Shiso & squirrels
 

My green shiso has just about completely died. My wife already took some =
tops for shio-zuke.
I was waiting for the rest of the seeds to fall naturally
as they do each year, giving me an automatic crop next summer.
Yesterday I found 2 squirrels in the shiso patch, breaking the
stems and eating the seed tops. I have never seen this before.
I hope I still get a crop next summer.

Musashi wrote:
> My green shiso has just about completely died. My wife already took some tops for shio-zuke.
> I was waiting for the rest of the seeds to fall naturally
> as they do each year, giving me an automatic crop next summer.
> Yesterday I found 2 squirrels in the shiso patch, breaking the
> stems and eating the seed tops. I have never seen this before.
> I hope I still get a crop next summer.
>

I've never seen the squirrels eat my red shiso, and we have plenty of
squirrels. They dig in my lawn more than anything else. Maybe your
squirrels don't have any other options, like the abundant acorns and
hickory nuts we have here.

--
Dan

"Musashi" > wrote in message
om...
My green shiso has just about completely died. My wife already took some
tops for shio-zuke.
I was waiting for the rest of the seeds to fall naturally
as they do each year, giving me an automatic crop next summer.
Yesterday I found 2 squirrels in the shiso patch, breaking the
stems and eating the seed tops. I have never seen this before.
I hope I still get a crop next summer.

New one on me. They eat my pecans about as fast as they can but so far no
shiso. They actually climb the trees and knock them down.

"Dan Logcher" > wrote in message =
...
> Musashi wrote:
> > My green shiso has just about completely died. My wife already took =
some tops for shio-zuke.
> > I was waiting for the rest of the seeds to fall naturally
> > as they do each year, giving me an automatic crop next summer.
> > Yesterday I found 2 squirrels in the shiso patch, breaking the
> > stems and eating the seed tops. I have never seen this before.
> > I hope I still get a crop next summer.
> >=20
>=20
> I've never seen the squirrels eat my red shiso, and we have plenty of
> squirrels. They dig in my lawn more than anything else. Maybe your
> squirrels don't have any other options, like the abundant acorns and
> hickory nuts we have here.
>=20
> --=20
> Dan

My yard connects to woods and usually we have lots of acorns. However, =
this year, I think
that the acorn "harvest" is small, based on the amount I've had to clean =
up and how=20
few squirrels I've seen burying acorns. Although in the NY are we had =
alot of rain
this summer, for the same reason we had less sunshine than usual and it =
was an unusually
"cool" summer for us. I suspect that may be why there aren't as many =
acorns this year.

Musashi

"Michael" > wrote in message =
...
>=20
> "Musashi" > wrote in message
> om...
> My green shiso has just about completely died. My wife already took =
some
> tops for shio-zuke.
> I was waiting for the rest of the seeds to fall naturally
> as they do each year, giving me an automatic crop next summer.
> Yesterday I found 2 squirrels in the shiso patch, breaking the
> stems and eating the seed tops. I have never seen this before.
> I hope I still get a crop next summer.
>=20
> New one on me. They eat my pecans about as fast as they can but so =
far no
> shiso. They actually climb the trees and knock them down.
>=20

Well since my posting, the squirrels have chopped off the remaining =
standing shiso
plants at about "squirrel head height" and have eaten most of the seeds.
Yesterday the junkos (snowbirds) arrived and they too started eating the =
shiso seeds
that the squirrels missed.

Musashi

"Michael" > wrote in message =
...
>=20
> "Musashi" > wrote in message
> om...
> My green shiso has just about completely died. My wife already took =
some
> tops for shio-zuke.
> I was waiting for the rest of the seeds to fall naturally
> as they do each year, giving me an automatic crop next summer.
> Yesterday I found 2 squirrels in the shiso patch, breaking the
> stems and eating the seed tops. I have never seen this before.
> I hope I still get a crop next summer.
>=20
> New one on me. They eat my pecans about as fast as they can but so =
far no
> shiso. They actually climb the trees and knock them down.
>=20

Well since my posting, the squirrels have chopped off the remaining =
standing shiso
plants at about "squirrel head height" and have eaten most of the seeds.
Yesterday the junkos (snowbirds) arrived and they too started eating the =
shiso seeds
that the squirrels missed.

Musashi

Musashi wrote:

> "Dan Logcher" > wrote in message ...
>
>>Musashi wrote:
>>
>>>My green shiso has just about completely died. My wife already took some tops for shio-zuke.
>>>I was waiting for the rest of the seeds to fall naturally
>>>as they do each year, giving me an automatic crop next summer.
>>>Yesterday I found 2 squirrels in the shiso patch, breaking the
>>>stems and eating the seed tops. I have never seen this before.
>>>I hope I still get a crop next summer.
>>>
>>>
>>I've never seen the squirrels eat my red shiso, and we have plenty of
>>squirrels. They dig in my lawn more than anything else. Maybe your
>>squirrels don't have any other options, like the abundant acorns and
>>hickory nuts we have here.
>
> My yard connects to woods and usually we have lots of acorns. However, this year, I think
> that the acorn "harvest" is small, based on the amount I've had to clean up and how
> few squirrels I've seen burying acorns. Although in the NY are we had alot of rain
> this summer, for the same reason we had less sunshine than usual and it was an unusually
> "cool" summer for us. I suspect that may be why there aren't as many acorns this year.

Don't the acorns drop in the fall? I haven't seen much of any this season.
We've had a major increase in squirrels in New England, dispite the mass road
kill everywhere. They have probably eaten all the accorns and have moved on
to other food stuffs.

It was a very wet summer for us as well. The shiso grew pretty well though.

--
Dan

Musashi wrote:

> "Dan Logcher" > wrote in message ...
>
>>Musashi wrote:
>>
>>>My green shiso has just about completely died. My wife already took some tops for shio-zuke.
>>>I was waiting for the rest of the seeds to fall naturally
>>>as they do each year, giving me an automatic crop next summer.
>>>Yesterday I found 2 squirrels in the shiso patch, breaking the
>>>stems and eating the seed tops. I have never seen this before.
>>>I hope I still get a crop next summer.
>>>
>>>
>>I've never seen the squirrels eat my red shiso, and we have plenty of
>>squirrels. They dig in my lawn more than anything else. Maybe your
>>squirrels don't have any other options, like the abundant acorns and
>>hickory nuts we have here.
>
> My yard connects to woods and usually we have lots of acorns. However, this year, I think
> that the acorn "harvest" is small, based on the amount I've had to clean up and how
> few squirrels I've seen burying acorns. Although in the NY are we had alot of rain
> this summer, for the same reason we had less sunshine than usual and it was an unusually
> "cool" summer for us. I suspect that may be why there aren't as many acorns this year.

Don't the acorns drop in the fall? I haven't seen much of any this season.
We've had a major increase in squirrels in New England, dispite the mass road
kill everywhere. They have probably eaten all the accorns and have moved on
to other food stuffs.

It was a very wet summer for us as well. The shiso grew pretty well though.

--
Dan

> wrote in message =
...
> On Mon, 08 Nov 2004 15:52:42 GMT, "Musashi" >
> wrote:
>=20
> >
> >"Michael" > wrote in message =
...
> >>=20
> >> "Musashi" > wrote in message
> >> om...
> >> My green shiso has just about completely died. My wife already took =
some
> >> tops for shio-zuke.
> >> I was waiting for the rest of the seeds to fall naturally
> >> as they do each year, giving me an automatic crop next summer.
> >> Yesterday I found 2 squirrels in the shiso patch, breaking the
> >> stems and eating the seed tops. I have never seen this before.
> >> I hope I still get a crop next summer.
> >>=20
> >> New one on me. They eat my pecans about as fast as they can but so =
far no
> >> shiso. They actually climb the trees and knock them down.
> >>=20
> >
> >Well since my posting, the squirrels have chopped off the remaining =
standing shiso
> >plants at about "squirrel head height" and have eaten most of the =
seeds.
> >Yesterday the junkos (snowbirds) arrived and they too started eating =
the shiso seeds
> >that the squirrels missed.
>=20
> Not a problemo! Most seed houses will sell you 5200 seeds=20
> (count 'em, 5200) for $3.85 + s/h. Or you might try to do what I do
> each year; In the phone book I look up several people in my geographic
> area with Japanese names. I then call them and ask if they have any
> seeds gathered from their annual crop (most Japanese do try to
> cultivate at least a square meter section of Ao Shiso (Perilla) every
> year) and if so would they be kind enough to give me some. Most Of the
> time I collect far more than 5200 seeds (saving at least $3.85 + s/h
> every time.) I must admit that on several occasions I have gotten
> some strange non-occidental looks when they bring the seeds to my
> home.=20
> Beats going without though.
>=20
> Faites frire Le Cuisinier
>=20
> >Musashi

Oddly we are the only Japanese family in our area that has shiso =
annually.
In the NYC suburbs most of Japanese families tend to live in Apartments
and Condominiums, rather than houses with yards.

> wrote in message =
...
> On Mon, 08 Nov 2004 15:52:42 GMT, "Musashi" >
> wrote:
>=20
> >
> >"Michael" > wrote in message =
...
> >>=20
> >> "Musashi" > wrote in message
> >> om...
> >> My green shiso has just about completely died. My wife already took =
some
> >> tops for shio-zuke.
> >> I was waiting for the rest of the seeds to fall naturally
> >> as they do each year, giving me an automatic crop next summer.
> >> Yesterday I found 2 squirrels in the shiso patch, breaking the
> >> stems and eating the seed tops. I have never seen this before.
> >> I hope I still get a crop next summer.
> >>=20
> >> New one on me. They eat my pecans about as fast as they can but so =
far no
> >> shiso. They actually climb the trees and knock them down.
> >>=20
> >
> >Well since my posting, the squirrels have chopped off the remaining =
standing shiso
> >plants at about "squirrel head height" and have eaten most of the =
seeds.
> >Yesterday the junkos (snowbirds) arrived and they too started eating =
the shiso seeds
> >that the squirrels missed.
>=20
> Not a problemo! Most seed houses will sell you 5200 seeds=20
> (count 'em, 5200) for $3.85 + s/h. Or you might try to do what I do
> each year; In the phone book I look up several people in my geographic
> area with Japanese names. I then call them and ask if they have any
> seeds gathered from their annual crop (most Japanese do try to
> cultivate at least a square meter section of Ao Shiso (Perilla) every
> year) and if so would they be kind enough to give me some. Most Of the
> time I collect far more than 5200 seeds (saving at least $3.85 + s/h
> every time.) I must admit that on several occasions I have gotten
> some strange non-occidental looks when they bring the seeds to my
> home.=20
> Beats going without though.
>=20
> Faites frire Le Cuisinier
>=20
> >Musashi

Oddly we are the only Japanese family in our area that has shiso =
annually.
In the NYC suburbs most of Japanese families tend to live in Apartments
and Condominiums, rather than houses with yards.

Musashi wrote:

> > wrote in message ...
>
>>Faites frire Le Cuisinier
>>
>>
>>>Musashi
>>>
>
> Oddly we are the only Japanese family in our area that has shiso annually.
> In the NYC suburbs most of Japanese families tend to live in Apartments
> and Condominiums, rather than houses with yards.

My nextdoor neighbor is half Japanese and Portuguese, but do not grow any
shiso. She does eat sushi though.

--
Dan