What's Growing in the Garden

Our first tomatoes are about grape size right now. Okra plants are finally up and should really start to take off with this warm weather we are having.
I
also noticed about 3 of our 65 different daylily varieties are loading up with scapes. It shouldn't be much longer before our flower beds are bursting with color.
 
The little species tulips have started to bloom.

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And I've got some daffodils planted in partial shade that bloom along with the wild Virginia bluebells.

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I went out to the garden and found the potatoes had sprouted. Then I found a half dozen had been dug up by something. Looks like the critter was after the fertilizer.
 
I just got potatoes planted this afternoon. It was really too wet, but already two weeks late and another half inch of rain predicted by morning.
 
How do you guard your tulips against deer? Two consecutive years I planted a 50' row in my garden, and deer got every one.

Your potatoes, you hill by hand (shovel)? Or other mechanical means?
 
djg said:
How do you guard your tulips against deer? Two consecutive years I planted a 50' row in my garden, and deer got every one.

Your potatoes, you hill by hand (shovel)? Or other mechanical means?
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If you look close at the tulip picture, you'll see some sections of fence that are over them. I also use "Plant Saver" deer repellent. It's expensive, but works. Just be aware though that coons like that repellent and will tear open the cloth bags and eat it. Now, instead of using the cloth bags, I just sprinkle the repellent around the tulips (and other plants).

Edit: Another thing I've learned with the repellent is that you will have much more success if you have the repellent applied before the deer start feeding. If you have a history of deer problems, get the repellent out as soon as the plants emerge. That way the deer will stop frequenting the area as they sense nothing worth eating. If you have feeding occur before the repellent is applied, you won't be nearly as successful in preventing damage.

I use a garden rake to hill the potatoes. I till each row with fertilizer, dig a shallow furrow and plant, then run the tiller on each side of each row, and use the rake to form the hills. If we get heavy rains that erode the hills, shortly after emergence I will till again to loosen soil and reform the hills.
 
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trc65 said:
If you look close at the tulip picture, you'll see some sections of fence that are over them. I also use "Plant Saver" deer repellent. It's expensive, but works. Just be aware though that coons like that repellent and will tear open the cloth bags and eat it. Now, instead of using the cloth bags, I just sprinkle the repellent around the tulips (and other plants).

Edit: Another thing I've learned with the repellent is that you will have much more success if you have the repellent applied before the deer start feeding. If you have a history of deer problems, get the repellent out as soon as the plants emerge. That way the deer will stop frequenting the area as they sense nothing worth eating. If you have feeding occur before the repellent is applied, you won't be nearly as successful in preventing damage.

I use a garden rake to hill the potatoes. I till each row with fertilizer, dig a shallow furrow and plant, then run the tiller on each side of each row, and use the rake to form the hills. If we get heavy rains that erode the hills, shortly after emergence I will till again to loosen soil and reform the hills.
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I have found that just the regular dial bar soap is a great deer repellent, and it's cheap!

We have so many deer in our area that I have put up my electric fence to keep them out of the garden and flower beds. It's also a great entertainment to watch our dogs and the deer test is out. It's not enough shock to hurt anything , but they don't like it 😂.
 
2feathers Creative Making said:
Best I have seen is double fence. Maybe 4 to 6 feet apart. By the time they hop one, they are into the other. Helps if they are both hot wires.
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I've used a 2 wire fence for several years now. Top wire is about 3.5' and the lower is about 1' off the ground. I just have to spray roundup around the perimeter to keep it from grounding out. That low wire really works well on keeping coons and possums out.
 
Eric Rorabaugh said:
Nope, not out of season hunting. We have kill permits for damage control. So nothing illegal 🤣
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I don't feel a need to say this among most of the company on this forum but, you never know who's reading this and I've just recently had more than my fill of stupid with firearms. Putting down deer that are destroying food crops is lawful for farmers and private land owners, but please insure a hard, impassable backstop beyond your intended target. Something other than your neighbors house or a wooded area where people may be. One of the many reasons people hunt from tree stands is that it puts the ground beyond the deer as a backstop the bullet can't go beyond. Far too many new gun owners out there lately that have no clue what they're doing. :old:
 
Most of the time, crop damage kills are done at fairly short range. I have acquaintances who use shotguns with slugs for this. They don't travel so dang far across the flatter areas where our crops usually lay. Also have one friend who regularly uses a combine as a hunting blind putting him at a very nice ground angle most times.
 
Looks like it will be a good fruit year. Wild plums are in full bloom as are the pears. Apricot and peach blossoms survived the cold temps of the last week and the apple and cherry trees are showing color.

Here is a pic of the wild plums.

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