Between yesterday and today (this is Thursday), something, SQUIRREL, ate the leaves, medium sized leaves, off one sweet potato plant – only a short stalk is left. So depressing. I had netting over it but the net was close to that plant, so the varmint ate it through the net. There was no part of the leaves left. That ten gallon grow bag was in the dirt garden. I picked up the bag and carried it onto the deck and fairly close, within 8/9 ft. or so of the sliding door into the house. I don’t know if the stalk left will grow leaves again – anyone know? The other three plants are fine. I covered the grow bag with row cover so surely they are safe now being up close to back door. (It’s now Friday and the plants were safe overnight.)
This experience has sealed it that, for now, I have to grow in containers on the deck. I think I can clear a space in the dirt garden to have grow bags bunched together and I have some fairly tall stakes that stand up by themselves to put in the center and on the edges and then drape net over the tall stakes so squirrels can’t get to the bags. I’ll do that when I get more plants in bags.
I have a question about baby seedlings (that is redundant wording, Johnny). I now have sprouted Sunspot Sunflowers in small paper cups and they are from 4 to 6 inches tall and the stems are substantial as are three leaves. They are in cups on a table just outside my door. When do you think they are grown enough that the squirrels/birds won’t eat them as they are going in the back garden area. After the eating of the potato leaves, I’m afraid to plant them at this time. I would ask the squirrels when the plants are safe, but they hate me (and I hate them). :o(
I have Mortgage Lifter little tomato seedlings sprouted from seeds and they are in cups. They are so delicate it’s scary – maybe 3-4 inches tall and so thin I wouldn’t touch them. They will eventually be in a large planter designed for tomatoes and be on the deck. How big do they need to get before transplanting them to the big planter and they be strong enough to live through the transplant? (The tomatoes I got earlier were from bought tomato plants so I didn’t have to decide this problem.) When I put these new plants in the tomato planters they will be properly covered with net so the squirrels can’t get them plus they will be on the deck.
See, this is my problem area – I have no experience. I have to be able to sprout seeds and get them in the containers and they have to live once I do that. I am using organic seed starter for the seeds and that seems to really work for sprouting.
I was in Walmart and bought 2 Neem oil in the sprayer bottles already mixed so I can direct spray and not have to mix with water. Remember, I don’t have the back 40 acres, will just have bunches of containers on a deck. If I had a large area, then I would go with the mix it yourself kind.
I hate to admit it, but I didn’t even have a bucket. I bought two plastic 10 qt. plastic buckets at Walmart so I could move potting soil mix or whatever I needed to move.
Again, the questions are:
1. Will my Sweet Potato chewed off remaining stem grow more leaves?
2. How big should the Sunflowers get before they are safe from squirrels in the garden when planted?
3. How big should tomatoes get before I transplant them into big tomato containers? They will be safe from Squirrels – they just need to be able to live and they are so tiny now in those cups.
As for the squirrels, I don't know. For some reason, I don't have any squirrels on my property. I do have stew in the freezer, though. ;)
The plants themselves should be transplanted now, they are big enough. The squirrels put a different spin on that.
/johnny
The seed pods next to the quarter dollar are tobacco seed pods. The tiny little seeds are from ONE seed pod. There's about 2000 there, since it was a small pod. I've got at least 50 seed pods out in the garden.
I'm not buying tobacco seed next year.
/johnny
I am thinking that the sweet potato might put out some more growth, but not sure where. All the Goji’s are putting out new leaves from the bottom except 1.
Obviously, I am just a newbie on sunflowers, so I don’t know.
As long as you have 3 or 4 regular leaves on the tomatoes(most plants in fact), you can transplant. Why not do some now, and some later to see what works best for you?
I got to researching baits this past spring, since the little buggers got more aggressive and totally cleaned out our three backyard citrus trees.....two very small scatterings of this stuff the first week of April - and have not seen one since.
1. Will my Sweet Potato chewed off remaining stem grow more leaves?
Two years ago rabbits (they get the blame at least) ate every single bean plant down to the ground except one I can only assume they were too full to eat—I assumed the beans were gone and would have to be replanted. But they sprouted and went ahead to produce heavily til frost— they were climbers so they produced til they froze that late fall.l I would wait a bit and see what happens. The plant ma come back.