That’s it! The salad tongs have been thrown down onto the wood chips. If I want my share of salad and kale I need to be as crafty as these elusive vermin. Hmmm, I’m feeling a bit like Bill Murray.

So, I read in one of my garden books that some animals don’t like certain flavors and aromas. So I decided to pre-dress the greens with my own special vinaigrette.

Anti-Vermin Vinaigrette

I decided on garlic, spicy hot thai chile pepper, mint and rosemary.

I took half a head of garlic, 1 thai chile, 8 sprigs each of mint and rosemary and blended on high speed with 4 cups of water. Then I strained it through a fine mesh strainer and put into a spray bottle. I thought better of using the full strength so ended up diluting the mix by half.

All the greens in the garden got a nice little spritz of this concoction.

But wait, I thought…For good measure I dug out the bag of extra HOT ground chili powder I got from the Indian grocer and sprinkled it everywhere. Patti got a good chuckle from our very red garden.

Either I made everything nasty tasting for the mystery vermin or they are going to break out the good china for tonight’s dinner. Remy is that you?

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Since we’re trying to up our production, planning ahead is essential so I heeded the recommended Fall planting schedule for our growing zone – 9 – and started to sprout seeds for broccoli and chard.

Previously I didn’t have much luck sprouting my starts from seed – most of the time they didn’t seem to sprout or when they did the next day they would be nibbled to stubs or if they survived infancy they would look ‘leggy’ and fall over.

But since we’re trying to be more self sustaining, I researched the proper way to sprout seeds.

So my near proper way:
I started with clean sterile soil – in this case American Soil Local Hero.
I put the soil into my sprouting container – about 6 inches.
Sprinkled in my seeds, covered with a thin layer of soil and watered.

To keep my sprouting container from becoming a vermin buffet, I put a screen over the top.

A week or so after I planted the broccoli seeds

You see, last year, inspired by Robin who planted dozens of broccoli starts I decided to plant a few that I purchased.

Each day on my garden rounds, I would check on their progress. Each day they would grow and even started to bud! …until one morning I went out and each broccoli was nibbled down to a little stem sticking out of the ground!

Argh! Birds? Squirrels? Snails? Munching Bugs?
I didn’t know but curses! Foiled again!

As my seeds sprouted and started to grow into healthy broccoli starts I was more determined that ever.

Wow! using clean fresh soil helps – look at how healthy those look! Beats a handful of dirt full of weed seeds.

About 3 weeks after seeding

Time to plant the starts into their Fall and Winter home.

We created some new planting space from discarded recycle bins. The soil is dark clayish top soil mixed with lots of well composted horse manure. I topped with some straw mulch to keep it moist and warm.

This year, my aim is to outsmart!…
outwit!…
I shall prevail!
I have an opposable thumb and I know how to use it!

Our recycle bin planters lined up along the fence

Into the garage I marched. Drill – check; screws – check; level – check; deer netting – check; stakes – check…; oh and wooden clothes pins…you really need opposable thumbs to operate those

Before planting the seedlings I gathered up all my supplies to vermin proof the planters.

New home for broccoli and chard

I took the screws and attached them to the fence with a little gap to easily hang the deer netting.

Stakes prop up the other side for the netting to drape over.

Then clothes pins to keep the netting closed.

I planted the broccoli and chard resting a little easier at night…but who knows? Time will tell but so far so good.

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