Bubbies probably wouldn't approve...

We've had some pest problems in the garden over the passed couple of weeks. When I planted the chard seedlings out two weeks ago, I came back the next morning to find most of them all eat down to the ground. Whatever had done that had also taken a few nips out of the nearby lettuce, but hadn't touched the fennel, cilantro, dill, or onions.

Then last week I noticed what I think were deer tracks in the garden. They had pummelled some of the carrots and beets I had just seeded, otherwise hadn't done much else. That's because I was prepared... I covered the lettuce and other leafy things with row cover.

(Most of the row cover pictured here is covering the squash I just planted, but the far right hand corner is covering the greens.)

So it's deer then, right? Well, a neighbour says she's had trouble with starlings eating her baby greens. But since I saw the deer tracks I'm going with that. I did some reading and surfing to see what other people do to get rid of deer. Peeing on scarecrows? I like it. I haven't built a scarecrow yet, but that's coming. For the moment I'm just peeing around the garden, and I'm lucky enough to have housemates willing to contribute their stinky excresia -- (but not willing enough to walk out to the garden: hence, the Bubbies jar).

Nothing seems to be eating the peas, beet greens, or spinach that's come up so maybe it's working. Although yesterday I had the row cover off the brassicaes for an hour or so and when I came back:

No more kohlrabi. So now I'm thinking it is birds in the garden. Time for hanging tin cans and building a scarecrow I can pee on.