Yes, just as we don't all need to look like supermodels to have happy and fulfilling lives, our vegetables don't need to look perfect to be healthy and make lots of veggies for us! :) Which isn't to say that you shouldn't be looking as closely as you are. In fact, such close scrutiny will pay off in the long run, as you learn what different insects to watch out for and how feeding damage looks compared to environmental damage. I just had the analogy pop into my head and had to share it.... And over here is my corn, Ruby Queen... So perfect, just like Heidi Klum...

First, florida is a land apart when it comes to gardening, so don't take advice here, go to the florida forum where there are some resident veggie experts. Second, don't use poisons. All plant weaknesses are due to a lack, and in florida you can be pretty sure that lack is soil nutrition. Combine with heat stress and the result is vulnerability to just about anything. In concert with my folks we have been gardening in central fl for a long time. The first really successful garden we have had was this spring in a new plot near a lake which provided some constant soil moisture in the root-zone, and we loaded the soil with organic minerals. Finally we got some plants that produced heavily since they were not moisture-deprived and nutrient-starved. Occasional or even daily overhead watering does not suffice in the florida climate unless evaporation is controlled. Also in florida it is getting late now for common beans and tomatoes to be productive due to heat. Only in the best of circumstances would they continue much longer. Next year have your successive crop of legumes - limas and cowpeas - sowed by May to replace the bean crop.

Relocating a groundhog is only relocating your problem, giving it to someone else. You also may be relocating it into the territory of another groundhog, which will cause fights that lead to sever injury or death. You may also be taking a mother away from her babies, thus leaving them to starve to death. Also, in this "new" territory, your reloacted animal will not have a home (den, nest, etc) so will be left to wander around, with no protection from predators. They also don't know where the food and water is, and in the case of squirrels, their buried food cache. You also are simply opening up a void in your yard for new animals to move in, so you aren't really solving your problem. The real problem is actually that your yard is the perfect habitat for whatever your pest animal is. The biggest thing of all with trapping & relocating, is that it's actually illegal in many areas, so not only are you making your relocated animal suffer, you are breaking the law. Now, I'm not defending any pest animals, because I've had plenty myself. I'm just putting it out there, that when people think they are being humane by trapping & relocating animals, they are actually making it worse for the animals. You're better off dispatching the animal, which is quick and humane. Imagine someone trapped you, and relocated you into a far away city. No phone, no money, no food, and no home. Let's imagine for a moment that you can't just go to the police, or go to the gas station and call someone. Where are you going to go? Into someone elses home? Think they'll let you? What are you going to eat? Someone elses food? Nope. This is what happens to animals when you relocate them. Then, next years, this year's babies will be adults, seeking out their own territory, and they'll find a nice, empty yard to move into, and the cycle starts over. With all of that said, you're best off to just kill the animal if it's that bad, and then work to make your yard less hospitable to them. With proper fencing, you can actually prevent groundhogs from getting in your garden, although I must say, they are tricky animals to deal with. Good luck, and don't bother relocating it. Joe

I agree with catherinet that it's a Brown Thrasher. They have a lovely song - I hear them more than I see them. Claire