Here is what's left of some recently planted kale:
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
What's So Great About the Kale?
This has me truly baffled...
Here is what's left of some recently planted kale:
And in the adjacent bed, these lovely gourmet winter greens...
The astute observer will note that there is some kale mixed in with the mixed greens - and yet, bed A was decimated while bed B was virtually unscathed! The most likely suspects are raccoons... I blame them for everything these days as they were responsible for the wholesale massacre of our lovely Indian Runner ducks. Any ideas how best to protect our garden beds from future night raids by the masked bandits? Please post suggestions in the comments...
Here is what's left of some recently planted kale:
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Sandy wrote to suggest:
ReplyDeleteI had no idea raccoons would eat kale~! I looked up these "Raccoon - b- gone" remedies on line:
Coyote urine lol-we all have lots of that lying around.
Try planting marigolds around the yard. Marigolds let off a smell that raccoons do not like and will avoid.
You could also try Blood Meal.
and what Arwyn said about the chili spray - mixed with biodegradable dish soap to make it stick. Good luck!
Arwyn wrote:
ReplyDeleteHmmm... there are plenty of raccoons where I live and they haven't eaten any of my kale. Maybe that's because they've been coming in the cat door and eating the cat food instead...
You could cover the bed with a sheet of remay (the white, lets-light-and-water-through stuff). That would keep it warmer and extend the growing season, too... My other suggestion is to spray it with a mixture of chili peppers and water... but then you'd have spiciness on your salad greens and you might not want to eat them, either.
Wow, Arwyn - those are some cheeky 'coons you have in your neck of the woods! They remind me of the burly rats who come into the tackroom to eat the barn cat kibble... Maybe we could do some sort of perimeter spray of the chili pepper mixture...
ReplyDeleteSomeone else suggested a strand of electric wire 4-6" off the ground all around the beds - I might try that, too.
Sandy, I wonder if dog urine would work? We have plenty of dogs... though, the collection process boggles the mind! Our marigold have all shrivelled up and died, which might explain why they aren't having much of an effect... Blood meal, hmm? ...