Garden and FoodCategory Archives

The phenomenon of birds plaguing vegetable gardens is one that is familiar to most people who farm or garden. With those enticing edible goodies just there for the taking, feathered bandits can become very bold. However, there are some steps you can take to protect your crop against hungry birds.

One classic tactic is to put up a scarecrow. This can be a fun project that will allow you to express your creativity. Just find some old clothes and straw or other materials for stuffing, and you can erect this guardian in your garden. Many birds will be startled away by the presence of a human-like body and will keep their distance, at least for a while.

Of course, if the birds continue to come and see that this figure never moves, they will probably catch on that it isn’t actually alive. You might try moving the scarecrow to another part of the garden every week or so in order to keep the intruders on their toes. Another possibility is to incorporate windsocks or pinwheels into the clothing, sticking them out here and there so that it looks more like the scarecrow is moving, which is much more intimidating.

Another option is to put a real guard there. If you have an outside dog, why not station its doghouse near the garden? That way, when birds come to make off with those vegetables, the dog can scare them away by barking at them. Moreover, just seeing the dog there in the first place will deter some birds from approaching.

You might also consider scattering posts throughout the garden and suspending strings between them so that they flap in the wind and made it harder for birds to land on the ground in between. Any object that is going to move on its own is a good choice because it contains the element of surprise. For instance, some people put toy snakes in the garden, but these are more effective if they can be rigged up to provide the illusion of movement.

Fooling ravenous birds is not an easy task, so you need to employ some creativity. It’s best to set up your decoys at night so that the birds will be less likely to see what you are doing, and you might have to change things around fairly frequently to keep them confused. During the daytime, you yourself can keep them away as you tend to the weeding and watering, but when you are not there, these tricks should help keep your garden feather-free.

The chill of fall is in the air. The leaves are thinking of turning and the spring garden is tilled under in anticipation of the first frost. The fall garden is in full swing and spices are lined up on the counter, ready to turn baskets of winter squash into sweet and savory treats. The only thing we are waiting for is the harvest.

In the northern hemisphere, winter squash generally comes into the house around September or October. Conventional wisdom says to leave the squash on the vine until the first frost has passed, but anyone who has had a squash go overripe might think twice about that. Winter squash gets all of its wonderful storage life from its thick, protective skin. Underripe squash will not have that thick skin, so it is more likely to turn bad in storage. It is vital to get the timing right for harvest or you might lose your winter squash.

Harvest time is dependent on location. Light levels and temperatures can vary tremendously. The date of the first frost is later for southern gardeners than it is for northern gardeners as well. All of these things can speed up or delay harvest.

Most vines are green when the squash are forming, but turn color when they are ripe. Winter squash is supposed to be at its peak when the vines are brown. This could be just after the first frost or it could be days or weeks before the frost. Keep in mind that the stem color is not always a foolproof sign of ripeness. Sometimes a brown vine is a dead plant, so make sure that the fruit is ready really before you pick it.

The best way to judge ripeness is to do it in much the same way you would at the grocery store. Winter squash should be the correct color for the variety that you are growing. All of them have a deep color, no matter what the variety. Avoid harvesting squash that is too light. The skin should be matte rather than shiny. Shiny squash are underripe. Winter squash should be firm at the time of harvest. If you can nick the skin with a fingernail, the squash is not ready yet.

Once you figure out the right timing for harvest in your area, mark it on the calendar. If the weather is similar, it should be about the same time every year, but your squash knows best. Make sure you check with it before you harvest.