UFOs trying to crop circle my plants?!?!

[ltecato]

It's either aliens or the wind or some little four-legged critters, but something keeps knocking my plants off-kilter at night. I had to put upside-down tomato cages over a couple of them to keep them upright. And then I went out yesterday morning and found that a Tahoe plant that I had pruned to grow in a Y shape had been mutilated so that one of the "arms" of the Y was almost completely detached. The bastards!



Has anyone seen similar damage? Was it the wind or animals?

I'm thinking of getting a cheap, low-lying garden edging fence from Walmart or Home Depot to surround the plants so that a cat or raccoon can't go racing through the plot. They'll still be able to get inside if they want, but they won't be able to haul ass through there at top speed and with luck that will keep them from knocking my babies over.

Still can't think of any reason why any animal would do that, unless it was being chased by another varmint. It has been pretty windy at times here in LA County last few weeks.

If you're wondering about the plastic cups in the ground, I'm experimenting with a system to try to save water and re-use plastic containers before I send them to the landfill.

 

[ANC]

Time to plant C4

 

[Zephyrs]

It's either aliens or the wind or some little four-legged critters, but something keeps knocking my plants off-kilter at night. I had to put upside-down tomato cages over a couple of them to keep them upright. And then I went out yesterday morning and found that a Tahoe plant that I had pruned to grow in a Y shape had been mutilated so that one of the "arms" of the Y was almost completely detached. The bastards!

View attachment 4338933

Has anyone seen similar damage? Was it the wind or animals?

I'm thinking of getting a cheap, low-lying garden edging fence from Walmart or Home Depot to surround the plants so that a cat or raccoon can't go racing through the plot. They'll still be able to get inside if they want, but they won't be able to haul ass through there at top speed and with luck that will keep them from knocking my babies over.

Still can't think of any reason why any animal would do that, unless it was being chased by another varmint. It has been pretty windy at times here in LA County last few weeks.

If you're wondering about the plastic cups in the ground, I'm experimenting with a system to try to save water and re-use plastic containers before I send them to the landfill.

First off Do Not check your plants again without a proper fitting aluminum foil helmet! Take soil samples, have them analyzed. Space weed is toxic. Oh DEER

 

[Chip Green]

Reminiscint of Cheech and Chongs' Next Movie....

 

[TintEastwood]

Two words...

Game Cam!

Post some pics for us.

 

[Booger mama]

Do you have deer? My family used to grow comando style back in the day & deer would cause some issues. Sometimes eating their plants. One thing they used to do to keep deer away ( this works for other critters too) is sprinkle cut hair around the perimeter. Seriously, they would get cut hair from my cousins beauty shop to spread to around plants. This kept critters at bay. I plan to try it myself.

 

[ltecato]

Do you have deer? My family used to grow comando style back in the day & deer would cause some issues. Sometimes eating their plants. One thing they used to do to keep deer away ( this works for other critters too) is sprinkle cut hair around the perimeter. Seriously, they would get cut hair from my cousins beauty shop to spread to around plants. This kept critters at bay. I plan to try it myself.

I doubt it's deer. I'm in the middle of LA County and the plants are in a yard surrounded by fences and walls that only a cat, raccoon or possum would climb over. The plants don't show any signs of being chewed by anything bigger than an insect. There is an orange tree nearby and the birds do like to peck at oranges. Also a swimming pool that draws some thirsty wildlife and gangsta cats. Other than that, just the lizards that look like tiny Komodo dragons and the salamanders that hide under damp flagstones and look like earthworms.

People in this area are very worried about coyotes but I have never seen any in this neighborhood. No mountain lions or bears cuz it's way too urban here.

 

[ltecato]

Time to plant C4

I grew a Chem4 plant last year. Great flowers! Or were you talking about the explosive?

 

[Herb & Suds]

I-800- GHOST BUSTERS

 

[dubekoms]

If the wind dies down you can sprinkle some DE or other powder like white substance on the ground to see the tracks better so you can get an idea of what the culprit is. Or hose the area down right before dark to get the ground soft, should be able to see tracks pretty easily. If it's a small critter i would get some fencing and make big rings out of it. Weave stakes through the holes in the fencing then into the ground to hold it securely. Electric fencing also works great but is a little pricy.

 

[Thor’s hammer]

Dude I’ve had animals dig plants up and carry them away, Barry small seedlings, eat them. Hail that put holes through all the leaves and more. It’s a gamble every time

 

[Thor’s hammer]

Just tie fishing line from tree to tree in in perimeter around your plants, seemed to work pretty well

 

[Rob Roy]

Rake the ground well enough around your plants so that any tracks will be identifiable and check each morning.

 

[Booger mama]

Rake the ground well enough around your plants so that any tracks will be identifiable and check each morning.

You can use baking flour for the same purpose. Old hillbilly trick!

 

[ltecato]

Rake the ground well enough around your plants so that any tracks will be identifiable and check each morning.

That reminds me that one of these days I've got to visit the Bigfoot museum in Felton! I lived in Salinas for four years and never went there despite the fact it's only a couple hours drive away.

 

[ltecato]

Update: Just checked the garden and it appears that two branches got knocked off my Dance World plant.

FWIW, it looked like damaged branches had been pushed downward. They were still barely attached to the plants by a few strands of hemp fiber in the epidermis of the main stem.

Now I'm wondering if maybe the culprits are birds that are trying to perch on the branches, not realizing that hemp plants are not trees or bushes and can't even support the weight of a scrub jay or crow. Maybe some nocturnal bird of prey?

Still not ruling out the possibility of aliens or chupacabras being involved.

 

[Rob Roy]

Sounds like it might be time for a cheap game camera.

Maybe it's the grim Reefer?

 

[olafthegreen]

By now I'd probably be waiting all night by the window to catch the damn thing!

Make a scarecrow - if its birds?

String and bell to make an alert for you.

I quite like the camera idea.

how about a cheap electric fence?

or make some humane traps to just catch whatever it is?

or get a cat.

 

[ltecato]

Another possibility: raccoon dogs!

https://www.foxnews.com/science/raccoon-dog-terrorizes-villagers#

 

[grayeyes]

If you are in LA County why are you trying to grow guerilla? It's LEGAL. Find a place around your house or apt and grow. No animal damage.