How are the veggies coming along?

[Mick Dempsey]

You’ve put some work in there @Ty Korrigan!

[sime42]

 

 

Culprit unknown. Any ideas?

[nepia]

Slugs?  The one downside of mulch; they live under it

[sime42]

That was my initial thought, but I then dismissed that as surely slugs would munchl on the leaves as well, not just leave them on the ground like that. I suspect wood pigeons, we get a lot of them, always eating anything they can get their beaks on. I've netted the sweet corn patch now we'll see if that stops the vandalism.

My mate suggested rabbits, but that seems unlikely given that we live in a big city, albeit towards the edge

 

 

[Paul in the woods]

If it were my garden I would say voles as we have loads of them and I've actually watched them fell and cut up stems like that. But slugs can also seem to cut and chop stuff up rather than nibble.

[nepia]

2 hours ago, sime42 said:

That was my initial thought, but I then dismissed that as surely slugs would munchl on the leaves as well, not just leave them on the ground like that.

 

 

No, the slimy little buggers will happily fell stems and move on to the next one.  We struggle to grow asters or clematis here because of them; the traditional slug food like brassicas seem to do ok though

 

Have a gentle scratch through the mulch near the plants and see what's under there; you're probably looking for <10mm grey slugs

Edited June 13, 2023 by nepia

[Stere]

 

Im 95% sure its not slugs.

 

Ok they can eat small plant stems sometimes but thats a big one "felled" and the pile of chewed leaves  never seem them do that .

 

My guess is rats or voles.

 

EDIT Maybe a massive snail if going for for a mollusc culprit?

 

Could go out at night  to check...to try catch then in the act.....

Edited June 13, 2023 by Stere

[spudulike]

Not pigeons or sparrows is it, I have seen the latter shred lettuce....grrr

[sime42]

Yep, my money is still on pigeons. Though we get sparrows from time to time, I had no idea they'd eat green stuff. Rats or voles is also another interesting suggestion, a bit left field as well. We have had the former in the garden before, but I don't see why they be looking to eat greens either. Unless they're just teeth sharpening; like mice and electric cables. Other mammals we get are foxes and badgers, occasionally, and squirrels, all the bloody time. But again I can't see any of them having a taste for sweetcorn stems. I've noticed some big arsed snails have been felling big Hosta leaves recently, by munching straight through the stems.

Whatever the culprit, the net should stop most of the sbove. If we get more damage I'll deploy some copper. That'll stop slugs at least.

 

 

[sime42]

The peas are evidently enjoying this weather anyway, they're just coming into production.

 

The flowers are almost as nice as Sweet Peas.

 

Early signs are it's going to be a bumper crop of Medlars this year.