![]() |
#1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Brownville, Ne
Posts: 3,291
|
![]()
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. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#2 |
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.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#3 |
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 |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#4 |
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.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#5 |
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 |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#6 |
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 |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Brownville, Ne
Posts: 3,291
|
![]()
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. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Abingdon, Va
Posts: 184
|
![]()
Hardware cloth is BRILLIANT!
My problems thus far has been just when the plants are young. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#9 |
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 |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#10 |
BANNED FOR LIFE
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 13,333
|
![]()
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!
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#11 |
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 ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#12 |
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 |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#13 |
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!
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#14 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: S.E. Wisconsin Zone 5b
Posts: 1,831
|
![]() Quote:
Dutch |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 5,931
|
![]()
Dutch that is awesome of you
![]() ![]() K |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
|