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Movie night RESCHEDULED due to rain, Tips for managing rodents in the garden and more!

🌱RESCHEDULED Movie night! Tips for managing Rabbits and Rodents, and information about upcoming events!🌦️<!–



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Orchard Happenings and Updates

Hi Everyone! In this newsletter, we share results from last week’s Salsa Competition, tips for managing Rabbits and Rodents in the garden, and talk about upcoming events…Like The Fall Festival and our RESCHEDULED Movie night!

Due to the chance of rain, we have rescheduled our movie night for October 3rd (tentative date). We will confirm the rescheduled date in upcoming newsletters. We will be watching the new Lilo and Stitch! Please check out the flyer below and RSVP so we know how many to expect. We had 80 people attend last month so be sure to get to the park early and bring your blanket, friends and family.

Saturday, October 11, 12 pm 4 pm Weaver Creek Park/Jovial Concepts Fall Festival. Join us for a fun, family-friendly afternoon featuring live music, a beer garden, local vendors, a pumpkin patch, and plenty of activities like a bounce house, the “snake pit” game, and more!

We’re looking for volunteers to help with setup and takedown, ticketing, volunteer breaks, and other important roles. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/y4r31vveH3H3UXmm7

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Last week’s salsa competition brought the heat with some truly fiery creations! Alyssa’s bright and zingy tomatillo salsa earned third place, while Sherman’s perfectly balanced hot salsa took second.

First place went to Jeff, who wowed everyone with a lightly smoked specialty salsa made entirely from fresh garden produce earning him the honor of taking home the traveling Golden Pepper Trophy!

Each salsa stood out with its own personality whether it was the brightness of yellow grape tomatoes, the depth of roasted garlic, or the bold kick of red peppers. It was such a treat to taste these amazing salsas and pick up a few salsa-making secrets from the talented Salsa chefs in our community!

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Garden Watch: Spotting and Managing Rabbits and Rodents
Keeping Our Community Gardens Healthy

Rabbits and Rodents
Gardens can attract rabbits and mice! These critters will often “clip” off an entire leafy branch and leave behind little stubs with slightly angled cuts. Rabbits are common across the entire Jovial Garden range, and we regularly spot their signs. Mice, on the other hand, are usually drawn to fallen produce or, in my case, cherry tomatoes that are laying on the ground. The cherry tomatoes look like a little critter took 5 small bites out of them, then moved to another tomato to take another 5 bites.

Where & What?
Rabbits feed across perennial, annual, and vegetable gardens, nibbling many plants despite some preferences, more info about their preferences here: https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/susceptibility-plants-rabbit-damage

Mice prefer grains, seeds, and fruits especially if they’re overripe or rotting. Compost piles, mulch, and debris can also provide shelter, so a clean garden is one of the best defenses against them.

When?
Both rabbits and mice can be active throughout the growing season. Rabbits are easy to spot by their feeding trails and in lawns they will eat small circular patches and leave a present of little rabbit droppings to fertilize the rabbit ‘crop’ circles.

Mice are nocturnal and more elusive. Staying watchful all season long will help minimize damage from both

Rabbit Exclusion Fences
Exclusion is the only sure-fire way to prevent rabbits from feeding on your plants. This requires fencing with at least 1 inch wire mesh. The bottom of this mesh must be staked to the ground or ideally buried a couple inches to prevent rabbits from burrowing under it.

Repellents
Repellents can also provide partial protection. For rabbits, products generally fall into two categories: taste-based (such as capsaicin sprays) or smell-based (like putrid egg mixtures, Milorganite, or predator urine). These need frequent reapplication, especially after rain.

For mice, the best strategies are sanitation and habitat management: promptly remove fallen fruits, store seeds in sealed containers, and reduce cover where they might nest. Trapping can also be effective in small gardens, though it requires persistence.

By combining clean garden practices with fencing and selective repellents, you can greatly reduce both rabbit and mouse activity across the season.

Additional Information from trusted education based resources.

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