The protective knee-hi’s (click on link and scroll down) I have the eggplants sporting really provoked the critters.
Went to the garden yesterday (Tuesday) morning and this is what I saw.
The critters chewed at the base of about ½ of my Chinese long bean plants. Now all those plants (left of photo) are wilted including the beans. Would you believe most are the red noodle long beans!!!!! I may not be able to save seeds for next year’s planting.
Click here to see what the bean plants looked like in Monday’s post.
The eggplants are directly behind the chewed up bean plants
The critters decided to create even more havoc.
Feasting on my sweet potatoes. Mind you, not just any sweet potato (I planted a few varieties), but the harder to obtain purple ones.
Oh yeah, the critters are determined to get even with me for depriving them of their favorite Ping Tung eggplant. Can you believe the smart critters did not touch the other 2 (skin not as tender) varieties planted next to the Ping Tung!!!!!
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Oh Norma, I am so sorry about your beautiful beans and eggplant; that’s so disappointing. I’m sure it’s a small consolation that the critters have to eat and you’ve provided for the balance of nature.
Do you think if you created a garden just for them they would leave yours alone? Have you tried spraying with hot pepper and water? It supposedly irritates squirrels but not birds. I hope you fare better for the rest of what’s left of the summer.
Hello Eva,
Right at this moment, I am not happy to be providing for the balance of nature.
How disappointing when this happens. I know when it happened to me I just felt frustrated and I wanted to stamp my feet and feel sorry for myself. Better days will come.
Hello Maureen,
I was not at all in a good frame of mind when I saw the plants yesterday morning. Well I still have half of the plants, they may make up for the loss.
Dang critters. I hope you have extra seed to grow out next year of your beans. It would be sad to lose them.
Hello Daphne,
I fortunately did not get rid of the extra seeds left over from the spring planting. They should be still viable for next year’s planting. I exchange seeds with my sister so I will have her save extra for me.
Uh…that is so frustrating. Good luck!
Hello Amber,
It is very frustrating indeed, thanks I need the good luck with the sweet potatoes.
I am so sorry you lost those beans! Darned critters! They are so hard to deal with.
Hello Patsy,
Yes those critters are hard to deal with especially since I have no idea who or what I am dealing with. I am hope the remaining plants, if they stay remaining, will make up for the loss.
That is so disappointing. I’m really sorry about the destruction of your harvest. Thank goodness you have so much more going on in your garden xx
Hello Charlie,
It is very disappointing, I am hoping the remaining beans will make up for the loss.
Oh no! You need someone with a 22 to take them out!
I know every time I look out my window and see a half eaten tomato on the ground I start to shake violently!
These creatures are tenacious that’s for sure.
Hello FC,
I keep forgetting to let you know I like your new photo.
Yep, these critters sure are tenacious.
Sounds like your critters have no other options. Over here the squirrels are chewing the seeds out of pine cones and I suspect the chipmunks are eating Norway maple seeds as well as my cherry tomatoes.
You might try spraying the base of your remaining plants with repellent. Most animals won’t get past the bottom and the parts you want are up higher. I sprayed after the deer ripped out my fence a couple years ago when I was afraid the rabbits would chew through my pole beans.
Hello Mary,
What did you spray with? Of course my critters have other options, they can go into the forest and find tons of goodies.
Oh no! They are frustratingly clever, and they do so much damage.
Hello Kristy,
I agree, they are frustratingly clever, sure wish I knew for sure who or what I am dealing with.
I saw this post’s title and was saying, “Oh, no!” before I even read another word. Sorry they not only had a nibble but that they ate so much that next year’s seeds are in question. I hope, if nothing else, at least you can salvage enough seeds for next year. Fingers crossed.
Hello John,
I still have seeds leftover from spring planting and they should still be viable next year. I already alerted my sister to save extra seeds for me.
;-( My green bean plants have suffered the same…so sad to see them dying…
Hello Angie,
Sorry to hear about your green beans, yes it is sad indeed.
gardening can be a constant battle between the critters and the bugs. We had raccoon get our first bit of corn. Boy I was upset.
Hello Carrie,
Raccoons can be so destructive, sorry to hear about your corn, I would be upset too.
UGH! so frustrating! What did people do that had to depend on these crops for
all their food? It drives me crazy to have my plants eaten…..if they would only eat one all the way instead of damaging so many.
So sorry Norma, I feel your pain.
Hello Kim,
Thats what I always say, don’t mind sharing if only they will finish one thing all the way instead of nibbling on monay.
Oh no
I’m sorry Norma – it’s so sad to see something you’ve grown get gobbled up by some bug! And the sweet potatoes too… do you know what the pests are, or is it some “mysterious” thing which just pops out at night? 
Hello Charles,
I sure wish I knew who or what I am dealing with, could be vole, mole, mice, chipmunk, at this point no idea.
I would like to award you today because I believe your blog is fabulous
Enjoy my friend!
Check it out here: http://gobakeyourself.wordpress.com/2012/08/15/birthday-post-2-a-guest-post-at-cake-whiz/
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Hello Uru,
Thank you for the award, I am truly touched and honored.
I’ve been showing my mom your blog because she started her very own garden this summer.
Hello YC,
Cool, what is your Mom growing in her garden?
Oh NO Norma….This is sad news:( I kept on thinking how fortunate you were with your beans on your recent post……!! But as a brilliant gardener, I’m sure you’ll have it all much better next year!..or can you catch up with planting some more this year?
Hello Annie,
Comparing Monday’s photo with Wednesday’s photo, what a difference 2 days make!!!!! It is too late for new planting, before long we will have first frost.
I thought up North you had less problems with all garden creatures, apparently not. Sorry about your lost plants, Norma. Do you know what creatures are massing up your garden?
you know I don’t have a big garden, I grow everything on the patio, so I plant two, max three plants of one variety. Last week I had a friend over and showed her with pride my eggplants, that were almost ripe (I wish I harvested it then). Two days later I looked at the plant and there were no eggplants. I though someone took it, and then to my horror I found them laying on the ground… Guess what? Ants ate it at the base and it fell of the plant! Shocking… and sad: I grew those eggplant from the seeds… I will see if it has more fruits (it’s blooming like crazy now!) in a week or so. Otherwise something else will go into that spot…
Hello Marina,
We have many garden creatures, big and small. Unfortunately, some are rabid, so one has to be extremely careful around wild life. Wish I knew what kind of creature/s I am dealing with.
So sorry about your eggplants, ants are the culprit, that’s a new one for me. I hope the flowers result in fruits.
Thanks Norma. I actually ended up spraying those ants with some organic spray because they spread to my peppers and flowers.
Hello Marina,
Hope that solved the ants problem.
Oh Norma,
You have my sympathies too! It is so upsetting and frustrating when thing like this happens. I have been trying to grow Quince for 15 years and this year finally had my first fruit form-just 4 but I was so, so happy and then yesterday found one on the ground and I almost cried…
Hello GD,
Oh no, how heart breaking!!!!! I hope the other 3 remain on the tree until you are ready to harvest.
Awww… So sorry to hear about the critter attack
I live in an apartment and so i can only grown mint leaves…lol. But,even those get attacked by teeny tiny bugs from god knows where….
Hello Cakewhiz,
These bugs and other critters are everywhere, no escaping. Hope you are able to control the bugs. Thanks for visiting.
So sorry about yout plant loss Norma..it must be sad to see the plants you waited for wilted
Hello Sawsan,
Such is the life of a gardener.
Aw, man! I hate it when that happens!! Animals are very smart, so I can see why they’d choose your best produce
, but how unfortunate! I also have a problem with critters, but it’s with my tomatoes! Any time one is even close to ripening, I’ll wake up the next morning and it’ll be gone. So disappointing.
Hello Jackie,
I am more than willing to share, what annoys me is they take a nibble here and a nibble there, plain refuse to finish one thing before moving on to the next.
Norma, how annoying for you!! We fight hard against the bugs in summer too – it’s almost impossible to grow some things in our yard. One suggestion from our gardening guru Linda Woodrow’s book was to have a pond – apparently it attracts predators to the garden. Or I guess you could spray..
Hello Celia,
It is really annoying. But then I tell myself the critters need to eat too. If only they will be polite and finish one thing before moving on to the next and not take a bite here and a bite there.
That is such a shame, I really feel for you. Looking back at previous posts, they were coming along very nicely. I hope you find more deterrents and that this doesn’t happen again.
Hello Greenhousestarter,
That’s gardening, never a dull moment. Many challenges but also many rewards, all balances out in the end. Thanks for stopping by my blog to visit.