Saga of the Cucumbers and Garden Critters

Around Memorial Day weekend, I planted 3 cucumber seedlings I had purchased locally. I placed them around the trellis, two in front and one in back, hoping they would grow up rather than out. We were going out of town for a week and I wanted them to have a good start before we left.

June 6

When we got back, I noticed two of the plants had been chewed off and a hole in the dirt along the timber. I stuffed the hole with a rock and bought two more plants to replace the two chewed ones. Within a few days, a new hole was dug, and the new plants were also destroyed. 5 cucumber plants so far.

I went back to the garden center and bought 3 new plants and had a discussion about the critter eating my plants. I purchased rabbit repellant, rodent repellant and placed the tin cans around the new plants. 8 cucumber plants

June 21

The rodent repellant (and the cans) must have done the trick because the one plant from the first planting and one from the second planting not in the cans were still there, but not growing. 

August: I have been picking cucumbers and in fact took 6 slicers along to the Black Hills last week.

August 20

OK. So critters are still there as evidenced by the chewing on the cucumber hanging closest to the ground. The big one on the right was in the can touching the ground, but they did not bother it. I will definitely have to do something a little more permanent once the growing season is over.

I had also purchased 3 different tomato plants: one salad tomato that I thought was grape tomatoes, one bigger tomato for sliced tomatoes, and a lemon tomato plant because it is lower in acid. By July 6th the lemon tomato plant was dead. It was near the cucumbers and critter holes, but wasn't chewed or eaten. It just died. 

We have eaten some of the salad-I thought grape-tomatoes but the plant did not produce the amount of fruit I expected. 

There will be at least one ripe tomato very soon. But I have to laugh because I have seen photos of friends' tomato plants and pickings, and my plant looks quite puny. Oh well...it is what it is.

something has enjoyed this flower all summer

it never bloomed

Even with all the rabbit repellant and Hubby's successful 'hunting' skills, rabbits are still feasting on my flowers! They've eaten so much I don't know if this was a daisy or a marigold!

 I know this was a marigold

the rabbit did a lot of damage this past week

and I thought marigolds were supposed to repel critters!

found this plant hiding under the milkweed

insects have gotten it, too

the milkweed plant

no evidence of Monarch butterflies

this plant is HUGE!