This morning I planted beans again.
This is the third time.
The same beans.
Not the same *type* of bean.
The same actual beans.
Raccoons are not my friends.
After finding bean plants uprooted, scattered, and buried under dug-up soil a week ago, I hastily replanted them. The poor beans rallied and continued to grow, which was remarkable considering their ordeal.
This morning I found the same rows dug up again.
Disheartening, to say the least.
Again I replanted any intact plants I could find.
I'll keep watering and hope for the best.
But I need to better protect the garden from varmints.
(Yes, I said varmints. Strong word, I know, but this destructive behavior is unacceptable. Raccoons have plenty to eat without digging up my beans in search of worms, or whatever the heck they are doing.)
Earlier this season I experimented with planting hills of beans instead of rows.
This is the tidy garden the day I planted the seeds:
And this is the same garden the very next morning.
The three hills and a row of cucumber seeds.
Excavated.
Faced with such devastation, Moxie and I had to have a little sit-down.
Done.
But since putting up the fence, rows of bean plants have been churned up twice.
Does anyone have a tried-and-true method for keeping raccoons out of a fenced garden? Burying the fence a foot deep isn't an option here. I tried scattering cinnamon sticks along the fence and even along the bean rows.
For a few days, all was well.
Until this morning.
~~~~~
Varmints is the nicest thing I'd say about them. Short of building a greenhouse I don't know the answer.
ReplyDeleteI had all my cotton plants, three, and my sunflowers, picked by I think birds. Neatly gone, no digging, just holes where they were.
It's often a balancing act between enjoying the antics of wildlife and wishing they would find another hobby!
DeleteI don't have the digging problem, but the woodchuck is eating more than I'd like. I'm sorry you're having such an issue. It's disheartening.
ReplyDeleteOoh, I bet a woodchuck can eat quite a lot. They seem like chunky critters.
DeleteOh dear. I can't be of much help, I'm afraid. Our problem is the groundhogs that have moved into the garden . . . .
ReplyDeleteSo many chunky varmints! And like me, you have plenty of alternative spaces and food sources for wildlife on your property. It's maddening.
DeleteSorry critters are tearing up your garden.
ReplyDeleteOther than fencing barriers, plants they don’t like, and staying up all night guarding the garden, I don’t know how to stop the damage. I see online there are things to out down as deterrents. A motion detector for a strobe light and predator growl sounds might help.
May
What saved our rural garden was putting lots of real looking rubber snakes woven in our fence. We got them from a school supply on-line shop. We also dug down below the fence to install small gauge hardware cloth vertically 12" under the fence. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThat would be infuriating, Quinn. Our dogs are the best deterrent i know. Mr. Blowy, the air dancer is also pretty effective. What about sprinkling red pepper on your bean hills? The coons might not like that.
ReplyDelete