Trying to beat those birds at their own game!!

I have been having a lot of trouble with hungry  birds scratching up and eating seedlings and seeds. I have lost countless pea seeds to them. I don't know whether this is because there is not enough natural food to sustain them or perhaps it is the time of the year when they are feeding many ravenous mouths or have they just cottoned on to where to find an easy meal!

I now am planting seedlings and seeds inside a tin can which has its bottom cut out. This creates a warm environment whilst providing protection from digging birds. Once the plant is established I can slide the can off the plant, or more often than not, just leave it on until the plant is ready to harvest. These cans have the extra bonus of providing a barrier to marauding slugs and snails and recycling a common material.

I have also made some very niffty bird scarer's out of Paua shells and bamboo canes. Not only do they work but they look good in the garden!

Warmer weather means seedling planting time!

The weather is finlly warming up now, the weeds and lawn have taken off and I am planting my vegetable seedlings that I have been germinating in my cold frame. I am planting peas, silver beet, lettuce and spinach. I make seedling pots out of newspaper with this dinky little tool that I got from a local company, The Maz ,who make these wooden tools out of recycled fence posts etc. The beauty of this is you avoid any root disturbance as you plant pot and all, the newspaper quickly rots in the ground. You can grow the seedlings in their pot until they are quite large. It also avoids the stage of pricking out which I never have time for !

I've been cheating the cold in the vegetable garden by using an array of home-made cloches or mini glasshouses. This is plastic corrugated roofing material folded over to make a mini glasshouse for my seedlings. It creates a warmsafe home until they are older. I just have to remember to water them as it can get pretty dry inside!

My seedlings ready to be planted. I cover with wire netting to keep birds from digging up. The seeds are grown in paper pots made from strips of newspaper. I plant these directly into the ground to prevent root disturbance. The newspaper quickly rots away.