July 30, 2016 8:00 pm | Fiddlehead Farm

A Tale of Five Bunnies

August 31, 2016
by Bob Fade

A while ago, I had noticed something was chewing on some of our seedlings. It was inside the fenced in area, which is always a fun surprise. The next few days I noticed more damage and tried to look for animal tracks, but didn’t find any.

One day while walking in the garden I scared up the hidden rabbit and he shot across the garden and out a small hole in the fence. I decided to come back the next day and patch up any and every hole I could find.

So the next day, tools and hand, I walked through the garden and scared the rabbit again, and again he went through the hole in the fence. Being sure he was out I could now patch the holes. As I walked towards the back fence there was suddenly movement by my feet in all directions. It was a nest of bunnies.

There were three of them, and they weren’t all that small. In fact it took me quite a few minutes to gather them all up. But I caught them and gently placed them outside the garden. Then I patched up the fence, feeling like I had gotten the best of mother nature this time.

A few days later I noticed new damage to some transplants. It didn’t take long until I scared up what was apparently a fourth baby bunny. But now there was no way for it to escape, I had gone over the fence meticulously, not concerned that it would keep things in as well as outhe.

I couldn’t catch the scoundrel by hand, so I bought a couple havaheart traps. The problem was, there wasn’t any baits that worked, the bunny was living in paradise, what could I tempt it with that wasn’t already growing everywhere.

I had hundreds of fall seedlings to transplant into the garden but I couldn’t risk the bunny getting them. So I took some two foot high fencing and built a simple fence inside the larger fenced in garden. Then I started transplanting.

After a couple of frustrating weeks, while transplanting some lettuce, I took the lettuce thinnings and baited the trap with them. There wasn’t much lettuce left in the garden and the next morning, the bunny thief was in the trap. He was released unscathed into the wild, and I am no longer being held hostage by an adorable little bunny.

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The Mid Season Blues

August 4, 2016
by Bob Fade

Some squash borer damage, overall it hasn't been too bad this year — Some squash borer damage, overall it hasn’t been too bad this year

This is the time of year when many gardeners hit the wall. It’s hot and humid, there are mosquitos, and the weeds seem to be on steroids. Staying motivated is difficult.

We’ve already eaten our first tomato and all the plants are basically doing well. Friends are going away for long weekends while I’m trying to find the motivation to go outside in this weather and pull weeds or plant something after already working a full day.

The leeks need some weeding, as do the paths

Early last week I had the garden under control, but 10 days later, after a few days of rain, things are going crazy. Weeds are everywhere and a small fungal issue before the rain has turned into some serious damage to the tomato crop.

I’ve had to regroup. I’m going to trim the diseased parts from the tomato plants and spray them with copper, it isn’t a fungicide, but it’s an organic control which will slow the progression of the fungus.

Some beds aren't too bad, but these paths are getting a make over — Some beds aren’t too bad, but these paths are getting a make over

I’ve also started attacking the weeds. I’ve decided to clear the pathways first. I usually let them get a bit weedy and trim them back with the weed wacker, but now I’m using a stirrup hoe and a rake to obliterate them and turn the paths back to soil only.

I’ve noticed that psychologically it helps to see the pathways clear, but it also puts the weed problems into perspective, the beds no longer look as out of control so it’s easier to get motivated. I’m also kicking things into fall mode, starting lots of fall seedlings and planting seeds.

Cleared paths with newly planted Brussels sprouts on the left and beans in the right

So if you have the mid season blues, get out there and get motivated, there’s plenty of growing season left.