first tomato!

[Gus]

It's only the size of small plum but still-- first tomato! It turned red mostly the last couple days suddenly and thought I better pick it before the squirrel.

So far,

humans 1 squirrels 0

[Higgs Boson]

Dern it, my "first" is still blushing; too soon. Should be ready in a week or so. I am firmly secular, but when harvesting first fruits, I do recite the appropriate prayer.

(But on the plus side, my dwarf Washington orange has made its first adorable baby! Last year I had about 12 of the most delicious oranges EVER. In this area, we pick in January/February +-.

WHERE ARE YOU?

HB

Where are you?

HB

[Gus]

OVER HERE.

Midwest US, Louisville.

[Natural - Smoking Gun - Girl]

I pick mine when they just start to turn blushy looking. One year I didn't get one good tomato due to varmints getting them, so now I don't wait and put them in my kitchen window to ripen. I've got a few small ones, too, about the size of large plums. I'm looking forward to the larger tomatoes when they finally put on fruit!

[Gus]

I got quite a few from only about 4-5 plants last year, but the year before the varmints took them all! It was very disappointing. I got so mad I ended up pulling up the tomato plants that year... I am trying the vinegar soaked socks on the wood stakes strategy again. It seemed to work pretty well last year.

[Higgs Boson]

Inquiring minds need to know: Were you able to discern any difference in taste between vine ripened and kitchen window ripened?

HB

[Natural - Smoking Gun - Girl]

Vinegar socks? hmmm Haven't tried that one yet.

I've got some chocolate mint planted that has come back all around where I planted some of my patio tomatoes. I'm hoping the thieves don't notice the tomatoes because of the mint being there.

[Natural - Smoking Gun - Girl]

I didn't notice any difference in the taste, but ever since the year where the garden thieves took EVERY tomato I had, I've been pulling them as soon as I see them begin to turn and I let them ripen the rest of the way in my kitchen window. They taste REALLY good.

[Gus]

Speaking for myself, not too much. Vine ripened is best, but window ripened out of a garden still beats grocery store by quite a bit.

[Gus]

I happened to notice it on the back of a bottle of vinegar from Kroger last year. It was listing all the uses for vinegar and one was to keep away garden pests. It says to stake the perimeter with vinegar soaked rags about every 7-10 days. It seems to work, at least for a while. I put some socks on the tomato stakes. After it rains I put some vinegar on the socks, or about once a week.

[Natural - Smoking Gun - Girl]

I might give it a try soon if I see that I'm losing tomatoes again.