Easy Gardener 14 x 45 Foot BirdBlock Netting

The $64 Tomato - Avoid Sacrificing Them to Wildlife

Every spring extra tomato and pepper plants are sacrificed to critters, whether intentional or accidental, and every spring there is always a question about what will survive greedy wildlife. There’s not much to be concerned about in my urban/suburban backyard – birds, occasional rabbits, possums, and of course the guileful squirrels. Covering my four-foot square garden with wildlife netting in the past never created a snug shelter and the netting was easily worked through and under. This year I tried something different using wildlife netting. 

Rather than rolling out Easy Gardener’s 14 x 45 foot BirdBlock Netting  and draping it over the garden, this year I cut small five and six-foot sections. Ten-inch tall tomato plants were placed in the garden and sheltered by large tomato cages that were immediately wrapped around the sides and over the top with netting.  Using the practical and versatile pinch-style wood clothespins I secured netting to the cage. Using a couple landscape staples I secured the nearly inconspicuous netting to the ground. 

Super hoops are the best inventions for gardeners!

The days have been windy, the birds have been plentiful, and the dogs have been curious. Oak leaves are scattered all over the garden thanks to howling wind. With all of these threats looming the plants remain untouched. The squirrel war victory, at least for a while, goes to me. They apparently don’t think working their way past the dogs and the netting is worth the effort. 

Super Hoops Set of Six Square Foot Gardens

Shelter Your Vegetable Garden under Supportive Super Hoops

Winter in Houston was tough on the vegetable garden this year – usually lettuce, spinach, cilantro and other salad-type vegetables produce at a time when the rest of the country stares out on cold, snow-covered landscapes. This year we endured far too many hard freezes with an average high frequently below the average low. Last October I picked up a package of Super Hoops to provide support for garden row covers and insulated garden quilts. I was quick to admit that my effort of planting the garden in early November was a gamble and was prepared for both failure or success. It was an educational experiment that succeeded.

Last night, in mid-March, I nibbled lettuce fresh from the garden and harvested cilantro for a beef-cilantro meal.  I’ve nothing but gratitude for these hoops and look forward to using them to protect seedlings from hungry birds this spring.

Small Ladders

It was surprising when the hoops arrived. They resembled short ladders rather than hoops.