Problem #1: Squirrels
I cleverly voted for tucking in one of our raised bed gardens right up against our property line and neighbor's fence:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXH41Q2a5ExgdYLsOuY7ndpkUkAoQ8QGMMRgs-M-Mcpn6lwa3XQeKazt7AKPq6s1uV4RGngBIIV_0qvTStIpJ7JZMpsmmqm6Gwnv7r2bt1oEqmZJrRLtIGHQKL96LgTuK04Obdw/s580/20150608_133617.jpg)
Not only would it maximize our lawn space, but as a number of YouTube videos had suggested, the fence could be handy for securing taller plants. We added a chicken wire fence to keep out bunnies and the neighborhood kids. But there's one flaw we hadn't anticipated: the squirrels love the fence. They're happy to traverse it as easily as climbing stairs. So all our chicken wire is for naught. We've had a number of plants get burrowed into, and we're reasonably confident we've got squirrels to blame.
I cracked open my paper version of 1001 All-natural Secrets to a Pest-free Property to see what the author suggested. Apparently, hot sauce is the way to go. I mixed up a batch of the following cocktail: 1 quart boiling water, 2 tbsp. cayenne pepper and 1/2 tsp. of Tabasco Sauce. I let it all cool and ended up with this yummy mixture:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE47i44QWKLoUyZN6nWcSmp8IhUjiRKtyFPo319t0GNKOJb1mHHkpCOaORmk1_e-0JBJKdWzy2fn96PwMaL5hyphenhyphenIOuDUVO6qxvjC5Icr6Lf_5GVKooUsUAEu08n5gZFiKe4omUXOg/s580/20150607_173319.jpg)
For my first attempt, I filled up a spray bottle with the stuff. However, after a squirt or two I completely clogged up the nozzle. This stuff is way to chunky for the recycled Windex Bottle I was using. I resorted to just splashing it on from a water bottle.
Will it work? Who knows. But I'm comfortable that a dash of canyenne pepper will do minimal damage to the plants, so that's a good thing. The last thing I need is a cure more dangerous than the disease.
Problem #2: Mystery Mold!
Last week we had like 4 straight days of rain and overcast skies. After the deluge we noticed that some of the soil in the X-Garden had a white glaze to it:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibq9LlfVMC-jb6Lg1AWUkGKEHxkc6rsrFt5cFJj15FDyEsr49ME9VjzHSIbWdbU9QEkTTvfezifRwzdsdQmOfoEhiNeGoas_9AV-G3WtjsIN4xdwt6_gP2ntdftA6guvfXV3GSXw/s580/20150607_170711.jpg)
It's possible that this stuff isn't actually a bad thing. But with my luck, it is. A while back my brother had passed me an article on use of Hydrogen Peroxide, and in my research on dealing with mold, I kept seeing it mentioned as a cure. What the heck, why not give it a try, right?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPnf-mshCJxSIDJQWpw28DBePh4mCulyGmeYKmGXY_QFmRlM_h6CHCm029g4YFMiSPoZNNVxLsNKNLA3CgO0cJ1ZmEdC4tQK67O_-HdpLTX321Gxv5ZJPjx1zjG9nMMAzuqZJmrw/s580/20150607_170617.jpg)
I mixed up a batch of 1 cup water to 3 tsp. of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide and gave part of the X-Garden a good spray. I checked on it today and it didn't look like there was a huge change. But that's probably a good thing. I may step up the dosage if there's no effect in another few days.
Other good signs in the garden: this guy (or a sibling of his) is still with us:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4XZz4Jk9yx7iP2sG6dUJU-bxBfRVC57M_D4SrGjJgg59mPCbzJQI2i3mQ3muFVPVeGUdlT5bhacVrAIr_G_xIlL7QouYCiXxadfNMWpBS781q4oNoY1Hh3glyhMvzmwMb1OvlnA/s580/20150608_133109.jpg)
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