We have lived on the same property for 37 years (close to No. 5 Rd. and Steveston Hwy. in Richmond) and have always had a great garden until the past two or three years. We have looked after our soil (compost added every year), rotated our crops yearly, and always had enough corn, peas, beans, etc. to freeze for the winter. But for the past few years, our seeds have been slow in germinating (we traditionally plant on the long May weekend) and we have had to reseed. Even then, germination has been spotty. This year the whole first planting of peas disappeared without a trace and the second planting (six rows) has maybe a dozen sprouting at most. The beans are a complete washout for the second year in a row. We are not inexperienced. We have had great gardens for almost half a century. What's going on? We try to buy high quality seed, coat the seeds with inoculant, still nothing. We have a lot of fruit - cherries, pears, apples, plums, raspberries, blueberries - all doing very well. So are trees and flowers. Has anyone else experienced something similar? Does anyone have an idea of what the problem might be? Another thing I've noticed. There are no song birds any more. Starting in spring, we used to have to close our windows at dawn because the birds made such a racket. Now there is only silence. Even the crows are gone. I can't even remember seeing a robin locally this year. There has been major construction in our area for a few years. Could this have anything to do with the birds disappearing? Could the lack of birds and the failure of our seeds to germinate be related in some way? I don't see how but I'm wondering. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Are you sure you don't have voles in your garden? It is what they did to my Peas last spring. This is what is called progress and development by those who are in the business of brainwashing us, don't you know? They will also tell us that it is good for the economy. They keep silent though re. how good (or rather how bad) it is for us.
Thanks for the suggestion. I looked up voles but I don't think they're the problem. There is no sign of tunneling. I ran into a retired nursery operator today and he said that without a doubt the problem was old seed. I'm really thinking that is probably it. For the past few years I have been buying seed at the local branch of a very well-known chain nursery and I have a feeling they don't get rid of old seed, just leave it out year after year. We've had problems with rotten seed potatoes from them. After all, my flower seeds planted in the same ground all germinated. We went to Canadian Tire and bought new seed and will see how it goes.
Hi Mary Anne, I'm in Richmond too and have had a terrible time with my peas and beans as well. The peas I know were taken by slugs, they had come up but the seedlings were eaten down to the ground. My beans have not sprouted I think because each time I sowed it rained for days. We dug a few up and sure enough they just rotted in the wetness. I'm planning on sowing again today or tomorrow because it seems we'll have a stretch of mostly sun (hopefully). In both cases, I used seeds packaged for this year, so in my case I think it was poor environmental conditions :( On a happier note, the peas I grow on my patio in containers (which are protected from slugs and snails) are doing well and I'm just about to get my first harvest in the next couple of days. Hope your next sowings turn out better!
Thanks for making us feel less alone in our struggle. Following John Massot's advice (he was the original designer and developer of Fantasy Gardens when it was still Bota Gardens), we bought new seed and immersed them in water to see if they would sprout. They have all developed little rootlets so we will plant them tomorrow. Not a single bean has come up, so I think we will do the same for the bean seed, although it is getting a little late. But it doesn't hurt to try. We have found paw prints among the peas that didn't come up. I know they aren't from dogs as our yard is surrounded by a high fence, and we keep our cats inside, so it must be raccoons. I wonder if they eat seed. Two years ago we watched a squirrel efficiently strip the leaves from a cob of corn and carefully eat down the rows. Interesting!
Although it's a nuisance, that image of the squirrel eating each row of corn is kind of cute :) My parents live in the same area as you, and I think there is a resident raccoon that did a number on my dad's small stand of corn last year. It took down about half of the stalks and it was a huge mess! I'm not sure if they eat peas, but in learning from some of my community garden plot neighbours, some people covered the seeded area with chicken wire and small branches sticking up through the chicken wire to deter animals and birds. Because the chicken wire comes in a roll, it already has a nice little arch when you cut it, so it gives the seedlings a bit of room to grow. I also secured the chicken wire to the ground with row cover staples. I don't know if that will be enough to foil your raccoon, but it helped with the birds and smaller animals.
