Humble Beginnings

Garden v. Guineas???

All right.  I'm going to war ... with the guineas.  I think they're the culprits behind the green beanocide taking place in my garden.  Every day I go out to check on the garden and what do I see?  Green bean plants plucked from the soil and laying next to or close to where they were planted.    The plants just emerged about a week ago and are about 2"-3" tall.  It may not be the guineas, but right now it's just hard to know for sure.

The guineas are free-ranging and wander around the 1 acre piece we live on with my in-laws.  The guineas belong to my in-laws and are mainly set free to keep down the local snake population around the houses.  So, yes, the guineas serve a very huge purpose.  And, I kind of even enjoy their raucous squawking. 

However, when my garden is in jeopardy, I can't help but point a finger at those little guineas as they are the only ones I see meandering around the garden. 

None of the other plants are bothered (i.e. the tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, sunflowers, etc.)...just the green beans.  It's a mystery (as Lauren would say).  I'm going to have to put up some little wire domes over them until they get large enough where they can't be plucked up and out of the ground.

As for the rest of the garden, I've been able to finish planting everything today:

• 15 pea plants (planted the seeds today)
• 1 row of corn (just as a whim)
• 3 rows of peppers
• 3-4 rows of tomatoes
• 3 rows of green beans (if they're not plucked to death)
• 1 row of sunflowers (those really huge ones)
• 4 okra plants
• 30-40 pumpkin plants (these are all volunteers) - if we have enough pumpkins this year we're going to sell them
• 1 small row of lettuce
• 8 cucumber plants (planted the little plants today)
• some basic herbs

It's been raining off and on today - one of those gentle, spring-like kind of rains...the kind that's just perfect for the garden.  I look forward to the plants getting larger.  I need to take some pictures to show y'all how nice the garden's growing.

Hope y'all have a blessed day!

Untitled Comment

{ 05:09 , Wednesday, April 9, 2008 } { Posted by haflinger }

A garden oh my.. Still snow here lol..As I read your post I was thinking have you tried row cover ?so you don't loose anything else.
Blessings Sister Brenda

Untitled Comment

{ 10:25 , Thursday, April 10, 2008 } { Posted by homesteadinthemaking }

I did not realize that guineas deter snakes. I may have to have a couple of those after all. Although, we do like to grow a ton of peas. I bet that would not be a good mix.
Blessings,
Trixi