For weeks I've been mistified as to why my English peas haven't grown beyond 2" - 3" tall.
Today, I had a talk with one of our Landscape vendors here at the office. He said the culprits are probably birds eating the tips, especially Cardinals and Robins.
Anyone here at Dave's had a similar problem?
I guess I'll have to buy some bird netting.
Pea-eating culprits!
My guinea hens used to eat the tender tips of my growing veggie plants, which is why they don't live here anymore....
I don't know about what would eat them at that stage, but I know I've got something that eats the tops off of the brand-new shoots--before their first leaves are even unfolded. Very sad...
tucsonjill - I did some research on birds eating pea vines, and found several references. The clue is to look for leaf pieces on the ground - if you see them, then it's probably birds.
I've trained the dogs not to go into the veggie beds - if only I could do the same with the birds.........
Rabbits!
LTilton - that's what the Landscape Vendor suggested - but I pointed out to him that if I had rabbits in the garden, I wouldn't have anything else either, and the collards/broccoli/carrots are untouched.
Gophers will also gladly eat pea and bean vines (and they left my cabbages/broccoli alone).
Rabbits here have been know to munch on pea vines and ignore other greens.
I don't have rabbits (yard is walled with block, and beds are raised 3' up), and there's no bits lying around. I tend to suspect some sort of night-time bug.
Good luck in finding your culprit!
My first inclination it to think rabbits also. And if you look close enough you might see their "gifts" they leave in exchange, Honeybee.
And ditto what Ltilton said, rabbits will eat certain things at certain times and ignore other things. Heck, they chowed down on some newly planted, tender, collards but left all the cabbage, chard, lettuces, Bok Choy, broccoli alone. Go figger, eh?
By the way, Cardinals tend to eat mainly seeds and berries and Robins tend to eat berries, bugs, worms, etc.
Hope you find the culprit!
Shoe