We asked are neighbors nicely 2 times over the past 2 years to just to stop feeding peanuts , because the squirrels were becoming a problem and destroying our property. The neighbors have numerous bird feeders and fill them with peanuts which spill onto the ground so the squirrels can easily get them. It was costing us money to repair the damages the squirrells were causing to our property. We keep buying repellent but it only works until it rains So when we asked a 3rd time a couple weeks ago our neighbors replied "it wasn't their problem and to stop whining" . Of course my husband blew up and swore at them. Anyhow now they've sent us a letter stating we are harrassing them and since it is not illigal to feed squirrels in our comunnity, they plan to take legal action if we ask them again and to stay off their property. So I emailed our mayor to see if we could get an ordinance passed within reason to maybe put limits on feeders to stop the eccentrics from going overboard. He said it wasn't a popular ordinance in our community and none of our representatives would even consider it. He suggested moth balls to put in my garage. The squirrells are in the garden and on the roof. Time for a new mayor, I guess.

I would think that pennies and copper metal strips are not in the right state of a copper mixture to be effective. However, as this thread shows, we'll each try different things and if it works, stay with that. We won't totally get rid of them but we can reduce their population. For me, I worked on getting rid of snail habitats such as large pieces of wood, stone, etc around the yard. Then I used Natria snail bait, which is a cheaper version of Sluggo, around the plants and in some areas of the landscaping. Finally, for a few weeks of spring, I go out in the evenings and another 2-3 hours later, and manually pick up any snails I see. Those go into a bucket with some soapy water, which helps to prevent them from crawling out the bucket. By doing that, the later spring and summer months have a much reduced population of snails. I do this again in the fall to get rid of some more before the winter comes, where they will go into hiding and prepare the cycle all over again. On a side note, there are warnings about using copper-based products when cleaning algae in a fish tank or pond, so regardless of our own observations, there does seem to be enough concern about copper products, which when dissolved with water, that can kill snails or other mollusks in water.

Dawn - I am sure you are right about the fall being better for the broc and other cole crops. My problem is that I just don't remember to start them. In 2005 I had wonderful spring broccoli. This year the plants look fantastic, and when it started to head, it looked very good, but then I noticed the head was starting to spread rather than grow bigger. Maybe we will just have to enjoy the side shots. Remind we when it is time to start seeds and maybe I will get it done. To all of you who have had nice things to say about my container garden, I appreciate the compliments, but must tell you that this is my first success. I tried one tomato and one pepper in a pot a few years back and wasn't happy with the results. I knew there had to be things I didn't know about growing in pots. Since we tend to have very wet spring weather, and frequently have cold weather following several weeks of warm weather, I felt I needed to learn to do it. I spent this winter reading the container forum (mostly from Mr. Tapla) then asked Dawn several questions to make sure it would be applicable to our climate. Last year a nursery went out of business here and they auctioned off the buildings and supplies. I forgot about it and just happened to drive by. When I stopped, they had already auction off the greenhouse plastics and pots and such. Most of the pots were still on pallets and marked sold. I started asking around and found the man who had bought them. He agreed to sell me some. Eventually he offered to give them to me, which of course, I couldn't let him do. At any rate, I gave him what he had paid, which was next to nothing, and I got the pots. They are just cheap nursery pots, but they are containers and will grow plants. Many of them are small like the peppers are in, but there were probably 50 or 60 larger ones. Since then I have also acquired 4 VERY large pots also. Then came the potting mix. I have been mixing my own and although it makes a large batch, a pot the size a tomato needs takes a lot of mix. That is why you see a lot of different sized plants in my collection. I just plant them as I get things mixed up and can pot them up. Because it is mid-May, I keep thinking I should almost have tomatoes. I must keep reminding myself that I live in northern Oklahoma now. I am only about 40 miles from Joplin MO. I am happy with my container results so far, but my in-ground garden is "the pits". I have learned a lot about container gardening, and continue to learn. We will see just how successful I am when it is time to harvest. It has been a lot of work, but has been fun. I tease George (macmex) a lot about growing everything but I really think he is on the right track. I think we are approaching a time when home production will take on new importance. As I watched the wheat problem last year, I tried to warn people that wheat, flour, and baked goods were going to be very expensive this year. I will issue another warning now. Much of the rice crop in Arkansas didn't go in at the normal time because of all rain and flooding. My husband (whose father was a rice farmer) told me that they will likely plant a faster maturing rice than normal this year. So while cereal may not suffer, table rice is likely to. Grains keep for a long time if stored properly. I will probably never grow all of my own food, but I want to know HOW to grow all of it. It is just my personality. I have a lot of allergies and one of them involves red dye. I like natural foods and especially the ones I can grow myself. I have diabetes, so it is important for we to watch what I eat. Over 20 years ago, I was involved in an automobile accident and sustained a broken back. The doctor told my husband that I might never walk again. They did some bone grafting on my spine and put me together with two pencil size steel rods down my spine that are 9 and 1/2 inches long. I not only can walk, but I can do a lot of other things as well. I may have to do them differently, but so be it. My lifting limit is about 40 pounds which just happens to be the weight of all of the components in the potting mix I make. My husband helps me mix, because I find that a little difficult. We make a garbage can of mix at a time and I fill my pots as I need them. He just retired so he is now home to help me. I will never be the kind of gardener that Dawn and George are, and probably some others of you are, but I do know a few things, and I am still learning. If the pictures stop, then you will know I proved the Peter Principle, and something did go wrong. At some point it will probably exceed my ability or my energy. First thing this morning, I picked fresh lettuce to use for my lunch salad, so maybe I can help to feed us and still enjoy my gardening. I hope I never stop learning. I find that life is a lot like gardening, and we "reap what we sew". There are just so many things to learn and do. Being an Air Force wife, and a government employee for many years, I have traveled a lot and lived a number of places. I have watched how people live in this country and others. Regardless of the problems in our country, I am proud to be an American. People will probably not stop being wasteful as long as they have plenty to waste. It is too bad that we don't make better use of our resources. All of you who grow your own food and help to take care of nature, are a good example for people to follow. I don't know any of you personnaly, but I feel like I do, because we share the love of gardening and taking care of the earth.

Well, you are just going to have to sort that out yourself, Bonnie. (Personally, I will advise tearing up lawn grass if a neighbor's yard isn't a possibility ;o)?) We have talked about wintersowing before and my decision to not even attempt it. I've posted a link to a Department of Energy map to show how little annual sun there is here. You can just delete one state's name and type in another (like Colorado) to see the abysmal difference between here and other places. I couldn't find anything on "winter" sunlight - the info would be even more depressing . . . probably compare to the Puget Sound . . . I mean, there is plenty of summer sun! But, I'm having real trouble here in the south window finding enuf sunlight for the seedlings. They will have to go out to the greenhouse soon. Not that there's more sun out there - just that I can run the temperature lower than "room" so that they aren't encouraged to grow in this "under a rock" late winter/springtime environment! Steve who shouldn't really complain since this isn't march of 2012 by a long shot Here is a link that might be useful: State Maps, Solar Energy