Pages

Monday, April 23, 2018

Harvest Monday - April 23, 2018

It was another slow week of harvests last week. April is not generally a big month in the garden but this year I have less than I might have had because of the rodents. They got my first broccoli plants, and other veggies that should be producing now. Anyway, Frieda Worlds snow peas continue to produce. I uncovered them a couple of weeks ago and the birds have not returned to attack them so I harvest a few handfuls of pods about 3 times a week. Powdery mildew is starting to attack the plants though so I suppose the end is in sight.

Frieda Worlds Snow Peas

That's the majority of the radish harvest. I pulled almost all of them to make way for other veggie starts that are ready to go into the garden.


And that was it for the week. What I'm missing most sorely this month is broccoli. I think it's going to be a terrible year for broccoli. The rodents are making their way through all my defenses and attacking the new broccoli plants just when they start to show the first signs of producing a head. I guess I'll just have to give up on growing broccoli and maybe cabbage too because the DR's got to my newest cabbage plants as well.

Harvest Monday is hosted by Dave on his blog Our Happy Acres, head on over there to see what other garden bloggers have been harvesting lately.

13 comments:

  1. This is all so sad. I wonder if you just grew a broccoli patch outside the perimeter of your defenses just for them they would leave the rest of thee broccoli alone?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Somehow I doubt that I could grow enough broccoli to keep them satisfied and I really don't want to take up any garden space to feed the damn rodents anyway. I would rather go without than feed them. And once the broccoli is gone then they will just move on to something else or just return to the harder pickings.

      Delete
  2. That is so sad about the broccoli, and no doubt maddening too. It seems like you are having more than your fair share of pest issues, despite all your efforts to keep them out.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ugh - how frustrating! I'm hoping that my critter war isn't as bad as it was last year, although I've already seen a couple of rabbits hanging around.

    Love those colourful radishes! I'll be seeding mine by weeks end, if this good weather holds up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh gosh, I hate to say it, but the critters are smart and once they find a yummy all you can eat buffet to tuck into they keep coming back. Good luck! I haven't had rabbits get through my defenses because they can't climb, but rodents always seem to be able to find a way through.

      Delete
  4. That's terrible about the critters getting your seedlings. It's a nightmare to deal with. I really hope some owls and hawks move into your neck of the woods soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are Great Horned owls and Red Shouldered hawks in the neighborhood. The prey always outnumbers the predators though.

      Delete
  5. That is so disheartening after all your work. Is ther anything that the rodents don’t eat? Jane’s idea of sacrificial plants sounds worth trying.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The rodents seem to dislike mustard greens, but I can only eat just so much mustard greens and my husband doesn't particularly like them. Chard usually gets the pass too. And as I replied to Jane, I have no intention of feeding the rodents as that just keeps them coming back for more.

      Delete
  6. I have so much sympathy for your war against the rodents Michelle. We have just one sprouting broccoli plan left which produced its first spears this week, but usually we have more than we know what to do with. I am trying chilli products and will surround the plants with a band of chilli oil in an effort to deter them

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm trying the hot pepper thing too. I save all the innards of the hot peppers that I ferment and/or dry and then whiz them up with water, strain the mix, and spray the plants with the mixture. And then I dry what's left, pulverize it and sprinkle that around. I think oil would be more durable than a water spray so I'm going to experiment with that too. Rodents are a total bummer, are they not? Good luck with your battles. Death to broccoli eating rodents!

      Delete
  7. I am sorry to hear about the powdery mildew.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I value your insights and feedback.