Sad, Sad, Gardening News
So, I just went out to check the garden. Something hit it hard last night. Bed after bed suffered damage, some complete damage, by invaders unknown. I posted the photos to https://ask.extension.org
so, they'll help me identify the culprits and give me some advice.
I grew these babies from seeds! Some in the house since January! This is upsetting! I am literally in tears!
Eggplant:
Mini pumpkins:
Russell lupine:
Mediterranean hartwort:
No photos of the missing amaranth and dill (or yarrow) seedlings, since they are nonexistent now. But, they were there yesterday. A tiny little red amaranth, and several lacy carroty sprouts.
I am mostly heartbroken over the hartwort (no pun there, it's true), as it is something unusual, and a winter sowing success. 3 of the 4 plants are "spider" forms now, the last has one missing "leg." They were what I noticed first off this morning. I was looking forward to the strange seed formations. Plus, those seeds came all the way from Greece! I do have more seeds, perhaps it's not too late to resow. But, first to find out what ate them.
The lupine was in the Butterfly Garden, and the amaranth in the old raspberry bed, neither near the vegetable garden beds. The eggplant was in a different bed from the hartwort and pumpkins. Apparently the pumpkins weren't as tasty as the eggplant and hartwort.
There was no snail-trail, and I'd laid down bait a few days ago. Never saw any victims though. Pillbugs? Sowbugs? Earwigs? There must be a huge infestation hiding in the crevices if so! Why last night? Did a multitude just hatch, get born, whatever they do, last night and there were scores of hungry infants?
When something like this hits, it goes to show I don't know the least thing about gardening!
Why don't bugs/slugs/whatevers eat weeds? Would they if they had no choice? Sounds like a science project in the making: "What Garden Plant do Snails and Pillbugs Prefer?" There must be some preferences, they left a lot of plants alone. Knock on wood...
so, they'll help me identify the culprits and give me some advice.
I grew these babies from seeds! Some in the house since January! This is upsetting! I am literally in tears!
Eggplant:
Mini pumpkins:
No photos of the missing amaranth and dill (or yarrow) seedlings, since they are nonexistent now. But, they were there yesterday. A tiny little red amaranth, and several lacy carroty sprouts.
I am mostly heartbroken over the hartwort (no pun there, it's true), as it is something unusual, and a winter sowing success. 3 of the 4 plants are "spider" forms now, the last has one missing "leg." They were what I noticed first off this morning. I was looking forward to the strange seed formations. Plus, those seeds came all the way from Greece! I do have more seeds, perhaps it's not too late to resow. But, first to find out what ate them.
The lupine was in the Butterfly Garden, and the amaranth in the old raspberry bed, neither near the vegetable garden beds. The eggplant was in a different bed from the hartwort and pumpkins. Apparently the pumpkins weren't as tasty as the eggplant and hartwort.
There was no snail-trail, and I'd laid down bait a few days ago. Never saw any victims though. Pillbugs? Sowbugs? Earwigs? There must be a huge infestation hiding in the crevices if so! Why last night? Did a multitude just hatch, get born, whatever they do, last night and there were scores of hungry infants?
When something like this hits, it goes to show I don't know the least thing about gardening!
Why don't bugs/slugs/whatevers eat weeds? Would they if they had no choice? Sounds like a science project in the making: "What Garden Plant do Snails and Pillbugs Prefer?" There must be some preferences, they left a lot of plants alone. Knock on wood...
Oh no! That is so sad, especially when they ate your seed babies! I hope you can figure out what it is so that you can stop them from eating more.
ReplyDeleteOh, wow! I feel so bad for you. And here I was feeling jealous. ~shakes head~ My biggest problem is the huge trash tree and weed filled field behind our house combined with my laziness. Heh... It's not you to blame for this, I'm certain. You're an amazing and hard working gardening from everything I see. Hope you get to the bottom of the mystery and find a solution.
ReplyDeleteI have a large weedy field (lots for sale, condo plans approved, but have been for years) behind me too, close to the garden. Maybe the nasties are migrating. They did mow it (by June 1 the city requires nothing over 10" remain) recently.
ReplyDelete