the season downunder

[LenaBeanNZ]

Its disapointing isnt it, to have your hard work destroyed by cheeky critters. The birds are my worst enemy too, but not because they eat my tomatoes (they dont seem to like them which Im thankful for. They do like my plums and apples though) . Its their relentless digging and scratching that drives me crazy! New seed beds and around young seedlings is where the damage happens, often impossible to repair. Its devastating. I get so upset about it. And my lovely compost gets thrown all over the lawn or the paths multiple times a day. My non gardeing friends think its hilarious, they bring up the topic just to watch me get worked up about it. I almost always fall for it too. Not funny. Im glad you people understand.

The netting looks like alot of hard work, how many plants can you grow under those restricting conditions? A fully netted off growing area would be wonderful... Until then, my strategy is plant more than I need, so that theres plenty to share with the birds. And snails etc. Wouldnt it be great if they ate Oxalis or Buttercup instead?

I spotted an Oxheart that is bearing alot of lumpy looking little fruit, heres some pictures. The third picture is the one CP fruit, still clinging on. Looks like theres another one just starting too. See how many blossoms have been dropped off the previously large flower truss?

[Wi-sunflower]

You may appreciate what happened to me last year with the crows.

I use pieces of wood lathing about 18" long for marking my varieties. Last year I just used the lathing and stapled a 4" x 6" index card with the name on it. A few days later when I was checking the plants, I noticed a few of the cards missing. It had been a bit windy and I thought maybe the cards had just torn off. I replaced them, but a couple of days later even more were gone.

After I found cards missing again and there had been no wind or rain, I finally noticed that the birds were always in or near that field. The darn crows were playing with the white paper and tearing the cards off.

So now I staple a card on, write the name on both the card and the back of the stake AND I staple one of the 4" plastic sticks from the pots to the stake. The only problem I had this year is the fact that a couple of new workers must have buried a few of the stakes when they were weeding.

It's always something LOL.

[LenaBeanNZ]

Oh funny, but annoying too I bet. I write the names directly onto the stakes because my little tags (icecream sticks or cut up plastic containers) keep going missing. I used to keep the birds away with blastic bags strung up between the stakes, but they have since learnt how harmless the bags really are. And scarecrows woulnt work, if I sit somewhere for a while, the birds start digging within metres of where Im working! I dont know what to do anymore. My SO wants to get a gun and sit at the window all day, gun and beer in hand, but I dont like that idea for more than one reason.

Always something is right. If its not the birds, its the neigbours cats digging and crapping in my seedlings.

[Wi-sunflower]

Yah, same here about trying to scare them. I put up some flashy pinwheels and metalic tape in my watermelons, but they figure it out pretty fast that it won't do anything to them. Sometimes just shooting a shotgun in their area will keep them away for a while. But you have to do that every day or so for it to work.

I have some cats that "own" my greenhouse during the winter/spring. They do keep the mice out of my seedlings, but sometimes the smell of their latest gift is a bit intense. Especially if i don't see it and step in it first.

I have one that likes to sleep on the flats too. That doesn't do those plants much good. Fortunately she's only damaged some flowers so far.

[Medbury Gardens]

Wi-sunflower
After reading what you have to endure with all sorts of mammals causing all sorts of problems i will never complain about our black birds again.But there was one time we came home from shopping and a neighbouring dairy farmer had not closed our front gate and his cows had come in and given the garden a good ol stomping over,the mongrel never even come over and say sorry.

Lena
If your man does manage to kill a bird i have found that if you hang it up where dont what the black birds,that seems to keep them away.What does work very well are those plastic rat traps with a strawberry on it.

[Wi-sunflower]

his cows had come in and given the garden a good ol stomping over

Oh man, about that time I think I would have a couple of cows in the freezer.

I do have dairy farms all around me, but fortunately, the cows have never gotten on our land and rarely even ever get out of their own property.

I'll have to look for the rat traps next spring before the birds get into the melons. Thanks for the tip.

[LenaBeanNZ]

Thanks for the tip. Does the trap actually kill the bird or just scare it off? The idea of bird carcasses hanging amongst my food crops doesnt really appeal, but after Ive been outside this morning to discover a huge hole amongst my peppers, 2 of the young plants snapped off at the stem, Im almost ready to get a gun myself. I dont know what Id do if cows trampled my garden!

[Medbury Gardens]

No sorry to say Lena they do kill then

Wi-sun Your dairy industry would use the same breeds as here and that they are mainly Jersey and Fresians,true? they are not good eat.
At the end of the day i couldn`t take it out on the poor old cow,it was the mongrel farmer that i was ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ed off about

[Raymondo]

Jerseys and Fresians may not attract top dollar for steaks but according to a dairy farmer I met somemonths back the Golden Arches chain pays a pretty penny for used up dairy cows because their flesh can take a lot of water. They pump water into the tissue to make it go further. It's all about profit margin.

[Wi-sunflower]

Wisconsin is known as "the Dairy State" and yes we have a lot of cows around here. The number 1 breed is the Holstein with Gurnsey #2 and some of the other breeds for speciality dairies.

On the Chicago stock exchange (stock as in livestock, not paper stocks) there is a class called "balony bull". It's basically old stock that's not good for much else but grinding up for balony or hamburger.


About those rat traps, the strawberry you mention, is it a real strawberry or something plastic that's part of the trap. If you could post a pic so I could see what it looks like when I look for something for next season.

Personally I don't care if it kills a few. Around here there are quite a few "pest" birds that are not much better than "flying rats". Getting rid of some of them would be just fine. Especially when they are ruining the early season crops I would be able to sell for a premium.

[Medbury Gardens]

Its a friend of mine who uses the plactic rat traps and with great succes too,he`s killing one bird very day at moment from each of his two traps.He uses all kinds of things as bait cheese,butter,bread and fruit (not just strawberries).

As i use lots of nets to cover some crops in my garden, black birds not too much of a problem for me, but i must go and buy a couple and start using them.

1km up the road from here is a bloke who planted 300 Feijoas about three years ago,as the black bird is the main pollenator i should start to notice mid summer a period where there no birds and hopefully this will coinside with some of my berry crops.

[tessa]

weather is finally warming up here and i'm starting to see mite damage again.
i'll be out there in a minute with the sulphur spray. hope that will keep things in check.
one thing i notice is that the dwarves always look the healthiest.

so.
that anna banana russian with the long eye lashes...
turned into this:



who knew she would end up with two heads????


other tomatoes that are coming along are:

guernsey pink blush



canabec super: (gosh darnoodley near bullet proof)



stump of the world


and the kimberley is still pumping them out


i wanted to see what all the hype was with the 'hybrid vigor'. the only hybrids i have are from the dwarf project...and those are definitely vigorous...but was it because of the dwarfism?
so i *gasp* store bought a big beef.
it's looking pretty good



the dwarves are starting to set fruit now. this is perth pride f4



coastal pride orange


and i finally have grub set



just to prove that tomatoes are not the only thing in my diet...here's a few more things kicking around my garden or on my dinner plate:

[Grub]

Good growing, Tess.

Glad there's a GMG on the way. It should have been earlier to set fruit.

What is the melon in the pot please?

Fresh beetroot. Mmmm. Earthy.

[tessa]

hi grub...that 'melon' is sweet dumpling squash.
beautiful, sweet, yellow pumpkin flesh.
yum.

i have more beets than i can eat at this point.
and there is nothing nicer than a home grown spud. those are dutch creams, btw.

i just noticed that two other GMG's have fruitset...so here's hoping that i can get a crop of them!
i'm noticing that they are generally healthier than my RL plants. hope that trait holds up!

[Grub]

Righto. I don't know that squash but I sure would like to.

Too many beets. No worries. Pickle.

My all-time fave spud is Dutch Cream. I buy them from organic and farmer's markets here as I haven't progressed to growing my own spuds. I'm jealous.

GMG is very hardy but if it does get sick it will be a dark, black leaf disease. I think its Early Blight but in a green-tomato way. But it's a toughy and only 5ft.