I have had the same thing but I did find out how to prevent it on my hostas - surround it with pine needles,(they are usually covered up by the big leaves if you don't like the look). This has worked for me for several years BUT I have the same holes in my gerber daisies and where I have planted them, I don't want the pine needle look so hope someone might have another idea. Love this site - Thanks, All!!!!

Thanks to everyone! Rats!! It might be rats. I've seen some running along the fence. Lots of construction in the area and it's sending them scurrying hither and yon. Guess they're small enough to eat the heads without trampling the leaves, huh. Yikes! Wish I could blame a more pleasant critter.

Since I do not like blackeyed peas, I would eat only 2 for luck on New Years day, and only ate those because my mother insisted. She said that when she was "expecting me" she cooked dried black eyed peas often as they were a staple during the post depression years, and that she had to hold her nose while opening the lid to add water because of morning sickness. I still do not care for them, but like crowder and purple hulled ones.

Is that Zone 3, as in Canada? The low yield might be due to the BE #5 being grown outside of its ideal climate range. It's possible that you might have a better yield - and more uniform seed size - if you grew a variety bred for the North. The University of Minnesota once had a breeding program for cowpeas, and developed several good short-season cultivars. I have two of those, MN 13 (which I am currently harvesting) and MN 157. Both are bush cultivars, so they don't waste time putting out runners, and can be planted at the same spacing as bush beans. If you are interested in trying them, Moventurer, send me a PM. "Will screening out the large beans for seed saving help increase the size of the end product over several growing seasons?" Most likely not... and doing so may cause more harm than good. Dry seed that was exposed to wet conditions prior to harvest may be the largest seeds by size, but would actually be inferior in terms of storage life to smaller seed harvested under better conditions. I do sort beans & peas by size, but avoid seed that appears dull, discolored, or misshapen.