The squirrels are at it already! Last year I had a huge problem with squirrels digging in my pots. Well I did some winter seed sowing last week and the squirrels dug in one of the pots already. But this year I am prepared! (I should have had squirrel stew all winter but just didn't get around to it) I bought a roll of 1/2" square hardware cloth. I have been slowly cutting squares of hardware cloth to fit inside the top of seeded pots. It won't work on pots where I put started plants because of the extra cutting involved. But seedlings will grow through the wire mesh just fine. I just need some time on a sunny warmish day to get out there and cut the wires.
I need to figure out how to work the pea trellis around the wire. I'm using upside down tomato cages with the 3 legs tied together as pea trellis. I set the cage in the pot and put soil over the ring and it works very well for small peas. The problem is the squirrels digging at the edges of the pots. I may cut a piece of hardware cloth to fit the pot then cut the mesh just enough to slip it inside the cage top. It will take some engineering but I think I can work it out.
