Here is the problem…
Here is the solution…
Last summer I grew cherry tomatoes and bell peppers. The squirrels ate more vegetables than I did. I’d go out in the morning and see my bell peppers half eaten laying on the ground. Same with the tomatoes. I tried sprinkling black pepper and cayenne pepper. Didn’t do a thing. I stockpiled some stones on the porch to throw at them. They’d move just out of reach of the stone I threw and sit there and look at me.
It got so bad that I gave up. They won. I decided to grow flowers.
But over the fall and the winter I ran across information on composting and square foot gardening. I digested tons of information on the subjects during the winter and even made a few small batches of compost over the winter in plastic storage bins.
The garden is coming along beautifully. I had a few cabbage worms which I hand picked (actually I took a stick and knocked them off and then took a leaf and squished them…can’t touch the little buggers). I had a couple of rounds of them in early summer, and they went away. I had a short-lived infestation of white flies around the tomatoes. I mixed up a concoction of garlic powder, a little dishwashing liquid and a little oil. I sprayed two evenings in a row and once again a week later. No more white flies.
Now, almost at the end of summer, the squirrels have found my tomatoes. I went outside and saw my biggest tomato had been half eaten by a squirrel. I guess he wanted to share with me because he did leave me half.
Okay. I’ve been lucky this whole summer. I threw it in the compost pile.
The next morning, same thing. My second biggest tomato has been violated by that @#%*@ squirrel. I decided I’ll remove temptation from the squirrel. I picked all the tomatoes that were ripening on the lower part of the stems. But I knew I needed a deterrent, otherwise he’d be back as soon as some more tomatoes started ripening.
So, what is the Secret Sauce? It’s a little Me Juice (a/k/a urine). Now, don’t say ewww. It’s in a cup that’s sunken in the ground so that it won’t tip over and spill…although, you can use urine in your compost as a nitrogen boost.
When I come outside, the squirrels run. I figured if I left a little scent of me in the garden it would fool them. So far it’s worked. No more squirrel-bitten tomatoes.
Don’t be afraid to try this at home. We organic gardeners have to use what Mother Nature gave us.
Happy Gardening!!!
