Vandals!

Several days ago I lost four kknaennip plants in mysterious fashion; they were essentially chopped off at their base and tossed from their pot. I thought maybe they had become weak at the bottom of their stalks and then severed by a strong wind. However, today I found another victim strewn to the side in similar fashion, but with the soil disturbed, and damage incurred to a pair of milkweed seedlings I’d transplanted in place of the lost kknaennip. I’m guessing squirrels are the likely culprit, but it’s such a strange behavior to lop a plant off and then throw it away. I think their real interest lies buried in the dirt, and they’re just getting rid of obstructions.

Thankfully, I have plenty more kkaennip, like these planted from saved seed in one of the small boxes, plus a bunch of volunteers in the big box.

Critters also recently upended a shishito from its pot, so I transferred it to the new box in an effort to save it. It’s so much bigger and healthier than its siblings that have been in the box for so long, but that were stunted by spending too much time in the seed tray. I’m hoping that the transplant will take to its new home with vigor, and maybe even inspire those around it to follow suit.

I’ve been proactive against intruders by installing hardware cloth around the new box, preventing anyone from wreaking havoc there. I dislike the look of this protective measure, and it’s cumbersome to work around, but it does beat the destructive and demoralizing alternative.