As I’ve walked through my yard over the past few days I’ve seen great beauty-like White Lilies that smell soooo good, Zinnia Blooms, Fire Orange Marigolds, Alums, Nasturtiums and various shades of Pink Phlox. But amid all the beauty-something evil is lurking in my yard-something so mean, so destructive that it actually…pulled up my corn!!!
Whatever the evildoer is-it pulled up all of my corn-except 2 stalks-both of which were planted on the ‘good’ day for planting corn-so there goes my test.
The Deer Hunter thinks it was a crow-I don’t. I know crows will pull up corn-and simply lay it to the side-but I don’t think they dig holes too. Whatever pulled up my corn dug a neat little hole under each stalk. I think it was the little cutie pie chipmunks that run crazy through my yard when they think no one is looking.
Even though my luck has taken a bad turn-I’m still holding out hope for all the other corn participants-Nancy, Becky, Martina, Rick, WKF, Helen, and Warren.
The Evil Corn Puller Hole Digger is the only problem we’ve had with garden pests this year-what about you?
Tipper
I agree with Paula. I think you have raccoons, Tipper. We planted impatiens one year and they were looked so pretty in a nice row in my freshly mulched bed. The next morning I went out to find each plant upturned, not eaten or damaged, but a neat little hole was bored where they had been. I replanted those impatiens three times but finally set out a trap one night. The next day we had a caught a raccoon. We trapped three of them before our impatiens were finally left to grow all summer. I was told the varmints were after the grubs and things in the wet mulch under the plants. I’d never heard of such a thing, but evidently your critter wants what is under the corn.
How big was the corn? I was always in charge of the garden when I lived with my parents. They used to have a Basset Hound that would take corn stalks out of the ground, line them up in the yard, then eat all the corn off the cobs.
The flowers sort of make up for it though, right?
I was riding my bike through our development today and saw a corn patch. I was tall enough that they should be eating their one batch of it soon.
Oh wow that is crazy. Please let us know what it is if you catch the culprit. Once my sister and I when we were little pulled up all of my Grandmother’s jounquills. We were using them as “play onions” in our pretend outdoor cooking. My poor Grandmother nearly cried. I think she might have even liked to take a switch to us, but she didn’t!
That’s horrible! and kinda funny – he he 🙂 Do you still have more planted? My dog was eating the tops of my corn, until I scolded her a couple of times – finally it is growing!
Bummer about the corn. Little Vandals whatever they may be need to be stopped! I’ve had someone pulling up some of my flowers from time to time and I think it’s the raccoon’s. Don’t know why I think that, but they just seem easy to blame. The hole’s look suspiciously like yours…
As for my veggie garden, time will tell. We are having a wet, cool summer – which isn’t unusual here on the Oregon coast, but very hard on our fresh vegetables. Slugs are the biggest issue for varmits.
Sorry to hear about your corn. I don’t know what might have done that.
What wonderful flowers you have.
I love to eat corn but know absolutely nothing about growing it. That’s a real shame about yours.
Your flowers are ahead of mine. My nasturtiums haven’t bloomed yet but my zinnas look good. We were able to find the tall ones this year for cutting. You’ve inspired me to take some pictures of my garden, even though it’s small.
I’ve been on holiday for the last couple of weeks with no internet and looks like I’ve missed a lot of good stuff. Good to be back visiting with friends.
Sam
It’s so frustrating isn’t it? We love home grown corn, but the worms either get into it, and what they don’t get, the birds get. Love your pretty blossoms! On your last post with the songs of Tom T. Hall, I love all of his songs. Just loved that post as well. blessings,Kathleen
I didn’t know panther pee would keep critters away. I guess you’ll have to get the Deerhunter to collect some for you lol!!
You know the whole gardening think is risky business. Rain too much-not good, rain not enough-not good, bugs-not good, seed eating critters-not good, and plant eating critters-not good. Everything has to work in perfect harmony to produce a good garden!
The flower pictures warm my heart. I love Zinnias! My grandmother had such beautiful flowers and garden as well. The flower pictures bring back such memories, good memories!
I didn’t know there was a flower called Alum. Is that where Alum, that we put in pickles comes from?
Thank you!
Oh, I’m sorry!
Our garden adventures don’t turn out well at all, so we don’t have on this year.
All too often I get so caught up in making a funny or bright comment that I forget, for the moment, to stick to your subject.
First, the flower pictures are beautiful; so typical of your work. And, Your writing is always a pleasure.
As to the corn damage: We get voles up here and we get skunks; both of which will dig under corn seedlings to get to the remains of the seed kernal. I’d bet your little buddies, Chip and Dale, would do the same.
You know, waking up to cut worms having cut off young tomato plants probably evokes the same feelings as your corn plant losses.
Too bad the study regarding planting and doing by the signs isn’t going as well as you had hoped.
I think we should all do it again, with what’s left of this year, or do it again next year. I will say, though, that my garden is doing very well, looks great, and seems headed for good production and it was planted all in one day with no regard to signs or zodiacs.
Oh no, Tipper- I’m so sorry! Something has been digging holes like that around here, too… Hubby thinks it’s skunks, but I think it’s rabbits- I’ve seen so many of them lately.
At least you have a bumper crop of beautiful flowers!
Voles did the same damage in my garden. they eat from the bottom, whole plants would be gone.Sure hope I’m wrong.
Hi Tipper,
So sorry about your corn. I know how you feel. I lost a lot of corn one year to cut worms. Your flowers are so pretty.
Blessings, Annie
Now, I don’t know for sure what all the signs mean and whether or not if my potatoes had been planted on Good Friday they would have been more productive. I planted all of my garden in one day, during the Peony Moon, when all of our peonies were at last in full bloom. It’s all doing very well and the forty-nine volunteer tomatoes that I transplanted into a row during the Weed Moon (It’s the full moon of June 22, when I have let the weeds grow until it takes two days and fully-moonlit nights to clean up the garden) have every one survived and are setting fruit now.
My daddy used to make note of the first jarfly’s noise, and I heard one this evening. It seems early this year, up here in Northern Indiana; seems late July or even mid-August would be more typical and better; because, to me, the noise of jarflies, fiddling their cacophony for romance, fits a waning summer. I think my daddy said something like “The earlier the jarfly, the earlier the first snow”.
Does this signal a shorter growing season? Well, with sixty-four (I probably need psychotropic medical attention) tomato plants and the open-kettle method looming, I hope my daddy was right, that these things won’t grow a long time.
Next year, I’m going to chop down all volunteers, learn to use a Weed-Eater between rows and between plants, and, foremost, garden by your moons.
Your corn may not look so good, but your flower pictures are Beautiful!
Hey Tipper… I’m so sorry about your corn. I guess the chipmunks didn’t understand that it was a “test” batch of corn. Maybe next year Deerhunter can come up with something to spray around the seedlings, like panther pee or some other deterrent. I don’t know about chipmunks. We don’t have them around here. I see squirrel and rabbit deterrent in the gardening magazines, but the chipmunks I would have to do research on since they aren’t around here.
The corn is at least growing (sorry, Becky). I’ll be pouring the water on as we are looking at triple digit heat for at least the next week. I posted on it yesterday.Going to try to do one each week.
Squash bugs and Colorado potato beetles a are the nasties I’m dealing with now. Well, that and the heat.
Helen
I don’t have good news here either. We’ve had so much rain that the bulk of our garden is ruined this year. The good and bad corn are holding on but neither looks good. More as the summer progresses….
Strange. I don’t know a whole lot about critters, but that neat little hole it left is just strange!
White cabbage moths! Even though I planted three rosemary plants near the lettuce and still got leaf damage-holes. Guess that organic hint really isn’t working. The raised beds have netting and fencing around them. So far no rodent, bird or cat has gotten in.
We’ve been pretty lucky this year. Except the other night something bit the tops off of about 4 of my sunflowers and they also ate a little off the end of my bean patch. We’re thinking it was deer. Your flowers are very pretty!
Tipper,
The chipmunk is probably the one pulling up your corn. I have never heard of crows digging holes, but I suppose anything is possible. Sorry that your corn test didn’t work out, but looking forward to hearing how the others did.
Take care and enjoy the coming week.
Blessings,
Mary
I’ve had hornworms and other worms. The normal stuff, but that’s all.
Except for the fact that not one single corn seed has sprouted. So there goes my corn test. Maybe the others will have some luck.
Is it too late to start another one? I have some seed left over from my plantings.
Oh no, Tipper! A terrible shame! Hmmm. I’ve got a suggestion. Perhaps we can sprawl under your beautiful garden, have a picnic, then take turns standing watch for the culprit! Not very practical, but would be a wonderful experience! :))
Drat! I hope the remaining two stalks are saved and will show an accurate representation of planting by the signs.
Nasturiums…mmmmmm…those blossoms are excellent in salads. Peppery and good!
Tipper: Definetly looks like a Chipmunk and all they wanted was the seed. I showed today the Deer that has decided my garden is a feeding spot. I have a lot of trouble with the Chipmunks bigger evil cousin the Groundhog.
That is a strange thing! I’ve had all kinds of creepy crawlers in my garden, but nothing that pulls up the veggies. So far, my corn seems to be doing pretty well, I’ll try to post about it sometime this week.
Oh, no, maybe you should call the sheriff so he could launch an investigation? I hope the rest of your week is better.
The squirrels dug in my bean pot and got a couple of the plants. I think I have won against the visiting dog that tried to trample my corn to get to my chickens. I think the snails got to my sunflowers. *sigh*
I planted more than I have ever planted without much more success. It was a learning experience. My fall garden is going to be even bigger. We’ll see how it goes.