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Greenhouse Mystery

4/9/2018

8 Comments

 
   I start over 1,000 seedlings each Spring (and that number is increasing rapidly!). It's the only way to grow many of my favorite annuals in our short growing season if I want to enjoy them for more than a couple weeks before the first frost. There is not enough window space in the house for that many seedlings (of course!) so it wouldn't be possible without my greenhouse. Well, imagine my horror when I walked in to check my plants Saturday morning and saw this 2 foot long gash in the plastic! And on a second glance, it wasn't the only tear. I counted TWENTY-ONE, ranging in size from 1/2 inch long to 2 feet long! I am totally mystified as to how this happened. It looks as if some critter with sharp claws actually climbed up one side and came down the other, as the tears go almost in a straight line down both sides. We had some fresh snow  and I had noticed earlier in the morning from a distance that it looked as if something had slid down the side of the greenhouse, but thought nothing of it then. By the time I went out there the snow had all slid off, and there were no visible tracks. My first thought was squirrel, but I can't believe our little red squirrels could do that much damage. My mom thinks it could have been a cat. What do you think? Has anyone else ever seen anything like this? 
Here is a picture of the longest tear which I snapped hastily with my phone before running back for the greenhouse tape. I wish now that I had taken more pictures!
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   And here is a picture I took yesterday, now that it is all patched up. It should last the Spring if we don't get any more blizzards, but I'll probably have to replace the plastic before next winter. 
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   Did I mention that it snowed again? I can't see over the piles anymore but it's just as well, I suppose, as I'm quite busy enough right now without dealing with flooding!
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   But that's enough complaining! On the bright side, the Castor Bean plants are growing fast and starting to get their true leaves. I moved them into bigger cups yesterday. 
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   Here are the lovely heartsease...the flowers have a rather obstinate way of wanting to look out the window, though! ;D
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   And I have lots and lots of tiny seedlings, which need to be taken out to the greenhouse while the sun is shining, so I better go get busy!
8 Comments
Margaret Christian
4/9/2018 11:20:08 am

Your plants are very lovely. Your patients and persistents is paying off well. Keep up the great work!

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Joanna link
4/9/2018 09:35:20 pm

Thank you very much!

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Em
4/9/2018 11:40:12 am

Yes the rips in the greenhouse are probably from cats as we have 2 greenhouses and a bunch of feral cats and when they try to climb up the plastic their claws make cuts just like a knife.

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Joanna link
4/9/2018 09:39:59 pm

Wow! It is quite possible, as our neighbors' cats sometimes come onto our property. I love cats dearly and couldn't get mad at them if I tried, but - I love my greenhouse, too! There was snow on it at the time it happened...I wonder if it thought it was just another snow pile!

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Eliza link
4/9/2018 12:24:50 pm

I hope you didn't lose any plants in your greenhouse from the cold getting through the gaps. Good thing you were able to repair it quickly.
I love the shot of the heartsease 'looking' out the window, like little people!

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Joanna link
4/9/2018 09:41:50 pm

Thankfully I only had the heartsease, pansies and onions out overnight, and they were under a cold frame. I was so glad I had that greenhouse tape on hand!

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Jason link
4/12/2018 07:02:23 pm

That is a rather ominous mystery, indeed. I have no idea what that could be. Do you have bears about? At least the little Violas keep their chins up and their faces bright and perky.

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Joanna link
4/13/2018 01:54:51 pm

We do have lots of bears, but I think there would have been tracks around if it had been something that big. Right now the cat theory makes the most sense to me.

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    ​I am a passionate gardener and seed-saver, who also enjoys playing the violin and accordion, running, spending time with my 4 golden retrievers, keeping chickens, photography, and reading. ​
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