him some pepper plants this year would be one less thing he would have to be concerned about. He does a lot here at Tomatoville and it appears that he also does a lot for his hometown of Brownville Nebraska.
Dutch

KarenO · June 23, 2014

Dutch that is awesome of you

And Paul, I hope you find a rabbit recipe that calls for some nice peppers

K

June 22, 2014	#1
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,295	frustration So with all the help from everyone, this year for the first time my peppers germinated, grew strong and tall and healthy. When they were transplanted into the garden they actually looked like pepper plants rather than little tiny green somethings. Fourteen plants of six different varieties all nicely caged, lots of new growth and flowers and the beginnings of small pepperlets. The garden is surrounded by a picket fence with chicken wire around the bottom to keep out rabbits. The top by an eight foot deer fence. The garden is perched on top of a hill overlooking a few acres of trees, grasses and brush. The "hollow" is home to all sorts of wildlife which is OK as long as it stays out of the garden. The rabbit population is kept in check by a pair of bobcats that prowl around every so often. Well, either they are filled up on something else or have not been doing their job because some daggone rabbit made a meal of eleven of the fourteen peppers. The gun is out and open season has been declared on rabbits whether they are the culprits or not. I found the possible entry point and it is plugged and another chicken wire fence has been put up around the peppers. Green beans, lettuce, kale and several other juicy green plants were not bothered.....just my first good pepper crop in years. Aaaughhh! __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

June 22, 2014	#3
bitterwort Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MN Zone4b Posts: 292	Little hardware-cloth cages around individual plants can be useful, and they're reusable from year to year. __________________ Bitterwort

June 22, 2014	#7
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,295	I think not voles since the plants were about a foot tall. Not rats since there was no fruit yet only little nubs that would have grown into peppers. And hardware cloth is a good idea for next year. Here's to hoping you are correct and they grow back. At least that way I will be on par with all the other years peppers are way late. Thanks for the suggestions. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

June 22, 2014	#9
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	Oh Bummer! that stinks. I declare open season on all rodents... skunks, groundhogs, raccoons etc. They all do well to be inoculated with a little Pb while in the garden. __________________ carolyn k

June 22, 2014	#2
JJJessee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Abingdon, Va Posts: 184	If you have groundhogs in NE, they are a possible culprit too. That is what works my peppers and greens the most mischief. Peppers often will re-sprout of course.

June 22, 2014	#4
saltmarsh Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: 2 miles south of Yoknapatawpha Zone 7b Posts: 662	Also voles will knaw them off flush with the ground. Do you see any rabbit pills around the garden? They normally leave a little something where they have been. And I agree with JJJessee the peppers will often regrow from the root if you have a couple of weeks to wait on them.

June 22, 2014	#5
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	I hate rabbits. they ate all my broccoli and did a number on my kale as well. Community garden folks think they are cute... They would be cute in a stew I think. Wish I could impose an open season on them too. Karen

June 22, 2014	#6
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Paul did they eat just the fruit or everything? If it was just the fruit I would lean towards it being rats. They will decimate a pepper crop and keep coming back every night til you kill them. Bill

June 23, 2014	#11
peppero Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: selmer, tn Posts: 2,944	Afew years back, a deer munched some of my tobasco plants.That was the bad part. The godd part was that they came back as much better plants. I learned that bad can sometimes turn out good. jon

June 23, 2014	#12
Dutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: S.E. Wisconsin Zone 5b Posts: 1,831	Paul, Please PM me your mailing address. Let me mail you some pepper plants. You have helped many. It is your time to receive. Dutch

June 23, 2014	#13
pdxwindjammer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 625	Nice offer, Dutch! I love the pay it forward mentality of the gardeners on this forum!

June 23, 2014	#15
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	Dutch that is awesome of you And Paul, I hope you find a rabbit recipe that calls for some nice peppers K