Last September I planted a large sunflower crop which was devoured before most of it could sprout. The few sprouts that did appear we nibbled off when there were only 2 leaves on the tiny plant. I’m sure the bandicoot loves sunflowers.
This year I’m trying again but first I put a bit more effort into preparing the bed. Because of the chickens, everything they might like (i.e. everything) gets a low fence. This should keep both hungry bandicoots and chickens out. I also added some horse manure, fertiliser and water crystals. I’m not giving the flowers a single reason to fail.
The before and after photos below don’t look like much but they hopefully are different enough to turn a total write-off into a great harvest.
I sowed a mixture of seeds harvested from some of my early successes (pre-bandicoot) and some given to me by Deb.
As it is on the verge of spring here, it is time to get all kinds of seeds and plants into the soil. I sowed thyme and chives seeds in a long pot. Red onions came out of the pot, went into the garden bed and new seeds went into pots (the 2 black ones). Finally, broccoli seeds were sown in the small round red pot and the large green square one.
It’s all happening now!
Laura Rittenhouse's Gardening Journal 
What’s a bandicoot??
A bandicoot is a native Australian animal. It’s a marsupial (has a pouch), hops (not quite as hoppy as a kangaroo – but close) is nocturnal and eats mainly grubs (leaves little v-shaped holes in the grass every night) but will eat nice tender shoots as well. Their population really dropped because of foxes but with the introduction of fox controls in suburban parks and with their protected status they’re on the increase.
Here’s my post about them (or the one in my garden at least) https://laurarittenhouse.wordpress.com/2011/04/03/is-there-a-bandicoot-in-my-garden/
Bandicoot? And I thought the skunks were bad… I don’t see many plants in that garden that could grow here in the rocky mountains – but my chickens ate my sunflowers, too. Enjoying your blog!
Oh dear – I suspect that skunks are worse. My bandicoots are cute and don’t stink! (Though they are destructive little monsters.)
I’m sure I have plenty of vegetables in my garden that grow in the Rockies (cabbage must grow there) but no doubt the permanent plants are very different. I moved to Australia from Seattle and was so excited to get my own lemon tree. A friend here told me “but they grow everywhere”. I had to give her a rude shock about what life is like where there are real winters 🙂
Thanks for the warning about chickens and sunflowers – I’ll keep that fence in good shape!
Pigeons are my seedlings enemies. I only got two sunflowers to maturity this summer!
Ohh Oh. Is there any creature on this earth that doesn’t like sunflowers (humans included)? It is nice to plant something so universally loved but I wouldn’t mind appreciating a few flowers myself.
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