Our Mastiff Helper

I got a bit of uninvited help with our plants the other day from Tessa, the one-year-old English Mastiff. Being the curious and sometimes tired 140 lb. (63.5 kg) puppy that she is, Tessa decided to investigate a bell pepper plant. The problem is that her "investigation" seems to have focused on the comfort level of the pepper's container and was carried out via her rear end. Yes, all indications are that she sat on it.

Tessa lounging around

Tessa and John

Unfortunately the damage to the plant went beyond just the physical breaking of stems and tearing of leaves that you would expect from it having been used as a cushion by a Mastiff. It appears that somehow, during the act of sitting, one of the container's water emitters ended up adjusted to maximum flow. A few days later I got up early one morning and noticed a large puddle around the whisky barrel where the pepper is planted. A closer inspection revealed completely soaked soil and a very rough looking pepper plant. It looks like my discovery of the excess water came a little too late, as the plant has now lost almost all of its leaves. Tessa and I have managed to drown a bell pepper plant in the desert.

adjustable water emitter

over-watered pepper plant