My first garden plot!!!

[Moth1992]

Too bad it sounds like there isn't a fenced garden area separate from the playground? The community garden I had a plot in is fully fenced off with a locked gate, the only way you get in is if you have the code. It's a pretty tall fence too, I suppose someone could climb it but it certainly makes it harder to get into.

Yeah I wish. One of the clauses in the contract is i need to accept its a public park and stuff can go missing.

[Tormahto]

Today I tested my first prototype of the F-U- Gopher-9000 on some sorry looking garlics that hated being in a pot.



The garlics may not make it but it was good practice before I try with something more valuable.

Ive had like 3-4 people offer to come and show me how to set up traps. The antigopher solidarity is strong.

You didn't tell me that my front row ticket was for an R-rated performance.

[Moth1992]

Warmth is finally coming so im hoping i can get my tomatoes and peppers out of my balcony soon. Ive was working on more antigopher protection.



Ive been monitoring what looked like an active burrow next to my neighbours plot.

Then my enemy showed up. Cute little dude. Alas I hate to have to do this buddy but you have to go.

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[zeuspaul]

Fresh activity is the best time to trap.

[Moth1992]

Yes, i told neighbour so either of us will be putting traps shortly.

[karstopography]

I’ve been reading about gophers, evidently there’s a species native to my area, Baird’s pocket gopher. Botta’s pocket gopher is from my reading the most common in California. There’s five species in California. There’s supposed to be several species of gopher in Texas, until today I didn’t even know Texas had any gophers.

I’ve yet to see a gopher or evidence of a gopher here. Based on their reported behavior around gardens I don’t think I ever wish to see one. Good luck with excluding the gophers from your plot.

[Moth1992]

I planted peppers today!!!



The aboveground protection only goes up 4 inches....i think a gopher could climb that so im thinking about increasing it to at least 6 for the tomatoes.

Neighbour hasnt put a trap yet at her active burrow. I think she is very busy but she said she would so im kind if waiting. If she doesnt soon i will.

[zeuspaul]

I have yet to experience gopher damage from above. They like roots. The damage I get from above is from rats, mice, squirrels, rabbits, birds, snails and ?? Some of these critters are very good climbers. The gophers spend most of their time underground. They travel overground when relocating.

For an above ground barrier I use a cage made out of hardware cloth about twelve inches tall. Squirrels need to be trapped.

[Moth1992]

I have yet to experience gopher damage from above. They like roots. The damage I get from above is from rats, mice, squirrels, rabbits, birds, snails and ?? Some of these critters are very good climbers. The gophers spend most of their time underground. They travel overground when relocating.

For an above ground barrier I use a cage made out of hardware cloth about twelve inches tall. Squirrels need to be trapped.

Ive heard the gophers will gnaw at stems. I hope once i start trapping them the risk goes down.


Sigh squirrels. I still dont know what to do about those...

[Moth1992]

Today I set up some trellises for the big tomatoes using @GoDawgs technique.



Then i went to eat the 3 red strawberries when I see somebody has been muching on them!!!! Caterpillars? No. Slugs? No


It was rolly polies!!!.

I feel betrayed.

[MarkAndre]

The garden is looking really good though!

[Moth1992]

The tomatoes do seem happier than in my balcony. They get more sun and less coastal fog.

Ive spent quite a while trying to figure how to protect my strawberries from the rolies by mechanical means but I cant find anything. Ill try putting something under them so they dont touch the soil.

I wonder if i can ripen them off the plant...

[MarkAndre]

Someone will come by with a better answer, but just in case…

I joked about trap crop for kids. Perhaps if the roly polies had some preferred options available they would tend to leave the produce alone? It was kind of my impression that they will eat garden plants, but that it’s not a first choice for them. I could be completely wrong.

[Moth1992]

Someone will come by with a better answer, but just in case…

I joked about trap crop for kids. Perhaps if the roly polies had some preferred options available they would tend to leave the produce alone? It was kind of my impression that they will eat garden plants, but that it’s not a first choice for them. I could be completely wrong.

My understanding is they mostly like decomposing wood but they have a sweet tooth fir strawberries!

Cant blame them. They were really tasty.

[bower]

Removing any mulch around the plants would help. Also anything you can do to prop the berries up well off the ground.
That is if my guess of 'rollie poly's' being what we call 'carpenters' is right.

[Moth1992]

Removing any mulch around the plants would help. Also anything you can do to prop the berries up well off the ground.
That is if my guess of 'rollie poly's' being what we call 'carpenters' is right.

Sounds about right! Thankyou ill try that!

[Moth1992]

I removed some mulch today and propped up the strawberries with landscape staples. Hope that does the trick. I harvested 5 strawberries and they all were nibbled at.

On the good note, no gopher or squirrel damage so far!

[Tormahto]

Removing any mulch around the plants would help. Also anything you can do to prop the berries up well off the ground.
That is if my guess of 'rollie poly's' being what we call 'carpenters' is right.

I think perhaps just the opposite, and try to attract the bugs away from the strawberries, first?

Unless one wants to get rid of the bugs completely, using insecticides, placing bundles of slightly decomposing greens might attract them to that matter, rather than to the strawberries. The area between any piles and the strawberries should be kept clean, with perhaps Sluggo Plus added.

And, maybe a good pile of that debris can be scooped up in the early morning containing many of the bugs? If it was me, I'd add floating row covers right down to the ground, both to repel the bugs, and the biggest strawberry eaters, here, the birds.

In my front row seat, when is intermission? I need a big tub of popcorn and a soda.

[JRinPA]

'rollie poly's' being what we call 'carpenters' is right.

Maybe what we call Pill Bugs? Little grey things with overlapping back armor? Carpenter is a bee here.

[bower]

Pill bug or sow bug, are the same or similar to our 'carpenters'. Maybe ours are closer to sow bugs, they don't roll up in a ball, but otherwise their lifestyle is identical. Fond of the damp, fond of the wood, of course we have lots of em in my garden.
They will infest anything that covers the ground and holds in moisture, including pieces of wood, mulch, plant discards, row cover. If they get in your row cover here they can also chow down on small seedlings. They have shown fondness for strawberries, and summer squash, even though they're not generally a pest. They were literally climbing the squash plants which I had trellised upwards one year, in large numbers. They don't show any interest in other vegetables that I know of.