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Post by Jack on Feb 22, 2009 14:49:35 GMT -5
Last year's battle royal with an assortment of pests, vermin and uncooperative weather had me ready to give up all future attempts to grow a vegetable garden, but a persistent barrage of emails from seed companies and a batch of seed catalogs has sort of changed my mind.
I'm ready to try and grow a few rows of a new corn variety, some broccoli, carrots, hot peppers, herbs, strawberries and the squirrel's favorite lunch - tomatoes. I'm also looking at planting a dwarf avocado tree this year.
Is anyone else interested in sharing some growing tips, favorite tomato varieties or advice on dealing with pests?
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CM
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Post by CM on Feb 22, 2009 16:59:32 GMT -5
Jack,
You could not have started a more meaningful thread for me. After retirement I became an organic farmer. I have over 1,000 fruit tress, another 100 citrus trees, and another 100 of odds-and-ends. If it grows I probably have it. I’ll expand later for the moment I’m in the middle of planting 31 varieties of tomatoes.
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Post by lou on Feb 22, 2009 17:04:20 GMT -5
Jack, I, too, am ready to continue the good fight with the gophers. I already have in seed pots tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and corn and a variety of herbs. A friend and avid gardener told me to ring my beds with jalapenos, these peppers prevent gophers and those ghastly tomato bugs!
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Post by Jack on Feb 22, 2009 17:15:27 GMT -5
Lou,
I beat the gophers a long time ago with "The Gopher Tool" which is basically a hollow metal probe that lets you deposit poison pellets into their tunnels. It worked after all else failed. Amazingly, over the last three seasons I've had little trouble with tomato worms because the local birds (especially sparrows) patrolled the plants daily and ate them when they were small.
Squirrels and, unfortunately rats, are a bit more of a problem. Last season the squirrel population exploded around my house and they demanded to eat everything. I grew most of the vegetables in containers surrounded by plastic fencing, but the squirrels were relentless. I've had a "RAT ZAPPER" for several years and it works great on the mice and rats, but it's only good for the small less intelligent squirrels. Look it up on the web, it's really a fantastic device and just last night I dispatched a rather troublesome rat that was marauding the garage.
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Post by lou on Feb 22, 2009 17:34:03 GMT -5
Lou, I beat the gophers a long time ago with "The Gopher Tool" which is basically a hollow metal probe that lets you deposit poison pellets into their tunnels. It worked after all else failed. Amazingly, over the last three seasons I've had little trouble with tomato worms because the local birds (especially sparrows) patrolled the plants daily and ate them when they were small. Squirrels and, unfortunately rats, are a bit more of a problem. Last season the squirrel population exploded around my house and they demanded to eat everything. I grew most of the vegetables in containers surrounded by plastic fencing, but the squirrels were relentless. I've had a "RAT ZAPPER" for several years and it works great on the mice and rats, but it's only good for the small less intelligent squirrels. Look it up on the web, it's really a fantastic device and just last night I dispatched a rather troublesome rat that was marauding the garage. About 5 seasons ago, I did the jalapeno circle and had no gopher problems or that tomato creature. I don't have squirrels but the roof rat, yes. Between the coyotes and hawks, most of the critters are controlled, except the rood rats! As we bring in the Pest control people, they move either up or down or across the street! So the Gopher Tool, where do you set it? Do you have to deal with "remains?"
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Post by Jack on Feb 22, 2009 17:44:42 GMT -5
Lou, Here's a link to the company that makes the Gopher Tool, not to be confused with the "As Seen on TV" extended reach device with the same name. youngproductsinc.com/featured_products.htmlI got the Gopher Tool and the poison bait at Home Depot several years ago, but I think they still sell them. There is no messy corpse to deal with - it all happens safely below ground. You just have to be a little careful when handling the poison pellets.
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Post by Jack on Feb 22, 2009 19:10:49 GMT -5
I'm a little short on space in the backyard so I have to be careful not to get too enthusiastic and plant too much.
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Post by Jack on Feb 22, 2009 19:14:11 GMT -5
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CM
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Post by CM on Feb 22, 2009 19:18:13 GMT -5
Lou,
Jack is correct the gopher tool is affective, quick and clean. I don’t use it because I do not use chemicals. The problem is with dogs and coyotes, they will sniff out the dead gopher, dig it up and in the case of coyotes consume gopher and poison, resulting in collateral damage. Supposedly the amount of poison required to kill a gopher will not kill a coyote, but if I were the coyote I would want to know before I eat the gopher.
I use a more conventional method, and I’ve tried everyone on the market. There is a device sold at L&M Fertilizer in Fallbrook and Temecula called the “Black Hole,” not to be confused with the competing product the “Black Box.” Digging is required and if you have a lawn you are going to make a mess. In my test the “Black Hole” is about 90-95% effective. The “Black Box” is about 60% effective. The good thing about the “Black Hole” besides not harming the environment you get to see your kill and on the compost pile he goes. Both retail for about 10 bucks.
Rats are a huge problem. I’ll use barn straw for mulch, I also grow potatoes and use straw to cover the potatoes, the rats will live in the straw and in the compost. We do have a significant number of rattlesnakes and they eat the rats and mice, but I kill them since I’ve been bitten twice. Again at L&M I found a device it is a spring loaded metal box, there is a chamber that the rats and mice enter, when the step on the trigger a door opens and a wheel tosses them into a secured chamber. The device will hold about 5-6 rats and more than a dozen mice. It cost about $15.00 no bait required. The negative is you have to empty the storage chamber and if the rat is alive you kill it. But again they go on the compost pile.
Squirrels is another issue, they are a lot smarter than rats and gophers. If you don’t care about chemicals there is a product called PCQ. You will need a bait station, the squirrel enters the bait station and eats the PCQ and is dead in a few hours. This method has more collateral damage than the gopher tool, now hawks, owls, cats, and so on may consume the dead or dying squirrel. If you do not have significant numbers try a Have A Heart trap. I have very significant numbers but use a harmless bait. Squirrels do not have any elasticity to their digestive system so I use a concoction of wheat, molasses, corn meal and some other stuff. I call it squirrel candy, the squirrel consumes the candy and it expands after consumption and the squirrel explodes, kind of gory but it is safe and zero collateral damage.
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CM
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Post by CM on Feb 22, 2009 19:24:12 GMT -5
Jack,
For proper corn pollination you will need a minimum of four 25 foot rows, otherwise you run the risk of deformed ears. I grow four varieties, depending on weather the first plant of a cold tolerant corn will hit the ground about April 1st.
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Post by Jack on Feb 22, 2009 22:07:32 GMT -5
CM,
I haven't grown corn in a few years, but I do remember using a pollenation technique that made up for the lack of enough rows.
One thing I stopped doing was buying anything at the Walter Andersen nursery other than mulch and/or other amendments. Their stuff always seemed to come with critters and disease.
For my modest needs, I've relied on Home Depot or Armstrong garden centers. Home Depot, like 'em or not, does flush through a lot of product and is less likely to have diseased or infested plants.
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Post by Jack on Feb 24, 2009 12:14:36 GMT -5
PEST CONTROL I thought this California Kingsnake would become part of my pest control arsenal, but he didn't stick around. I also thought this Coopers Hawk would help with the mice and rats, but he prefers to dine on small birds. No help there. The Rat Zapper, on the other hand, works tirelessly to control the rats, mice and squirrels. It only asks for an occasional set of fresh D batteries.
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CM
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Post by CM on Feb 24, 2009 13:42:22 GMT -5
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Post by Jack on Feb 24, 2009 13:58:54 GMT -5
Looks like the one. I bought the "Ultra" model. The price on the site you went to is also cheaper than what I paid, but then they always try to get you with the shipping costs. I couldn't find it locally even though it was claimed to be carried by Home Depot. I bought mine 3 yrs. ago and it has performed well. In the picture I posted, the thing sticking out of the Rat Zapper is a squirrel tail. He shouldn't have gone after my tomatoes.
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CM
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Post by CM on Feb 24, 2009 14:48:40 GMT -5
I did not notice the tail, that is cool.
This afternoon I'll get you some tomato recommendations. I grow 31 varieties.
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