Fruits of Our Labor '08 Edition
POSTED BY Amy at 7:00 AM
23Comments:
Scrapmuch
"gorgeous tomatoes!
I don't have any advice - but don't be positive it was rabbits. I am left dill-less and parsely-less because of CATERPILLERS! they decimated those two plants in a a matter of 3-4 days. I saw them, showed them to my kids, didn't think anything of it. and now my herbs are gone!!!"
JenR
"I heard that red pepper flakes sprinkled on the ground work... although that seems expensive to do. garden centers sell this stuff called blood meal that is basically dried blood. It's actually a fertilizer, but it scares the rabbits away. No cure for the toddler though :-)"
Laurieann
"We're moving soon so we choose not to do a garden this year. I miss it so much! There is nothing like a vine-picked tomato. Your veggies look fantastic! Good luck with the toddlers and rabbits."
Maria
"I have zuchinni, squash and cucumbers coming out of my ears. I can not believe how much we have gotten out of our garden so far this year. I am having to share with my friends and family. Sharing with others has been enjoyable."
"Hey Amy! Great looking tomatoes! While the rabbits have gotten to my califlower leaves...I have in the past used marigolds to deter them from eating my veggies. Just plant a few around your plants. I guess they hate the stinky smell.
I didn't do it this year and am paying the price. I have gotten quite a few cucumbers and peppers though and my tomatoes are now turning too!
Amy W"
elaine@bloginmyeye
"Here's our backyard bounty:
http://bloginmyeye.wordpress.com/2008/07/26/salad-days/"
Nico
"I'd make Tasty Fried Green Tomatoes with all of the tomatoes that Emily has been picking :)
We have had just a handful of veggies out of our garden, but it has been a fun Summer project."
Leanne
"If you're sure it's rabbits, or even mice and you do home haircuts or know someone else who does, stuff the cut hair into the toes of an old pair of tights and tie them onto fences or onto stakes next to the veg you want to protect. It usually deters all but the bravest of rabbits.
It's been known to keep away a fox as well if you happen to keep chickens.
Those tomatoes look delicious by the way."
Steph at Problem Solvin' Mom
"Thanks for linking to my site!
Your tomatoes look wonderful, I hate to hear about your parsley. We have deer eating our tomatoes! There are a few things you can try for rabbits and deer, but some of them you probably won't want to do with toddlers around. My recommendation for your parsley is to mix cayenne pepper from the dollar store (or wherever you find it cheapest) with water and spray it on your plants using a spray bottle. You will need to reapply after rain. Does Emily get into the parsley? If so, that might not be a good suggestions either, as she could get it on her hands and rub it in her eyes. The other thing that works is mothballs, but I wouldn't recommend that with children around who might eat them.
The only thing I can think of to help with Emily is if you try working on her colors with her-can she find the red tomatoes with you? My daughter is younger so I don't know if that would work or not...right now we focus her on the flowers to keep her from picking the tomatoes and that has worked so far.
Later today I'll be posting on how to roast cherry tomatoes, a delicous way to use the loads of them you will have at the end of the season!"
Mrs. Mordecai
"Red pepper flakes are cheap bought in bulk at a health food store.
We've eaten all our radishes and will start in on the spinach soon. I'm making pesto from all the basil tonight. I hope we'll get our tomatoes before the frost. They're blossoming, but I haven't seen any fruits quite yet. I'll post a picture soon."
Kristin
"I am completely ignorant when it comes to gardening, but I want to learn. Fresh vegetables are my favorite!"
jenschulze
"I had birds devouring my tomatoes. A coworker told me that a well placed rubber snake will keep all manner of critters away. You might try that. Of course, it doesn't help with the toddlers..."
Niki
"We have a new big tomato and 3-4 cherry tomatoes every few days (we only planted 2 plants this year). Plus my three year old has a pesky habit of picking my greens tomatoes..ugh!
Next year we will definitely be planting more. I want to try my hand at square foot gardening.
:)"
Mandy
"Hi Amy-
I don't know about the rabbit, but I had the same problem with Spencer last year picking my green tomatoes. We had a 4' wire fence last year that helped to keep him out when I wasn't out there with him to supervise. This year, the fence is gone, and he still forgets sometimes that it is only the red ones he's supposed to get, so when that happens, I put the green tomatoes in a basket with the red ones and they'll start to ripen. I also read somewhere that you can wrap them in newspaper for a couple of days, or a brown paper bag, the same way you ripen hard peaches. Good luck! I just picked my last two tomatoes and yellow squash. All of my plants are dying from the heat (I'm in Arizona). I actually started pulling everything out of my garden yesterday so that I can start getting it ready to plant again in September."
Mrs. Pear
"What you still have looks great!
For rabbits I suggest chicken wire fencing and cayenne pepper (just sprinkle it where you don't want them, their sensitive noses will do the rest).
As for toddlers...let me know when you figure it out!"
Lylah
"our garden here: http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/03/garden-dirt-to-grass-to-easter-egg-hunt.html and here:http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/04/rolling-out-beauty.html was beautiful and bountiful BUT with the AZ desert heat, it's not looking so happy. Besides i just got back from 4 weeks in Spain/France here: http://lylahledner.blogspot.com/2008/07/traveling-tales-of-lylah-part-10-madrid.html AND I'm just starting to clean it out and prep it to plant Heirlooms seeds. So jazzed about it. We are prolific in basil, thyme and cucumbers."
Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home
"Sorry, I'm still working on the toddler issue! Mine loves to pick the peas that aren't ready yet. I fear for all of my just-developing green tomatoes and teensy tiny cucumbers!
Thanks for the chocolate zucchini cake link- I need a way to use up my bountiful zucchini harvest. I definitely hit the mother load (hee hee, guess that's a funny term to use in a comment on your blog!). :)"
sala
"Love your tomatoes. I think gardening - no matter how small or large is a great experience for young children. When kids see where their food comes from and then can pick and eat it, there is a connection and appreciation to the food. It's amazing how my 2 year old actually eats peas and cucumbers off the vine - things he refused to eat before.
We live in a tight lot and so we have built a rather fruitful garden just in pots alone - lettuce, bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, basil and parsley."
"Our first garden ever = big tomatoes, roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, hot peppers! It's AMAZING! We are loving it! Hopefully we'll have carrots, peas, and green beans soon, too!
We got hit by the rabbits, too! My parents checked their local Menards for chicken wire and ended up getting a huge roll for FREE because it had fallen off a semi and was slightly scratched up on the bottom! We put this around our raised garden with stakes and twine. It has kept the rabbits out and has even deterred our twin 2 year old boys...no easy feat! Good luck!"
Christi
"Your tomatoes are beautiful! We didn't grow any this year, and now I'm regrettting it."
BlondeMomBlog (Jamie)
"We have tomatoes and basil and mint...OH MY LORD the mint. Can you say invasive? The tomatoes are just turning red. I can't wait to eat them. My mom's tomatoes have been ripe for about two weeks. I love homegrown tomatoes!"
phoward336
"Fried Green Tomatoes! That's what we do with the tomatoes my little helpers pick for me . . ."
Stephanie
"Nolan picked all the green tomatoes last year. He has been better this year, and thankfully Vivian is a better listener than he! :)
Sorry about the rabbits. A .22 is our solution! :)"
Things are coming along in our garden and I am finally picking some of those tomatoes. This year had been going really smoothly until two things happened.
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It's DELICIOUS
I don't have any advice - but don't be positive it was rabbits. I am left dill-less and parsely-less because of CATERPILLERS! they decimated those two plants in a a matter of 3-4 days. I saw them, showed them to my kids, didn't think anything of it. and now my herbs are gone!!!"