sluggo 40 #1 Posted August 9, 2016 I finally had my first tomato on my deck turn red. I have been watching it and waiting. It looked great after work today. It disappeared in the last hour. My stupid dog stole it. She picks raspberries too. 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 57,432 #2 Posted August 9, 2016 She was probably making sure the raccoons and rabbits wouldn't eat them. 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeM 7,894 #3 Posted August 9, 2016 know the filling! One year the deer ate all of mine, did not get one. I installed and electric fence. My wife says; between the fence, special tractor with tiller, (wheel horse of course), fertilizer, lime etc. etc. etc. I could import tomatoes from Italy cheaper! 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
857 horse 2,581 #4 Posted August 9, 2016 And so goes the old saying....life as a windshield..... Sometimes we are the bug and sometimes we are a deer.... was that a jd joke ,thing ?? lol 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 15,886 #5 Posted August 9, 2016 I've been eating my home grown tomatoes for about 3 weeks now. I always plant Early Girls, add a little Miracle Grow to the soil and have BLT's by the third week of July. As a matter of fact, we ate BLT sandwiches for supper tonight. 8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 42,273 #6 Posted August 9, 2016 My Beagle used to steal them. She would come out from the garden with a green face. Then we had a Lab that stole the Zuchinni! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oliver2-44 10,228 #7 Posted August 9, 2016 It's interesting to hear some of you in the NE are just getting you first tomato now. Ours in Central Texas are about burned up and done. Some years I nurse them through the heat and get a few more in the fall, but not this year. We had beautiful plants, lots of blooms but very few tomatoes the past 2 years.Two years ago the elderly neighbor that raised bees moved away. This year I only saw a bee once in my garden .......I suspect lots of blooms but no bees equals no tomatoes, or cucumbers or green beans. my root crops did well! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 15,886 #8 Posted August 9, 2016 (edited) Here in central Maryland, I live on a wooded lot, so there is no room for a real garden. We have an area where we took down several 90 ft. oak trees to get some sunlight. That area gets sun for about 8 hours. So, the plants grow very tall trying to compete with the trees to get more sunlight. Right now, they are about 8 feet tall. Edited August 9, 2016 by rmaynard 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WNYPCRepair 1,923 #9 Posted August 9, 2016 16 hours ago, oiluj52 said: know the filling! One year the deer ate all of mine, did not get one. I installed and electric fence. My wife says; between the fence, special tractor with tiller, (wheel horse of course), fertilizer, lime etc. etc. etc. I could import tomatoes from Italy cheaper! I had to completely enclose my garden, including the top (roof). And I still have birds and squirrels finding their way inside. Raccoons tried, but made enough noise that I heard them. The pellet rifle seems to have discouraged the raccoons. I said the same thing to my wife, that with the amount I have spent on fencing, dirt, water, etc., I could buy an awful lot of home grown tomatoes at the farmer's market. I think next year I am going to skip the garden 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 50,461 #10 Posted August 9, 2016 15 hours ago, rmaynard said: BLT sandwiches for supper tonight Oh my favorite Bob .. We just froze a bunch of big ones for making salsa... They were called mortgage lifters, a guy who bred them did so to sell and help with his mortgage I guess. First year I ever tried them as I usually do the early girls or big boys. They are huge and a odd pinkish in color but taste good. I did two of the plants for blt's and a dozen roma's for sauces and salsa. Doing really good this year which is good cause last year's crop sucked! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sluggo 40 #11 Posted August 9, 2016 2 hours ago, WHX7 said: Oh my favorite Bob .. We just froze a bunch of big ones for making salsa... They were called mortgage lifters, a guy who bred them did so to sell and help with his mortgage I guess. First year I ever tried them as I usually do the early girls or big boys. They are huge and a odd pinkish in color but taste good. I did two of the plants for blt's and a dozen roma's for sauces and salsa. Doing really good this year which is good cause last year's crop sucked! I have heard of those, they are supposed to be huge. Maybe my dog would just eat one and get filled up!!! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lane Ranger 11,096 #12 Posted August 9, 2016 A good one from the garden ! And we have had two container plants in five gallon buckets that we have had tomatoes from for two and a half weeks. The Roma's were supper tonight with pasta, garlic, onions and olive oil ! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,771 #13 Posted August 10, 2016 We're up north and I was behind this year so our first tomato was VERY slow to appear. I was watching a small Juliette ripen and thought yesterday I would grab it today, bring it in, place it with two knives and forks and declare that the First Tomato of the Year sacrifice was about to begin! This morning I walked out to go to work and notice two chickens close by to the tomato plant and stopped in my tracks! I hollered "Stop!" with a tone that would have cause any or our dogs to instantly freeze but one chicken unphased by my bellering hopped up, knocked it off the vine and pecked it around the yard until it was gone.... Chicken stew perhaps? Darn! First tomato and I missed it! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sluggo 40 #14 Posted August 10, 2016 @Dennis Your chickens and my dog....... You wouldn't care but it was the FIRST TOMATO!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeM 7,894 #15 Posted August 10, 2016 Probably going to pick first Early Girl tomorrow. Been eating grape tomatoes for 2 weeks. Planted last week in May. Sunny Delight Squash have been a real treat on the bar-b-q. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 50,461 #16 Posted August 14, 2016 These are the morgage lifters I mentoned. Some of them are WH Red but most have a pinkish patina. Very juicy and not a great deal of seeds. Not quite as acidic or flavorful as other varieties but will do well in chili and other sauces. Stalks the size of a quarter! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
