Sweetcorn Massacre

[marigold007]

Something has mowed down all but one of my sweetcorn plants. With those, it took two Camellia Red Bean plants (of which I have no more dried beans to replace them! ) and a few French bean plants. It didn't even eat them, just blithely cut them off at the base of the plant and left them lying there! Should I put a net up? What would do such a thing? And, is it too late to sow more corn seed?

[Cloud]

Sounds like slugs to me.Did the same thing with me sunflowers.

[Alice]

What a shame Marigold. Probably slugs. I thik it would be too late to grow some more corn as it needs a long growing season. Oh well - there's next year.

[marigold007]

I might find some plants growing at some store, who knows. I'd think slugs too, but the dirt was kicked around and I saw a guilty looking squirrel scurrying away earlier today. it seems like the non-native foods are the ones that have such a hard time growing here. I'm tempted to only grow native plants from now on. But, what's left after the nightshade family and corn? peas and beans? lots and lots of lettuce?

Marigold

"Never give up, Never surrender "

[Norm]

Similar problem on another thread and it was mice.

[shirlthegirl43]

Just been reading the June GYO - and it says in there to sow sweetcorn. Not too late then!!

[marigold007]

Ew. One package of Bio Rat Bait ordered and on its way. The war begins now. These things are worse than slugs! Anybody got any idea how to set up a place to put mouse bait outside?

[trebellangeminired]

We have used plastic or tetrapak containers (ice cream, milk, whatever), cut a small hole (a penny or only slightly larger) in it put in a small amount of poison (very important; rodents won't eat stale bait) and leave where you have seen rodent activity. Placing bricks or other cover over it prevents other animals accessing the bait. The downside is it is not a pleasant way of killing the animal and they can die in inconvenient places and the smell of their decomposing bodies has to be experienced to be believed! Our favoured method at the moment is live trapping and shooting or shooting with air rifle at liberty. It is illegal to release live rodents back into the environment. We won't kill anything unless absolutely necessary. We will let flies out of the house rather than kill them. We prefer screens to swatters. However, rodents breed very fast and are very invasive. For health the problem has to be dealt with quickly. Remove food source as far as possible, remove any materials that they could use for nesting, don't leave debris around to provide cover for rodents (a balance has to be struck between wildlife habitat and rodent cover) and regard one sighting as a problem. If you see one rat, you have ten. Taking that to its logical conclusion, when we counted 24 individuals in our neighbours' neglected garden, we actually had 240... Good luck!

[areia]

not too late for sweet corn start them off in pots first until well establised ive learnt the hard way to start alot of my crops first in pot as slugs love seedlings better, im assumeing because the leaves become bitter as they grow, bit more time consuming on the planting aspect but at least your crops have more of a chance good luck ,

[ian]

slugs

I too start them off in pots in my cold frame, when they are about 6-8inches high I transplant. Also keep a few extra in pots as spares should any of the transplants come to grief.

[Bramble Lover]

Use a home made cloche until plant is really sturdy. (Mine are still on).

Just cut a 3ltr cordial bottle to the size you want and voila!! Sorted.

Didnt do this with the first of my sweetcorn and the wind uprooted them so Im taking no chances with their replacements.

They seem to be doing well so fingers crossed.