This is the fun part of the tomato season where the fruits start to appear and I dream of all the BLTs and pizzas and salads I will enjoy with my homegrown tomatoes.
But the birds and rodents are eagerly rubbing their mitts together right now too (well, birds don’t have mitts but chipmunks do!). They’re just as excited about the idea of eating those juicy tomatoes as I am.
Last year they won the race to harvest them hands down. They usually attacked at night or in the early morning before I was awake. They nibbled, pecked or even took huge bites. All but a handful of slicers ended up in the compost bin, and I had to rely on generous gardening friends and the farmer’s market for any homegrown tomatoes.
This year I have 21 plants–19 different varieties. I have determinates and indeterminates. I have hybrids and heirlooms. And I have cherry, grape and slicing tomatoes. If I made any tactical error it was growing 19 of them in the same garden (too easy of a target when they’re all in one place!), but I did protect that garden with a bit of chickenwire.
That won’t stop the birds, and it will only slow down the chipmunks, so now the race is on.