Home garden in Japan

Barbara Manning wrote:L. Johnson, try giving the cats a relatively secluded area with sand. Dig down about 2 inches and pour in any kind of sand. Plant some catnip away from the garden. Theyll find both and will use it, probably preferring it to the garden soil. Depending upon how many cats you may still have to scoop some poop but at least it won't be in your garden.  

If any of those cats are intact males, consider getting a live trap and find a vet who is willing to give you a discount to neuter them. You'll have far fewer cats in the immediate future that way.

Thanks for the inspiration!

Thanks for the ideas and encouragement. I have been pondering building them a dedicated poop place... BUT these are not feral cats. They are our neighbor's cats. The neighbor is currently going through some rough times, but... I intend to as kindly and respectfully as possible inform them that I'm having difficulty with the cats and that it would be greatly appreciated if they could attend to them. There was a generational difference of opinion before, but the former cat owner is now greatly aged and not really mobile anymore... so I am a little more hopeful that given good timing we might have better results with the next generation down. If at all possible I really don't want the cats to be encouraged to come into our land at all... as it is we all scare them off whenever we see them. It is only the youngest generation of cats that even come by anymore.

Difficult situation. Hard to determine the best course of action. If they were feral I would almost certainly do what you suggest.

Barbara Manning wrote: If any of those cats are intact males, consider getting a live trap and find a vet who is willing to give you a discount to neuter them. You'll have far fewer cats in the immediate future that way.
Thanks for the inspiration!

Look look for Japan Cat Network https://www.japancatnetwork.org/  They can help you find a no cost or low cost vet to neuter any males you find. There are some other organizations too. Ask JCN.

JCN can probably help you find some kind of deterrence. I know there's some plants that cats don't like and maybe you can plant them as a kind of barrier.

In any event I hope that you can speak to your neighbor about neutering the cats and keeping them indoors, or building/buying an outdoor enclosure. Cats are the number one enemy of all birds and are responsible for quite a large percentage of bird deaths.

I found this too.  It's an article about 9 plants that cats don't like to plant around your garden to keep them out.  And Catnip -- to plant far, far away from your garden because the cats are very, very attracted to it.  

https://sowsmallgarden.com/cat-repellent-plants/

And, just a touch off-topic is Houseplants that cats don't like:  https://pestpointers.com/9-incredible-houseplants-that-cats-will-leave-alone/

Would you mind sharing a picture of your Chayote trellis?

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:Would you mind sharing a picture of your Chayote trellis?

Sure Joylynn. But I don't really have one.

They grow up and all over the ornamentals in my garden. Also over my shed... which is a little annoying, but whatever!







For what it's worth, they get sun until about 5pm in the summer and 2:30 to 3pm in the later seasons. I think there are maybe three distinct plants in there? Maybe.

A few close-ups from the garden beds and some autumn leaves.

Peas and lettuce


from another angle


a few remaining eggplant, lots of self-seeded daikon, all of my brassica rapa and oleica planted out.


Three broccoli plants, staggered planting should give me a staggered harvest - I hope.


Carrot gone to flower, hoping to save seeds from it, but it's a lone plant... I wonder if the seeds will be viable.


A tomato trying to grow in December... the ones in my greenhouse are fruiting slightly despite poor soil, this one... is probably a lost cause.


The kumquat as it looks in December


A Japanese white oak or "shirakashi" which will be pollarded after it drops its leaves. I can't let anything in this section grow up to the power lines above. The branch crotches make excellent hooks a la the PEP round wood hook Badge Bit.


I pollarded the mulberry back in October, so after about 50 days it's putting out new growth.


A wreath I made today with some of the branches which were surprisingly still bendy.


A momiji Japanese maple growing beside the Japanese white oak. It will also be pollarded soon after it drops its beautiful leaves.


And another one which gave me the wood for several spoons. The plants below are Japanese ginger or "myoga"