So, I was going to post an Adopt a Crop update today since WOO! I saw a new cucumber poke its head out of the other mound (there's two you know) the other day, but VERY SAD - it has been chewed to a nub by some evil bastard bug and now I don't have the heart to put up its picture.
And then the other cucumber sproutling got chewed AND THEN the volunteer lemon cucumber that I was getting all teary-eyed over and was offering up to a good home got totally demolished by whatever asshole bug is out dining on my garden. Like, took this very strong and mighty seedling down to a stringy threadbare mess.
SAD.
Thankfully I am very lazy (see, we can make this a good thing) because last night as I was consulting my organic gardening bible in The Library to figure out what I could do to entice these evil bastard bugs away from my tiny seedlings, I noticed some seed packets I'd shoved in with the gardening books and WOO! there were some pickling cucumber seeds from the days of yore. Oh! And also cantaloupe seeds - which will come in handy because something is eating those, too.
Anyway, it appears that after a previous seed starting extravaganza in The Library/Breakfast Nook/Greenhouse/Auxiliary Kitchen Storage Area I might have been too lazy to take the leftover seeds out to the garage (shocker) and, well, just shoved them in between my garden notebook and Melons for the Passionate Grower for later.
Ta Dah! Later is here and some shithead is eating my plants so this strategy of seed hoarding in the kitchen worked out. Muhuhahaha!
Just like I planned.
Anyway - no photographic Adopt a Crop update for today. But know that I'm fighting an intense war out there and will get back to you with updates from the front.
But only after I return from my yearly trip with Kelli. YAY!
Member last year how we went to Santa Fe? Yes. Well, this year we are going to Portland because we hear a lot of nice things live there. Like fabric stores, yarn stores, big sexy farmer's markets, some kind of Saturday Market of crafts, museums, coffee, good food, you know...
So, I am leaving my garden in the hands of, well, no one really. The sprinklers will sprinkle it and hopefully My New Strategy of mulching the seedlings with plastic will keep some evil bugs away long enough for these guys to shoot off some new leaves before I get home.
And in the event that I return from girling it up in OR to find a stringy mess of forlorn cuke seedlings, I will reseed with the ones I found in the kitchen and pretend I planned it all that way. OH, and then if those seedlings don't make it either (distinct possibility) I will be able to be found scouring the aisles of my local nurseries for two pickling cucumber plants and a nice strong cantaloupe.
And then I will thank you to not be too disappointed in me for resorting to buying seedlings rather than growing direct from seed because I think you can see that the tiny seedlings hardly stand a chance against these asshole bugs and there are only so many little green lives I'm willing to risk for pickle-able cucumbers, OK?
Ciao.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
8 comments:
[2013 update: You can't comment as an anonymous person anymore. Too many douchebags were leaving bullshit SPAM comments and my inbox was getting flooded, but if you're here to comment in a real way like a real person, go to it.]
Look at you commenting, that's fun.
So, here's the thing with commenting, unless you have an email address associated with your own profile, your comment will still post, but I won't have an email address with which to reply to you personally.
Sucks, right?
Anyway, to remedy this, I usually come back to my posts and post replies in the comment field with you.
But, if you ever want to email me directly to talk about pumpkins or shoes or what it's like to spend a good part of your day Swiffering - shoot me an email to finnyknitsATgmailDOTcom.
Cheers.
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My friend and neighbor Sean said his cukes were eaten by a slug too. I'm not putting my cuke seedlings outside until they are tall enough to defend themselves!
ReplyDeleteHey, when you go to Portland, will you "adopt" a maple bacon bar at Voodoo Doughnut for me?
Your crops (from previous posts) look great! Damn that evil bug. Hope you have fun in Portland, it's high on my list of places within the US to visit!
ReplyDeletehave a great, gorly time! it sounds like so much fun. i hope your garden survives without you!
ReplyDeleteSome nasty little squirrel ate my first tiny strawberry, the only fruit to ever emerge from that cemetery I call a garden. I feel ya, girl -- I feel ya.
ReplyDeleteOh, I bet you guys are going to have the best time in Portland! I've never been, but it does sound almost magical when the other 3/4 of the bloggers talk about it, right? Have fun!!
I am so jealous about your Portland trip. So much arty goodness there. And my favorite band plays--check her out (Storm Large. She usually plays at Dante's).
ReplyDeleteI think I'm going to buy some of those cute little snails that eat the standard garden snails. My seedlings aren't up yet, but I want them healthy and thriving.
Poor cucumbers.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your trip.
shit!
ReplyDeletehow do slugs feel about cayenne pepper?
I don't know if it'd work with the critters you're dealing with, but I used yard staples and ground cover (I bet cheesecloth would work?) to completely protect summer squash/zuke seeds/seedlings since something kept eating them a few years ago. Worked like a charm! I had to loosen the ground cover material once in awhile - the plants were really growing into it and pushing with all their might, but I was so determined to protect them from squash bugs and cucumber beetles! I didn't take the cover off until they got close to blooming - and boy did I have a bumper crop that year!
ReplyDeleteI've read you can sprinkle a circle of various things around plants to deter some critters - diatomacious earth, wood ash, etc. I don't know what particular ingredient would do the trick for your particular critter, but it might be work looking into!