Oh Geez!!! Today was clean the corn stalks out of garden. I pulled them late winter and they had big soil laden root balls. Left in place to dry out. Today I was pounding soil off the roots where they'd been pulled. 2/3 done and I'm wailing on this one hole with a big root and I hear screams, jumping back. Well momma rabbit had buried 6 babies in the hole. Too late now I'd beat the crap out of them before they screamed. I dug out moms cover to find bloody fur and wiggling babies. Had to quickly finish them off. I feel bad that it happened on one hand, on the other, glad there will not be 6 baby rabbits eating my plants. A million places to nest and she uses the garden. I'm sure she'll have a other litter soon but sure she'll move it else where. Got to get the coop finished and chickens roaming the area. I think they will deter the rabbits a bit. The open run will be around the interior fence. With the outer perimiter fence to keep preditors out.
So tell me, what do you think 16 baby bunnies born inside my garden would have done to it? I had AJ come to the garden with me this morning. I was planting the brassica and spinach plants when I hear screaming. I recognized that sound from the 6 last week. There goes AJ with his mouth packed. I didn't want him eating them all and did a release command. He dropped all but one and ran away to eat it. Another 5 crying that I had to dispatch when I heard more crying. I found the nest and pulled out 3 more and quickly ended them. Cleaned all that up and went back to planting when I hear another cry. There is AJ at the nest with legs hang out of his mouth. I Yelled and he took off with it. She had 10 in that nest in my oregano. Again sad but dang ! Get the hell out of my garden!
Prepped the bed for the tomato plants yesterday, found a half dozen dime sized painted turtles. walked them down to the bay they all swam away.
We are going down to low 40s' here this week at night that mean we will actually see mid to high 30's. I did get 2/3 of red onions in. Need to finish up and get whites in. Picking asparagus now.. my peas are going to be a bust this spring will try in fall.
Getting BAD WIND SHEAR. Now I've lost weight but no where's near thin. That said, I'm in garden planting when a gust blew in. It knocked me on my fan dan, ripped the low part of hurricane straps off all 4 straps on green house and dang near destroyed my plant tunnel. Which actually happened 3 more times as I was fixing it. Did get some pics before all that.
Nearly all brassica planted . I am also putting in a few of the experimental store tomato seed plants. I can afford to lose those if the sesther turns. They will be in a protective area semi under the plum trees. Against a fence and near a berm on one side onions and garlic on the other.
Oh my, those unfortunate 16 bunnies inthe garden, apparently pushed moms into overdrive. Walked Scout over to open up the chickens, baby bunnies and white cotton tails bouncing around everywhere. The garden will be a challenge this year!
I would recommend a 20 gauge so you don't have to pass on a running shot, start killing do not stop until there are none.
Yah fencing and dog activite for now . NYS remember they'd jump on a shooting out of season. Besides they can be considered a blessing when it comes to the # of hawks ,felcons owls and eagles we have hunting our sky. Breakfast before birds are let out and late dinner after they go in. That, not to mention weasels,pine Martin, Fisher out hunting. Believe it they raid the garden as well as love chicken. I now have 122 brassica in the ground. Preparing the potato for planting and sweet potato slips are in water rooting waiting for the weather to warm and the rains to stop. Night temps starting tonight are staying low to mid 50's now but day time will be in mid to low 60's several days. Tonatoes and peppers are waiting for the tiller fix, seals arrived today. Hot peppers have at least two weeks to wait I have melon starts and okra as well. That need just a bit more time. All grain plots which is actually way more than I thought, have seed heads. Looks like I'm just going to let it grow mature then flatten for all birds and turkey. That or mow dry and store for chicken bedding Let weeds grow up kill them and over seed and roll.
Oh I have lost chickens and pheasants and koi, and avenged the deaths laws be damned. Owls, blue heron, fox, martin, and a neighbors dog to a box trap inside the coup, sorry not sorry I take no joy, nor remorse.
A 76 yr old guy got busted shooting a blk. Bear eating his bird seed. Charged with shooting a , as they reported it, Deer/ bear out of season. The DEC admitted a nuisance bear but that means nothing. Poor old guy just wants to enjoy his back yard spring birds. DEC says you should'nt feed birds in your back yard until the bear are hibernating. At his age he probably thought F you, my lifes too short not to be able to enjoy what simple things life sends my way. Big stinking bear crapping in my yard destroying my feeders ....isn't one of them.
Nieghbor turned him in and correction 72 yrs old. Well it said " someone " called him in, I'm assuming . Scanned article as I walked home. NYODN.
@"#$%÷@$ stinking rabbits!!! So 3 tomato and 4 brassica. Now with time a few may regrow.I found some remains of roll of 7 ft chicken wire . I cut it in 3 sections and lined inside of welded wire. It wasn't a lot but finished one side plus another. Going to pick up another roll. Everything under the moth tunnel has been safe and growing Great! Just why I plant so many starts. I am lucky to end up with half of what I actually plant. Tiller parts never came untl Wednesday then rains.
Hubby is working on tiller. I got more chicken wire up whats already planted. I also cut back my out of control oregano. I planted it on a rock burm to utilize space, what a PITA! I might as well had planted mint on that burm. So that said, too thick for weeds other than an occational dandelion. Those roots grow a foot deep and spread at least 2 ft. out. Thats besides the thick mat surface spread.
Dang Ive been fighting against heat stroke out there. I last about 2hrs and then need to come in cool down and rehydrate with electrolytes. Tilled 1/4 of garden twice. Now raking and setting for alternating peppers and tomatoes . The chickenwire lining fence is.working so far. Replanted a couple of tomatotes. Onions are up. All strawberries are in flower or berry. Still picking asparagus and seeds from last year I pushed down deep actually are sprouting great. I have a tray of sprouted seeds I need to find a place for. I'm waiting on a few more sweet potato sprouts before planting them all at once. I should get at least a dozen sprouts. A cton or worms inthe soil.
