Monday, June 11, 2012

Mutterings from a 32 year old urban homesteader.

Yesterday I was called upstairs. Peering out the window, as V told me to do so, I noticed a rabbit couple. They were in the pathway between the Solanums and the cabbage beds. Apprehensive as I was I continued to watch. They weren't going into the beds to get what I'll dub as the "good stuff". They remained in the pathways eating various weeds. We are guessing clover. Perhaps it has a higher nutritional profile. Higher percentage of protein maybe? (Note most vegetables on average contain 20% plus of protein while human breast milk contains 6%) The rabbits eventually hopped themselves off to other urban pastures and that was that.

Roll forward. Today. I am out in the sun room aka Jane's chosen bedroom at her homestead. No not my sunroom. I have my own thanks. Amidst painting the bead board ceiling to finish it off. Bamboo floors, celery walls, white bead board ceiling, large floor to ceiling windows. Great area to zone out. Anyhow, I noticed a very large rabbit in the wheat. Watching it to see what it really was up to I freaked when coming to realize it was eating the wheat berries!!

Curses. Yes Folks. My experiment might be postponed. A walkthrough of the 150SF planted out shows a striking lack of any. Maybe, just maybe it is a plant that will attempt flowering again.... Similar to broccoli right? Maybe? Well, damn.

:D Enjoy yourselves out there fellow garden bloggers! We know that I am.

- Cloud

11 comments:

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    1. Who knew they enjoyed it green. Could also have been other critters and the rabbit was just into eating the green stalks. I didn't get a good look after I started chasing it with vigor out of the yard. *laughs*

      To be honest, was expecting to have to protect the wheat once it was matured and drying out. IE from bugs and birds wishing to eat them. Not this early.

      Life lessons. Good to know all this stuff prior to getting that acre homestead up.

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  2. That is why I advise over planting of everything. You always have to pay your tithe. Sometimes it is ten percent, or if you have an overzealous groundhog, 100%! You can build Fort Knox around the beds, but the tithe will be paid to something -drought, blight, high winds. But I have never had a rabbit eat my wheat. Birds yes, and even green wheat. But I think animals tastes are becoming more cosmopolitan these days, so maybe your rabbit is into wheat ;)

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    1. Wise words. I agree completely. Also there is the idea that on certain crops if you cover them up to keep one pest out then if another makes its way through the netting then the birds or whatever cannot therefore control the one that made it through. In other words, if you had a garden that was fenced in from large critters such as the rabbits and rodents, then bird netting over the entire farm to keep them out, what you would be left is a rampant munching army of creepy crawlies.

      Remember to over plant, nature will take its tithe, and hopefully you can find yourself at the end with a full belly. :D

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  3. Time to invest in a pellet gun and/or trap. Rabbits are pretty easy to catch.

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    1. Might be a bit much for this vegetarian. I am enjoying the exercise of simply pushing open the sunroom or front door and chasing them several houses down. :) The last time I did it, the rabbits stayed away for two weeks!

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  4. LOL, I understand, nothing wrong with that. I work too hard for mine, my nemesis are squirrels and chipmunks.

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  5. ouch! Hopefully you can grow it again in time for winter.

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  6. Oh no! I never like to see rabbits but deer have done most of our damage. I hear the chipmunks aren't too kind to certain things either. That's a shame about your wheat. Like Jane, I always try to plant more than we need because some loss always seems inevitable.

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  7. Silly Wabbits! ;-)

    In all seriousness, sorry about your wheat! That sucks!

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  8. @ Kris : You know, we haven't noticed much mayhem from the crazed rodents. They are simply humor for the cat while he is outside.

    @ Jenny : Worry not! I'm planting again! Now that the garden is on a sustainable roll ie really do not need to put much into it, I will work on figuring out a place to put it in better sun and watch out for the fauna. ;)

    @ Leigh : I've seen only a couple of chipmunks racing about. Mainly squirrels. Perhaps the munks do some damage but I cannot attest to seeing them do it directly. Then again I only stare at the garden 20 hours a day so I'm probably missing something. ;)

    @ Bee Girl : Silly Wabbits indeed, Doc. Maybe if I get some Bees that would help. ;)

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