I enjoyed reading Ms. Country Mouse's post about the clarkias out in her garden, which were growing so nicely and much faster than the ones in the greenhouse.
Oh, how I wish I could report the same. Yes, late last year things were looking fairly promising, I had plants that were about 3 inches high, looking healthy. Then, one morning, I came out to find this:
Who could be the criminal? Not slugs, they would not climb up the stem to eat the leaves. Birds maybe, said my friend Chris, or Racoons which are common in these parts due to the unfortunate abundance of dog food and cat food. In winter, the city also removes some sewer grates so runoff is faster during storms, making the trip from the nearest creek a breeze.
For now, I've sprinkled some hot pepper amongst the remaining plants, but it's a bad feeling to be so totally powerless.
So, dear readers, do you have any idea who this could be, and any advice?
Comments
Do you have rabbits or voles, perhaps?
For prevention of damage, if you have any row-cover, even very light weight row-cover, you could try using it as a physical barrier to protect these plants at least until they're a little larger. That, or maybe some raspberry netting?