A day after two germinating long bean plants were snatched away by birds, another pair of seeds began to break through the soil. This is what probably caught the bird’s eye:

Does that look like a green worm in the earth?

The neck of the sprouting stem does kind of resemble a green worm just at the surface of the soil. I can’t blame the poor, hungry bird that snatched up the two sprouts before. However, I didn’t want to provide them with more free meals, so I got a couple of my bottle-protectors – the top parts of cut-off PET bottles – and placed them over the cups housing the new seedlings. When you remove the screw cap, it allows sufficient air to circulate, and the transparent plastic lets light through for the seedling to grow.

Bean sprout now safely protected from marauding birds

I normally use these bottle-protectors when I plant seeds or seedlings out in the garden. My biggest enemy in those instances are snails and slugs, and I cover the open tops of the bottles with some netting, because snails are adventurous and climb everywhere they can. I sure didn’t expect to have to use the protectors so close to the house! Anyway, they got the job done, and my seeds have sprouted in peace.

What a difference a day makes! A safe sprout ready for the next step in its life.

Just one day later, the sprout is upright and is unfurling its seed leaves. Long beans, here I come!

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