Topic: Oh dear

[EnglishRose]

These past couple of months I've been busy working on my new (and *very* overgrown) allotment plot.  Imagine the excitement when it finally got to the stage that I could put some plant plugs in!!!

Well, I went down to the allotment yesterday to inspect the progress of my little plants.  Disaster has struck :'(

It would appear that wild animals (probably foxes) have been rampaging through my plot.  The fleece cloches that I had lovingly erected had been torn and squashed.  Plants not under the cloches had been disturbed and left bare-rooted, so they died.  The plot was a mess and very little has survived.

I've done what I can to salvage things and have put some chicken-mesh over the remaining plants as a short-term attempt to keep them safe.  But what can I do long-term to deter animals from destroying my plants in future?  Any suggestions gratefully received as I was rather heartbroken yesterday!

[chriscross1966]

Did you use chicken pellets or BFB when you planted?... If so then that's what the fox was digging for, they could smell carrion.... at this time of year you probably don't need/want to put any fertiliser down with a plant, it jsut encourages soft sapy growth that will get hammered by the frosts....

chrisc

[goodlife]

Oh..sorry to hear your problems...but unfortunately it is something we all have to live with..sometimes problems are caused by people, animals, insects..etc, etc,..list is endless..
And that is what us gardeners have cope with. We have to foresee possible intruders, bad weather, freak accidents..just like scouts..'be prepared' or to be able to see future is even better ::)
Foxes and cats often 'investigate' something that is new to them...in your case they took it too far for you. Fleece is very fragile stuff and is best used over plants loosely..not stretched much.
Often cats and foxes are after some little thing that is taken shelter under our covers..often mice...so actually they are doing good thing, is just unfortunate it doesn't go well with fleece.
Maybe you using something bit more robust is answer..chicken-mesh is good and in future if you still decide to use fleece use mesh over the fleece too.

[EnglishRose]

Hmmm, chicken mesh sounds like a good idea.  Come to think of it, I wonder if I could construct some sort of chicken-mesh-and-wood frame to put over my plants, a bit like a rabbit run?  Does that sound like a completely mad idea?  How tall would it have to be, to give my plants (spinach, onions, cabbage, cauliflower etc) room to grow upwards? 

[goodlife]

No it doesn't sound mad idea at all ;D But I found that you don't really need much permanent cover as such..I use old wire hanging baskets over cabbage plant etc. few few weeks..only so that they start growing and once roots have taken hold they manage without 'cover'. I find that onions don't need protection. Generally anything leafy and only at the begining of their life.
I've use chiken wire sometimes too..beauty of the stuff is that it bends and stand up without support..few canes pushed through will keep it in its place..
But if you feel like doing real frame structure..go ahead..
As for hight..well mature cabbage/cauli plants can stand 2 ft high..

[lincsyokel2]

Hmmm, chicken mesh sounds like a good idea.  Come to think of it, I wonder if I could construct some sort of chicken-mesh-and-wood frame to put over my plants, a bit like a rabbit run?  Does that sound like a completely mad idea?  How tall would it have to be, to give my plants (spinach, onions, cabbage, cauliflower etc) room to grow upwards?  

I have about 10 frames i move round the plot as required. there built of remachined pallets, most are therefore 2.2 metres long, 1.2m wide and 600mm height. they are covered with gods gift to allotmenteering, Debris Netting. This the fine mesh nylon netting that they wrap round scaffolding on buildings. It will stop almost every pest you can think of except that which can burrow under the frame. Debris netting doesnt rot and is about £30 for a 2m wide roll 50m long. Its absolutely fabulous stuff. I got mine off ebay, along with gods other gift to allotmenteering, Silage Sheet. This is the UV resistant thick black plastic sheet, i use to smother weeds, again obtainable off ebay at about 50p a square metre. Two seriously useful inventions!

[EnglishRose]

Right, frames it is then - and wire baskets / bendy chicken wire as an emergency stop gap until I've constructed Plot 33's very own wire fortress against foxes and other evil pests  ;D

Actually, I think I'll copy Lincsyokel and make a series of smaller frames that I can move around the plot as necessary.  Whether they reach 2ft high remains to be seen...

Are there any plants/herbs that foxes don't like?  Something that I could perhaps plant around the edges of each bed which is human-friendly but positively obnoxious to animals?  I vaguely remember hearing something or other about marigolds and companion planting????

[cornykev]

Urine.  ;D ;D ;D

[petengade]

You have to be a good shot and quick as mr fox moves fast when disturbed ::)

[grannyjanny]

What about Wilkinson's rose arches, like Shirlton uses for different things?

[chriscross1966]

You have to be a good shot and quick as mr fox moves fast when disturbed ::)

...yes, especialy when you're trying to urinate on him....  :D

[cornykev]

You've just got to hide in wait and be ready with your aim.   ;D ;D ;D      :-[

[lincsyokel2]

You've just got to hide in wait and be ready with your aim.   ;D ;D ;D      :-[

I have a cunning way to use a power shower in this respect..............