Hey everyone! I'm pretty bummed and wanted to share my gardening misadventure with you. This is my first year growing fruits and veggies, and I was thrilled when my cantaloupe and cucumber vines I started from seeds really took off. I spent some time learning about hand-pollination and how to care for them, and decided to keep just one of each to reduce competition in my small raised garden bed. I even spotted some promising cantaloupe blooms!
But today, after reading about vine borers, I went to check on my plants and was shocked to find my cantaloupe vines wilting. Upon inspection, I discovered that something had chewed completely through all the branches. My vines were just drooping from the trellis with no connection to the roots! I panicked and tried to reestablish them by dipping the stems in rooting hormone and reburrowing them in the soil.
Has anyone successfully revived vines after such a drastic root loss? Also, I found a rat had been trapped nearby, and I suspect it's to blame for the damage. I'm considering getting more rat traps just in case!
3 Answers
Oh no, that's rough! Unfortunately, it's pretty unlikely that your cantaloupe vines will re-root in time to survive. Rooting can be a slow process, and if those vines were completely severed, they may not make it. For next season, consider building a cage with chicken wire to protect your plants; it's a simple project for a small raised bed.
Ugh, I feel your pain! Those pesky rats got to my pumpkin vines too. They seem to love chewing through the stems. I tried coyote urine as a deterrent, and it has worked for me—fingers crossed it helps you too!
Yeah, rats are a real problem for gardens. I won’t even attempt melons because the sweet scent attracts them like crazy. Planning to finish up some stronger fencing this fall!
Thanks for the heads up! I didn’t realize rooting was so tricky.