Thursday, 24 July 2014

Slugs, woodchucks, and other gardening conundrums

A brazen woodchuck went across the front of the house this afternoon, undoubtedly heading toward the beans, as I was reading on the couch (looking out).  Woody, our Golden is totally uninterested, of course, but I managed to rouse my gardening companion to help chase the woodchuck back into the forested ravine behind our house.

I'm annoyed at the herbivory (that this one) has done on my beans this summer.  While we were away, there's definite evidence of leaves and vines snipped (only the beans, at the point -- parsley and greens were earlier in the summer).

These are raised beds in the FRONT of our small house in the mountains, but it's definitely in an urban area, and really, woodchucks?  by the driveway?

Raised beds in May, 2010 (they're a jungle at the moment); click to see and read more about them
My other current gripe is slugs on the tomatoes.  OK, after last year, I'm glad to have abundant tomatoes, even if my variety is limited to Cherokee Purple, Indigo Rose, Better Boy and Sweet Million, with a couple of San Marzano struggling along. Hmm.  This is nothing to complain about.

But, as the big Cherokee Purple and Black Krim start ripening (the San Marzanos, too), the slugs appear and start burrowing out holes.  Yuck.  Time to harvest!

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