RATS!!!!

One of my tomato plants disappeared days after I planted it, leaves and all. So I planted another one in its place, a 2 foot tall one that cost some $$$. Not a wimpy seedling. It too disappeared! I sifted through the soil but found no cutworms.

Today I went to the other side of the fence to study the area more closely. That corner of the garden butts up to our metal storage building, and you could see a burrow and well-worn little trail leading from the building to the tomato garden and also into the front yard garden. Walking in the front yard garden I noticed that there were so many burrow holes and tunnels that the ground was collapsing under my feet! I have a major rat problem and never even knew it. I had one block of rat bait left so I stuck it in the hole under the building, and I will get more traps.

I hope they did not get my Jerusalem artichoke roots. There were burrow holes all around last year's dried stalks. I had been wanting to taste the roots which you cook like potatoes. Now I don't know if I will get any or not.

I will definitely have to get rid of all the rats before the corn comes in.