HELP! growing radish, birds eating the leaves away?

Question

this year is the first time I started a garden. the radish I planted started to grow fine, but today I noticed many leaves were missing and it looks like some bird ate them. What can I do to prevent it? will the radish still grow after all the leaves are eaten away?

thank you for all the answers. I will try to put up a little fencing around the bed and try the different home made sprays. I don"t like using any pestecides as I want to grow a bio garden. thanks again

I liked many of the answers and it is difficult to choose the best one. That's why I am letting the whole community vote. thanks again.

Answer 1

I have birds that eat all my produce - it's kind of weird for birds to be eating the leaves. BUT, if it is birds, the best thing to do is to hang all those old AOL cd's from threads, at different heights, so that they twirl and sparkle in the sunshine. That really keeps birds away.

There's a really good chance, however, that you have either leaf miners or snail damage to the leaves. Snails leave slimey trails in the sunlight. You should definately put down some snail bait - which won't harm any vegetables you're growing - and also consider treating with ferti-lome or another leafminer spray safe for vegetables.

Answer 2

I do have birds thast eat my radish leaves..they also LOVE my onions..the old aol cd s is good-things that twirk and scare them..I have noticed that even tho the birds are eating my garden..they leave me something..one day they dropped a dried pepper(prob from my discarded parrot seed pile in the backyard..a bulb-I have no idea what kind or where they got that..a feather..a piece of ribbon..I sit in my window in the early morning (as I am up anyway) and I watch them..I think it is neat they take from me and leave something for me..Nature rules..you could try some netting over your plants..prop it on sticks so radish will still grow, and weigh it with stones or bricks..I don't -I let the birds share the garden..but they do eat the radishes and the onions, and a little bit of the carrot tops..make sure you don't have pests or beetles, but I know for a fact I don't- I have birds..thin your plants, my radishes are still growing fine..as long as they have room to grow, the tops don't seem to make much difference. The onions? I mulched and reseeded- don't think Im going to end up with chives, tho.lol..

Answer 3

I doubt it is birds, most likely a chewing insect like grass hoppers.A soapy spray will help a great deal....a few drops of liquid dish soap in to a spray bottle, you will need to do this everyday for a while. You wont get rid of them all but you can get the edge on them,The radishes will produce even though something is eating some of the leafs.If your garden is near your lawn, then you probably have the problem living there. There are granule forms of pesticides for lawn, sprinkle and water in. Examine your lawn and see what you think.
If it is not a chewing pest and is birds or( small critters)...whirley gigs will help, anything that moves or makes noise, even some that do not move can help. You can use stuffed animals place them on large coffee cans to keep them off the dirt and move them around periodically
Seems like gardening is a lot of work...huh but oooo so worth it
God Bless
Grandma

Answer 4

If you haven't actually seen birds eating the leaves, I'd say it would be rabbits.

I've had some leaves partially eaten and they go on to produce just fine. If almost all of the leaves on the plant are gone, it probably is a goner.

Good luck with the garden.

Answer 5

It is birds. Just this morning I saw the bird do it.I was watching to see if it was going to eat bugs. It hopped on over and pecked my spinach seedling leaf. They have been eating my radish tops, and peas. It is a war in the food web with every different invader I will try the vinegar and hot sauce and make their beaks burn.

Answer 6

1 get a dog
2 buy some repelents at menards or something
3 the radish might grow if the leaves are eaten away i wouldnt take the chance

Answer 7

It's not birds; it's likely either rabbits or mice, probably rabbits. Dust the leaves with cayenne pepper powder to make them unattractive to Peter Cottontail. The missing leaves SHOULD regrow; if they don't, pull them as they likely won't increase in size any further. Hope this helps.

Answer 8

spray a mixture of vinegar and tabasco sauce directly on your garden. It's harmless to the plants, and birds and bugs hate the taste!

Answer 9

Try a little mesh fence around it...