Making Strawberry Cages

The biggest advantage of growing strawberries at home is that you can eat the ripest strawberries when they are at their best. Unfortunately, birds and squirrels tend to get them first as they hang out all day just to steal your best strawberries at the perfect ripeness. A few days ago I transplanted my potted strawberries into the ground because they have long outgrown the little pots. Putting them in the ground will give them the opportunity to propagate and grow more strawberries. However, I know the squirrels around here. They eat the peaches, apples, loquats, strawberries, and even tomatoes.  Unless I eat the strawberries before they become fully ripe, I often don't get any strawberry.

Last night as I laid down to sleep, I thought about how I could protect the strawberries from the bushy tailed bandits. I thought that I could make cages just big enough for the strawberries. Since they stay pretty low to the ground, they cages don't need to be tall, and I have the perfect material to make them.

I bent and rolled pieces of green wire netting and placed them around the strawberries. For the openings on the top or on the sides, I either used black bird netting or nylon netting bag from buying various groceries. When the strawberries are ready, it will be a little more work to remove the cage and netting, but that may be well worth it.

A Day of Wildlife Sightings

Do you see the deer in the picture?

Today marked the first day of full rain for the mushroom season. We stayed inside for most of the class time since it will take 7-10 days for "good edibles" to grow and pop out of the ground. Around 2 P.M. we got the news that a couple young deer have wandered into the herb garden through an unclosed gate. Master Ken immediately asked the class whether anyone wanted venison as a joke. Gotta love his Texan humor. We got the task of chasing out the deer. Don't worry, there are plenty of other vegetation they can eat around the campus. We just can't have them eat up what the students have grown for their classes. After the class, a group of us put on our rain gear and went to searching for the deer. I spotted them along with a couple other guys. I even managed to snap a photo in the misty weather. They ran out of the horticulture garden soon after. This wasn't the first time we have seen deer inside of the herb garden. They always run away as fast as they can from people. I don't understand why that Oakland Police thought that young deer was a threat and had to shoot it numerous times.

Wild turkey walking around a block from El Cerrito Plaza BART Station

As I got back to my neighborhood driving down Central Avenue, I was surprised of what I saw on the street. Well, I was pretty sure that I saw turkeys. I pulled over, parked the car, and went looking for the turkeys with my camera. They were huge! Several cars slowed down when they saw the huge turkeys taking a walk just a block from El Cerrito Plaza. I wonder where they were going and what were going to happen to them.

3 wild turkeys travel down the street near El Cerrito Plaza.

A newt?

After the turkey encounter, I went home and started rearranging the mushroom blocks I got from Far West Fungi. Some of the shiitake blocks got moldy because I didn't have the time during the week to properly store them. The oyster mushroom blocks look pretty good so far with good potential. I spotted this newt(?) as I lifted up a piece of cardboard that was covering the spot where the juniper used to be.

Black swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio polyxenes asterius Stoll)

These caterpillars are regulars on fennel.

The squirrel came back for more figs. I was able to get a few pictures of him.

The squirrel enjoys his fig

Bushy Tailed Bandit Caught on Camera

Can you carry something the size of your head with your teeth and try to flee?

I was trying to get a few things done on the farm before running out of daylight. Suddenly I heard some leaves rustling and the sound of an apple hitting the ground. I looked up and saw the thief in the picture sitting right in the middle of the apple tree. He sensed that I was looking at him and started running along the fence and hopped out. I thought he was gone then he re-appeared and started running the other direction.

He stopped and looked at me several times. I tried to get closer only to take some pictures. I don't want that apple back anyway!