Allotment disaster

[Noosner]

Absolutely gutted. At lottie earlier, I found that something had cut off and eaten ALL my 20 or so pea plants (which were 3' tall) so that they are now mere 1' stalks. Ity had also destroyed all my strawberries (and not even eaten them, grrr). So some 150 unripe strawberries were strewn all over the path and I've only got about a dozen left. It also ate all my french beans, again leaving a 1' stalk. It took some runners, but didn't seem to like those as much. I think it was a biggish animal as it had broken some canes down.

Question: When I finally calmed down, I propped the pea plants back against their mesh. Is there any chance they will grow again (they still have their first leaves, at the bottom) or would I be better off planting new ones?

Also, has anyone got any idea what sort of animal likes strawberry and pea plants? It didn't touch the squash plants, onions, potatoes or raspberries.

[Hazel at the Hill]

No idea what it could have been eating your stuff, Nooser, but the peas will be absolutely fine - think of it as they have just been pinched out.

Dreadful for you.

[Noosner]

Really, Hazel? Wow, that thought cheers me up no end. It was a pretty drastic pinching out! But if that's the case, they could end up more bushy I guess. Thanks!

[Bigmallly]

Sounds like youth & scissors to me.

[Aberdeenplotter]

squirrels?

[WendyC]

Sounds awful. Was anyone else's plot effected?

[Ananke]

Oh no, that's awful

Pidgeons maybe? They pecked my broadbean stalks and killed a few of them off and they have been pecking at my peas too.

[Nicos]

A couple of years ago something picked all our yellow strawberries and placed them in about 12 piles within the strawberry bed.

Badgers love sweetcorn ,broad beans and strawberries and peas.

What do deer eat?

[Bill HH]

I am sorry to hear that. All that work ruined. but I am sure the peas will be fine.

[Hazel at the Hill]

As long as you still have a couple of leaves (for new growing points to shoot from), I think that the French beans should be ok too.

[Noosner]

Thanks very much for all your suggestions and comiserations, folks. I will do some research about what all those different animals eat.

I did wonder about deer, as we do get them in the woods not far from the allotments. And Mr Noosner suggested badgers, though I thought they were too low to the ground to eat the tops off the peas. Nicos, your scenario was very similar to ours! It really did look as if the strawbs had been 'cut off'. I did wonder about scissors BM, but then I noticed that all the strawberry leaves had disappeared, so the plants weren't just chopped down, but eaten. Whatever animal it was obviously didn't like the taste of the green fruit. Alas Hazel, the french beans have been totally stripped of their leaves. I will just have to start again with those. I am really pleased that everyone thinks the peas will be ok, though.

Wendy C, I went round looking at nearly all the other plots (about 50). It was easy to have a good neb as no-one else was there in the pouring rain! It looked as if one other plot had been affected. A whole row of a crop (not sure what it was) had been nibbled right down to a couple of inches off the ground with that same look, as if sheared clean off. The funny thing was, this plot was in a completely different part of the allotments. The ones near ours didn't seem to be affected.

Another mystery. I'm just hoping against hope that the critter doesn't come back. It's so dispiriting when work goes down the drain on such a big scale!

[Bill HH]

If it is any compensation (which it isn't but I will tell you anyway) Years ago we all went out to a 21st birthday party, its about the only time my mom and dad and my wife and I went out at the same time.
I had a particularly nice garden at the time it must have been about July. Well our flock of 400 ewes and 700 lambs decided to break out and spent the entire evening on my patch. There was nothing left except lots of sheep plops.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Alas Hazel, the french beans have been totally stripped of their leaves. I will just have to start again with those. I am really pleased that everyone thinks the peas will be ok, though.

New seed will be up within days, Nooser, so they'll soon catch up.

Another mystery. I'm just hoping against hope that the critter doesn't come back. It's so dispiriting when work goes down the drain on such a big scale!

Yes it is - I thought about deer too (or dear, Nicos) - they are well tricky to deter, I understand (although tasty if you can bag one!)

If it is any compensation (which it isn't but I will tell you anyway) Years ago we all went out to a 21st birthday party, its about the only time my mom and dad and my wife and I went out at the same time.

I had a particularly nice garden at the time it must have been about July. Well our flock of 400 ewes and 700 lambs decided to break out and spent the entire evening on my patch. There was nothing left except lots of sheep plops.

In the same positive frame of mind, Bill, I hope you saw the plus side of all that manure all ready on site....or not at the time, maybe.

[Nicos]

Have you had a look round to see if they left any droppings/ hoof prints as evidence?

[Mr Bones]

Sorry to hear about your crops Noosner. Maybe you could rake areas of loose soil very flat and smooth so the culprit leaves tracks next time. I hate to say it but if the animal enjoyed it's meal it's likely to return.