A customer called today in tears

Fusion_power · May 12, 2016

She purchased a huge number of plants last year and her son diligently saved seed. He grew a bunch of plants for her this year, then a raccoon got into them and destroyed almost all her seedlings.

Why am I mentioning this? Because animals are attracted to seedlings, particularly when organics such as fish emulsion are used as fertilizer. Cats will dig out seedlings, sometimes eat small seedlings, and knock trays off onto the floor. Dogs will dig up transplants, lay on them, run through them, or just scuff them with their feet. Mice will eat small seedlings. Raccoons, squirrels, groundhogs, rats, and other wild animals will destroy your plants. So in the interest of sanity and self-preservation, please consider ways to protect your seedlings from varmints whether domestic or wild.

I'm sending replacements for as much as I can, but that does not do much to alleviate the anguish.

Gardeneer · May 12, 2016

Thanks, Fusion.
I know about rats, squirrels and rabbits.
You have to protect seedlings (very young plants ) even against slugs and snail.

Gardeneer

NarnianGarden · May 12, 2016

Wow. I'm so thankful I can grow on my balcony, where there are no furry criminals running loose..
At my parents' there are some hares that love to nibble on flowers, but they don't seem to care for tomatoes - although they have occasionally been known to knock some containers down! (no serious damage done to the plant)

Labradors2 · May 12, 2016

That is so true. I always think twice about using fish meal or anything else stinky that will attract the wild life (which is plentiful around here). My veggie garden is (flimsily) fenced off, just to keep my dogs out, but that probably wouldn't deter a hungry wild critter.

Linda

Fusion_power · May 12, 2016

And.....

I got another call, plants shipped a week ago, wiped out by a hail storm. This guy had 48 seedlings. There is not much you can do about hail storms, maybe cover plants with buckets or something. He was not home anyway.

wildcat62 · May 12, 2016

Birds will do a number on small stuff also.

Chapinz8 · May 12, 2016

I left a plastic bottle of fish emulsion on our portico last year. Big paved parking and drive area in front. Nest morning I found the bottle empty with teeth marks all over it.

aftermidnight · May 12, 2016

Fusion, of the three varieties of bean seed you sent me the two numbered varieties are up and away and looking good, I've got them completely surround in copper mesh, not taking any chances with them. The third, the commercial variety I'm having trouble with, started (8) only one germinated, the Cotyledon opened but it appears to be blind. I just planted 6 more using your method for old seed, we'll see if I have better luck with them this way. I'm growing all in tubs so they can be moved to the greenhouse if they need a longer season. Only growing two plants of each variety this year, don't want to put all my eggs in one basket

.

Annette

bower · May 12, 2016

I got a scare this spring when I saw the mulch on the garlic beds had been torn apart. Wasn't sure who or after what but was concerned they might dig up the garlic. Fox has been leaving tracks but to my surprise it turned out to be ravens. I mulched with grass clippings instead of kelp this time, and I guess they were after worms, the garlic is coming up fine.
They did however dig up every bit of horesradish I planted and consumed the lot.

Worth1 · May 12, 2016

Come to think about it I had an opened bottle of Alaska fish food come up missing.
I am bad a bout losing stuff and find it in a day or two.
This stuff was on the back porch and it is gone.
A night critter got it.

And I found what was sure to be the worlds record good looking not ugly tomato on the ground after a darn deer ate it.

I was the size of a softball or bigger.

Worth

ContainerTed · May 12, 2016

Worth, I spent 15 minutes looking for my reading glasses this morning. Finally asked the DW if she had seen them. She laughed and then reached up on top of my head and handed the glasses to me. This kind of stuff is happening too often lately.

I had a small bottle of fish emulsion and it went missing off the shelf out on the patio. Finally saw it disappearing down thru the pasture in front of a possum. Man, they'll eat anything. He came back in two days to ask me for more and poor thing didn't survive the meeting. The turkey buzzards were singing my praises two days later.

budfaux · May 12, 2016

I've had a couple containers of fish emulsion chewed and somewhat drained over the years.
This spring I left a bag of organic tomato fertilizer outside my garage and it was drained by 1/4. ★★★★★★★ possum didn't use the resealable lock at the top of the bag.
At least I didn't leave a fish emulsion chaser....

AlittleSalt · May 12, 2016

Fusion, the fact that you are sending replacements is a good thing. The fact that you care is priceless.

dustdevil · May 13, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

Come to think about it I had an opened bottle of Alaska fish food come up missing.
I am bad a bout losing stuff and find it in a day or two.
This stuff was on the back porch and it is gone.
A night critter got it.

Worth

Fishjack for some raccoon

rhoder551 · May 14, 2016

I've reconciled myself to losing something from my garden-to the various critters, every season. On the upside, I have found that gophers do not like fish emulsion-at least in my garden. When there is evidence of a gopher I will put a couple of tablespoons of emulsion in the hole and flush with a little water and they go away. Not 100% effective cuz those gophers are wily critters but I would say 75-80% effective and that's fine for me. I used to lose half my garden to gophers...

May 12, 2016	#1
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	A customer called today in tears She purchased a huge number of plants last year and her son diligently saved seed. He grew a bunch of plants for her this year, then a raccoon got into them and destroyed almost all her seedlings. Why am I mentioning this? Because animals are attracted to seedlings, particularly when organics such as fish emulsion are used as fertilizer. Cats will dig out seedlings, sometimes eat small seedlings, and knock trays off onto the floor. Dogs will dig up transplants, lay on them, run through them, or just scuff them with their feet. Mice will eat small seedlings. Raccoons, squirrels, groundhogs, rats, and other wild animals will destroy your plants. So in the interest of sanity and self-preservation, please consider ways to protect your seedlings from varmints whether domestic or wild. I'm sending replacements for as much as I can, but that does not do much to alleviate the anguish.

May 12, 2016	#8
aftermidnight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Vancouver Island B.C. Posts: 116	Fusion, of the three varieties of bean seed you sent me the two numbered varieties are up and away and looking good, I've got them completely surround in copper mesh, not taking any chances with them. The third, the commercial variety I'm having trouble with, started (8) only one germinated, the Cotyledon opened but it appears to be blind. I just planted 6 more using your method for old seed, we'll see if I have better luck with them this way. I'm growing all in tubs so they can be moved to the greenhouse if they need a longer season. Only growing two plants of each variety this year, don't want to put all my eggs in one basket . Annette Last edited by aftermidnight; May 12, 2016 at 07:33 PM. Reason: (Sp.)

May 12, 2016	#10
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Come to think about it I had an opened bottle of Alaska fish food come up missing. I am bad a bout losing stuff and find it in a day or two. This stuff was on the back porch and it is gone. A night critter got it. And I found what was sure to be the worlds record good looking not ugly tomato on the ground after a darn deer ate it. I was the size of a softball or bigger. Worth Last edited by Worth1; May 12, 2016 at 09:27 PM.

May 12, 2016	#11
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	Worth, I spent 15 minutes looking for my reading glasses this morning. Finally asked the DW if she had seen them. She laughed and then reached up on top of my head and handed the glasses to me. This kind of stuff is happening too often lately. I had a small bottle of fish emulsion and it went missing off the shelf out on the patio. Finally saw it disappearing down thru the pasture in front of a possum. Man, they'll eat anything. He came back in two days to ask me for more and poor thing didn't survive the meeting. The turkey buzzards were singing my praises two days later. __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

May 12, 2016	#2
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,919	Thanks, Fusion. I know about rats, squirrels and rabbits. You have to protect seedlings (very young plants ) even against slugs and snail. Gardeneer

May 12, 2016	#3
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	Wow. I'm so thankful I can grow on my balcony, where there are no furry criminals running loose.. At my parents' there are some hares that love to nibble on flowers, but they don't seem to care for tomatoes - although they have occasionally been known to knock some containers down! (no serious damage done to the plant)

May 12, 2016	#4
Labradors2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Ontario Posts: 3,896	That is so true. I always think twice about using fish meal or anything else stinky that will attract the wild life (which is plentiful around here). My veggie garden is (flimsily) fenced off, just to keep my dogs out, but that probably wouldn't deter a hungry wild critter. Linda

May 12, 2016	#6
wildcat62 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2014 Location: Zone 6 Northern Kentucky Posts: 1,094	Birds will do a number on small stuff also.

May 12, 2016	#7
Chapinz8 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Chapin, SC Posts: 143	I left a plastic bottle of fish emulsion on our portico last year. Big paved parking and drive area in front. Nest morning I found the bottle empty with teeth marks all over it.

May 12, 2016	#9
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	I got a scare this spring when I saw the mulch on the garlic beds had been torn apart. Wasn't sure who or after what but was concerned they might dig up the garlic. Fox has been leaving tracks but to my surprise it turned out to be ravens. I mulched with grass clippings instead of kelp this time, and I guess they were after worms, the garlic is coming up fine. They did however dig up every bit of horesradish I planted and consumed the lot.

May 12, 2016	#12
budfaux Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Birmingham, ALABAMA Posts: 68	I've had a couple containers of fish emulsion chewed and somewhat drained over the years. This spring I left a bag of organic tomato fertilizer outside my garage and it was drained by 1/4. ★★★★★★★ possum didn't use the resealable lock at the top of the bag. At least I didn't leave a fish emulsion chaser....

May 12, 2016	#13
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Fusion, the fact that you are sending replacements is a good thing. The fact that you care is priceless.

May 14, 2016	#15
rhoder551 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 219	I've reconciled myself to losing something from my garden-to the various critters, every season. On the upside, I have found that gophers do not like fish emulsion-at least in my garden. When there is evidence of a gopher I will put a couple of tablespoons of emulsion in the hole and flush with a little water and they go away. Not 100% effective cuz those gophers are wily critters but I would say 75-80% effective and that's fine for me. I used to lose half my garden to gophers...