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seaturtle_gw

something ate my broccoli seedlings overnight

seaturtle
15 years ago

I put own 6 broccoli seedlings, healthy ones, yesteray. When I looked this morning, all the leaves had been eaten. It looked as if it had been done in big chunks.

There are no animals in my garden.

What could have done this so fast?

Thanks

Comments (7)

  • gumby_ct
    15 years ago

    Woodchucks?
    They eat my broccoli. But they don't come out at nite.

  • gardener1908
    15 years ago

    I have a woodchuck that lives about 15 ft. from my raised beds under my shed and I have never had a problem, not to say they wouldn't. It's strange, but there are a ton of rabbits and we have never had a problem with them either. What about raccoons?

  • joegardenpa
    15 years ago

    Few comments and questions. Have a woodchuck(groundhog) living uner my shed, next to my garden. I am still trying to catch him with a live trap. My compost bin is about two feet behind my garden, last year I saw him stretch from the top of the compost pile to the top of the fence to get in, and actually climbed the fecne ...about two foot wire fence to get out when I ran to the garden to get him. I did adjust the fence in that area since to try and keep it from happening again. I also have rabbits every where and not sure if they are able to get in the garden. Again fence in most area is about 2'. Only ever caught one rabbit in and it was a baby and squeezed throught the holes. I still loose plants chewed down to nubs. Have not found anywhere that someting has got through or under fence. Don't know if something is scaling fence or hoping over. I need help too.

  • billinpa
    15 years ago

    Groundhogs are actually very good lcimbers. They can climb trees with no trouble. Scared the crap out of me the first time I walked past one perched up in a crook of a tree.

  • ragtimegal
    15 years ago

    Seaturtle- do you have a fence? The rabbits ate my broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and carrots over night! They didn't touch the swiss chard right away, but I think they couldn't find a suitable alternative, as they eventually came back and finished those off.

    joegardenpa- I've heard many gardeners have added an electric wire to their fence. Maybe that would solve your problem? I think I read a post about someone wiring a bug zapper up to minimize the shock in comparison to a higher voltage fence...but I don't recall the specifics.

    :)

  • seaturtle
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I posted yesterday, but I guess it didn't go through.
    The bites are too small to be an animal, and the midrib and veins are intact.
    I took it back to the nursery today and it was flea beetles that apparently had infested the plant at the nursery. They gave me free replacement pack. I just hope my garden didn't already get infested from these broccolis.

    Re woodchucks: I caught mine easily. Hav-A-Heart trap, near its hole. Put in fresh green beans. For some reason, they go for these. Then, pack the critter up and take it far away. Try it with the beans. An old-timer Vermonter told me about this, and it works.

    Also for skunks: surround the garden with mothballs, making sure it doesn't rain and toxify the soil. The skunks will disappear. And never come back. May sound like drivel, but this worked, too.

  • Karen Pease
    15 years ago

    Rabbits love brassicas, so give them consideration.