Of course, no problem tagging me here.
Great to see all the different things you have going on! Looks like you are doing a fantastic job to me, despite the inevitable setbacks which are all part of the learning process. We also have strong winds here in the Pyrenees and I made the mistake of not connecting our trampoline to the ground when we first bought it. This ended with multiple squashed plants after it rolled across the entire garden with the wind! Won't be making that mistake again ;)
Our ants are harmless by comparison to yours. I had no idea they could even do that to a lemon tree! @sirenahippie seems to have a great idea for the solution. Even if your goal is not to kill them, perhaps you could just leave ample kitchen scraps for them each night near their nest? Don't know much about ants but I assume if they can find what they need close to home, they won't eat your plants?
I feel guilty because I laughed hard at that story of the trampoline rolling across a backyard and ending the poor squashes. Sorry, maybe at the moment it wasn't that fun but surely it is a funny story.
I think I will try to control de ants with @sirenahippie ‘s advice, because last month the neighbor told me they saw a rat in their backyard, so I really don't want to invite her in with my scraps since I am a little frightened to encounter her.
Thank you for the kind Input and your words of motivation. I think the same, although sometimes it is hard, I have been learning a lot and I'm perseverant, I will not give up on my plants and trees.
Best wishes and a lot of good energy back to you!
Good point for the rats! I have two cats who bring me dead rats every morning, so if you do have problems with rodents you know what to do ;)
I think the changing weather will be our biggest challenge moving forward. Some plants will like the way things change while others will not. We've had very little rain over here compared to this time of year normally, so we've been much more active than normal making sure nothing is thirsty. I suspect when the rain does come it will be very heavy and again, we may have to protect some of the smaller plants from drowning if this happens. Let's see... every day brings a new challenge. And this is why we love it ;)
All the best!
Hi @samstonehill! I think it's not a good idea to leave them food nearby, that will only make the nest grow bigger, they will feel super comfortable and then the ant colony will get stronger, bigger. The idea will be to apply biocontrol so that their colonies are reduced or non-existent in @cesarj21's garden.
Hey there! Thanks for pointing out the problem with my plan.
The idea of biocontrol in the way that you mentioned is new to me, but I seriously love the sound of it!
While I have you here, I am wondering if you have a suggested biocontrol solution for aphids? They are arriving on my strawberries and a few of the baby plum trees too. For now I am just squashing them with my fingers but this does not seem like a long term solution.