[Steelslady]

Originally Posted by MugCanDoIt

Steelslady: Your story was so funny! I wish I were there to hear your husband saying that to the squirrels! Thanks for sharing.........glad to hear from all you fellow gardeners!

Glad to share it- we need a bit of humor in our lives to get through the pains of gardening. I plan to get back into it in a couple of years, right now, my time is limited in the spring unfortunately to start a garden up.

[balloonlady]

Originally Posted by NickiB68

Have you thought about planting marigolds around the tomatoes? That's what my mom did, and she never had squirrel invaders. (and we had squirrels in the yard). I bet even just marigolds in pots around the tomato plants would work. Hang aluminum pie pans on strings in between the plants. They make noise and motion that keep pests away.

I tried this. Our evil squirrels just dug the marigolds up. They dig up everything. I have to plant 4 or5 flower bulbs to get one bloom.

[clessofme]

I dont know how to keep squirrels out but those pesky rabbits. I cover my entire garden with blood meal. It helps your plants and the rabbits hate it. You have to reapply at least a couple times a growing season.

Thanks to the blood meal and a little miracle grow I have more cherry tomatos then I know what to do with and lord help when the romas turn red.

[Idealmuse]

I have the marigolds too and I don't know if there is a connection but I've had little issue with things nibbling on my tomatos. Only issue I had was something was chomping on my butternut squash baby-plants so they never grew.

My mom did the fence thing because her garden is larger and she found the bunnyhole INSIDE the fence! She said they preferred thestrawberries. Heh.

Oh and squirls... I used to like them too until we had a condo and they ate out huge chunks of our railing.

[srmb60]

Yes, to the blood meal. I'd planted some things three times before I figured that out. It's working well.

[MugCanDoIt]

Originally Posted by clessofme

I dont know how to keep squirrels out but those pesky rabbits. I cover my entire garden with blood meal. It helps your plants and the rabbits hate it. You have to reapply at least a couple times a growing season.

Thanks to the blood meal and a little miracle grow I have more cherry tomatos then I know what to do with and lord help when the romas turn red.

So how do you apply it? Just sprinkle it on the top of the soil? How do you know if it is too much?

[clessofme]

I put it on the plants and the soil and follow the package instructions on how much I've been doing it for so long I just eye it.