Almost daily I would go check on my loverly little cotton plants. I would ever so gingerly move aside leaves to get a better look at the green pods just waiting to burst. Thoughts of what I could do with all the cotton I would surely get…Q-tips, towels, quilts and cotton blue-jeans. Hey it could have happened…
That is until those damned crazy a$$ed squirrels decided they, the un-popped cotton bolls, looked like some kind of fancy smachy French nuts or something. One evening while eating super I notice some white stuff laying out near the flower bed, so when I finished eating I went to see what it was. Well I declare it was a cotton boll. What!? Teeth marks? Those little tree rats plucked it right off the plant and gnawed it open. See, can you see the little teeth marks?
The cotton was fully formed, the seeds were not and it was damp, but I saved the cotton and tossed the seeds. Then the very next morning I went out to check my loofa plants and the cotton plants and dang it all if those devil critters didn’t tear almost every single boll off one of the cotton plants…
A couple were in holes, green tops barely poking outta the dirt and a couple had just been chewed on an strew about in the damp grass. What ta H E double hockey sticks. How am I supposed to guard my precious cotton plants? Keep ‘em safe from the evil likes of squirrels?
Where’s my gun, I’ll show those varmints whose cotton that is. What about you, any kind of varmints eating at ya? Tree rats? People rats? Boss rats?
12 comments:
Hi Paige - nurturing something and then find it eaten or gnawed about a bit - is pretty upsetting - I guess the squirrels must be quite hungry too?
Pity as I loved the thought of seeing you make something of the cotton bolls ..
Can you protect them next year?
Enjoy the summer .. the creatures of this world will too!
That's bad news about the Squirrels, but I thought this post was great because I've never, ever seen a cotton plant. I had no idea how it grew, so I learned something. Two things really - what a cotten plant looks like, and squirrels are stupid.
I grew up next to a cotton field so if you want me to get you some I could sneak over...
Aw Paige, that's awful. I was just telling Deanna that gophers always destroy anything I plant. I've tried tomatoes, flowers, shrubs... The only things I've had any success with are trees.
I'm so sorry your beautiful cotton plants were ravished by squirrels. Git yourself out there with an AK47 and take them all out!
Maybe there is something you can put around the ground that will repel them thar critters?
We have beautiful dahlias which bud and then bloom in spectacular colours. The Japanese beetle, however, can bore its way into the bud several days before opening to ruin the flower. Very frustrating to control them. We pinch them off the plant when we have the chance.
Oh no! I feel bad for you and the poor cotton plants.
I have no idea what you can do to stop the squirrels. Maybe you could play music outside so the squirrels are startled and run away? Or a scarecrow? Or maybe a decoy pile of nuts in another part of your garden?
Jai
Those dad burn cotton-pickin' squirrels! They'd best watch their hairy little backs now.
Gosh, I can't say I've ever seen a cotton plant up close and personal. Really pretty. I hope you figure something out and hope you won't give up on future cotton crops. Very cool idea.
It would have to be squirrels for me, too. No matter where I put my bird feeder, they manage to get to it. I've hung it right next to my kitchen window and I'll be darned if they climb up my window, wrap their tails around the feeder chain, and dangle upside down from the feeder while they consume seeds. Arrrg...
I've started putting corn out for them. Hopefully, they'll be grateful enough to let the birds eat, too!
Aw...I'm sorry to hear this. We have troubles with those darn squirrels here too. They dig up my flower beds and eat both bulbs and plants.
thanks everyone for you sympathies I appreciate it. Excuse me as I won't be able to make my usual rounds as often as I would like to. I have started a couple of classes to better my office skills. I'll still be posting and commenting when I can. hugs to y'all my dear internets
Oh Paige, I'm so sorry those nasty squirrels got to your cotton plants! I know how disappointing it is to plant something, watch it grow and be anxious to pick it, only to see it eaten up by varmints.
For us it's deer. There are deer everywhere here and they love the gardens! I'm surprised our tomato plants didn't get eaten up this year.
But, hey, you live in Texas, so you must have a few guns handy. :)
Those cotton pickin varmints!
What I've been doing to discourage squirrel tasting is spread garlic powder around the plant- they get it on the paws n lick n ewww- right out of there. Leaves a lasting impression- I also cut up cloves of fresh garlic n place around the plants. Gotta repeat after rain tho-
So far I got to eat a beet n the turnips are still there. Second round of Brown-eyed Susans are coming in also-
Good Luck!
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