Re: [CH] tough year in the garden

Hobby Farmer (hobbyfarmer@t-one.net)
Fri, 17 Jun 2011 08:53:47 -0400 

Well, a new garden pest this year here.  We have a Bobcat wandering 
through the garden every couple of nights.  He doesn't munch on 
anything, but he has stepped on a few chiles and other things.  His paws 
are about 3 1/2 inches across, so we figure he is an adult male.  We 
have a lot of Bobcat here, but this is the first one to play in the 
garden.  I'm going to set up the game camera and see if we can get a 
picture of him.

He seems to be heading to the sheep/horse barn and chicken coop, but he 
is just looking so far.  We had a horse attacked by a cougar a few years 
ago, she made it, but had 300 or so stitches.  She got in a few licks, 
as we found cat fur and a a blood trail.

I may have to fence the garden this year, as we had 3 deer in the garden 
next to the house in the middle of the day Monday, and a flock of about 
30 wild turkeys wanders through the yard now and then.  We had a robin 
pull and toss about 100 onion plants this Spring, too.

At least the coyotes seem to have eaten most of the rabbits (and a few 
barn cats).

We have 1,100 chiles of 41 varieties in the ground and a few are 
starting to take off.  We plant the first week of June.  We had a hard 
frost May 27 this year, and that is about normal.  Now, if it will just 
warm up!  High of 59 yesterday, but might make 70 today.

Hobby Farmer

On 6/16/2011 12:36 PM, Robert Opersteny wrote:
> Hey Alex,
> Same thing happened to me last year, with deer and rabbits...or at least
> small deer that chomp off the tops.
> Even with the fence now, I'm still getting armadillo raids. I now check
> every morning, and even moved the trap right next to the plants!
> The Aji Amarillo plants have been dug into so many times, and with the
> on-going drought, they may revert to the desert-phenotype "Aji Armadillo".
> The Tepins around the yard are guarded by their own fruit now...but
> don't prevent browsing on the more veggie areas of other plants.
> Anyone have more suggestions? The repellents I have used with natural
> herb or fungicide base do not work with starving critters here.
> Good Luck, and send some rain down this way!
>
> Bob