Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Slugs, Pigeons, Rabbits..................and Horses!

The last couple of years we've had mercifully few problems with slugs and our site doesn't really suffer with rabbits like the one up the road. Pigeons we most definitely have a problem with and peas or brassicas without netting don't stand much of a chance.

One thing you don't expect though is horses. There are some living in the field beside our site and of late they have been escaping to our side of the fence occasionally.

When I popped down to water last Wednesday the first thing I noticed were some holes in a dug but empty bed. As there was no soil flung about I wondered if someone had been nicking the topsoil by the bucket full, then I saw the unmistakable imprint of a horse shoe in the clay surface of the un-dug bed one.


It looks like the beast had had a wander round half the plot, including splitting my two rows of carrots into four! Not happy. Somehow he missed every parsnip that has germinated.


I looked up to see the horse merrily wandering around the far end of the site defying all attempts to catch it, or take its picture. Needless to say a complaint has gone into the council who were supposed to replace the fences in April.

At least I haven't put in many of my plants yet, the sweetcorn are due to go in this week, quite happy with these.

I'm glad I waited unlike some who lost more than a carrot or two. Very disheartening for new plot owners.

Happy gardening folks!!




   


4 comments:

Sue Garrett said...

Nightmare - we once had pigs escape into our garden. It was when we first moved in and a tree still bears the scar. You are lucky if you can get your council to repair a fence, you'd have no chance here.

Mal said...

Can't beat that, but currently replacing sweetcorn on a daily basis. I think it is the birds (pigeons/crows) who seem to view it as a challenge to uproot it! They also remove any labels - magpies maybe?

Daisy Debs said...

......and pheasants ...dont you get pheasants ..... grrrrr ! :)

Dicky said...

I wouldn't have wanted to be the council ladies inbox the next day...lol

No pheasants, I've heard badgers get a taste for sweetcorn and can do a lot of damage.