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Who’s Eating the Sunflowers?

1. Who is snacking on the sunflowers? They only started sprouting a few days ago. A happy thing because the seeds were several years old. 


2. Was it the snails? the slugs? the aphids? the birds? the squirrels? 


3. I don’t mind sharing some of the sprouting sunflowers with the bugs and such, but not all.


4. If the offenders could only read, I’d post a sign to tell them “No More for You! Move along!”


5. The experts say that the scent of marigold drives aphids away, so this morning I planted marigolds near the sprouting sunflowers. You go, marigolds!


6. It turns out marigolds attract slugs and snails. Make marigold plants your sacrificial lambs, say some experts. The snails and slugs will feast on the leaves and flowers at night to be easily picked off come morning. 


7. “Marigold or sunflower?” asked one snail to another. “Smelly thick leaves or young tender shoots?”


8. We shall see to tomorrow which the snails and slugs liked.


9. If I get my act together this evening, I’ll set out saucers of beer for the slugs and snails. (I treat them so well.) 


10. Last year, enough of the creatures partied hearty that some of the vegetables managed to grow and produce.


11. The aphids will get a concoction of soy sauce and dish soap with which to drown their sorrows.


12. Is that soy sauce trap for earwigs instead? We gots lots of those bugs, too, since we don’t rake leaves right away.


13. I hope we’ll be seeing sunflowers dancing in the sun this summer. 


It’s Thursday and that means Thursday 13








 

Comments

  1. I didn't know any of those tricks to get rid of the pests. We have sunflowers at the school. One day it just grew really, really tall. Now we've had sunflowers for a little over a month. And we keep getting more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We don’t like using conventional chemicals so I’m continuously researching natural ways to manage the pests…I’ve noticed sunflowers showing up earlier each year up here. If I remember, I’ll toss seeds in the fall to see what happens. Seeds grow when it’s their time, so I think.

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  2. But what can I do about moles? They are have tunnels and holes all over our yard and garden and sometimes eat our plant roots. It will be a few months before we see sunflowers. Happy gardening.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rats and opossums swing through the neighborhood now and then. Nothing underground, fortunately, knock on wood.

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  3. It always makes me laugh when I hear about people putting beer out to attract the slugs - they may very well drown but at least they die happy :) :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like to imagine them singing beer songs. lol

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  4. I had no idea beer attracts slugs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it’s the yeast. I found a non-alcoholic recipe for slugs and snails which I might try when the cheap beer is gone.

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  5. #5: That's why my favorite grandfather loved marigolds so much. Every time I see them, I think of him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The power of marigolds! It seems to be working. The culprits have gobbled one marigold already, leaving the sunflower sprouts to grow.

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  6. Hope the sunflowers survive and thrive. We always fed beer to our slugs when we had a garden (in Oregon). And planted marigolds around the edges of our tomato plants.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So far, so good with the sunflowers, yay! This year I’m growing 3 tomato plants in containers, one per pot. In one, I tossed lettuce seeds, another, nasturtium seeds, and the last, basil seeds. We shall see if the companions keep away the bad bugs. ‘Tis the year of experimentation.

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  7. I remember the beer trick. Kinda yucky to dispose of.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Especially when I don’t do it right away. Yuck!

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Thanks for the good cheer. :-)

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