Large Big Green Egg, Weber Performer Deluxe, Weber Smokey Joe Silver, Fireboard Drive, 3 DigiQs, lots of Thermapens, and too much other stuff to mention.
I can’t plant tomatoes in the yard because the deer eat everything here. But in the past, I’ve planted hanging baskets of cherry tomatoes that have done really well, and produced several batches of excellent tomatoes.
Until this year. Now, as soon as they start to ripen…
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Pick your tomatoes when they " blush " . That's when they first start turning red, usually have a pinkish green color. Take them inside to ripen , which they will do just fine without losing any flavor.
The birds like them when they're red. The birds are thirsty and want the water from inside the tomato. Some people put out water for the birds, IDK if it helps or not, but I pick the blushers and I no longer have a bird problem.
About 15 years ago, I put netting over my tomato garden. That kept the birds out but I had one heckuva worm problem that year. That's when I learned about picking them blushing.
We have a birdbath we put out near the garden when our tomatoes are near ripening. It has a little solar powered bubbler that keeps the mosquitoes from using it to breed. Use to have a bird problem like yours but it greatly reduced when we gave them a better source of water. Good luck finding a solution.
I was thinking squirrels also. I planted cherry tomatoes this year myself on our elevated deck and of course the first afternoon some stupid squirrel dug them up looking for whatever may have been in the potting soil in the elongated container. Replanted and so far so good....
cruiseplanner1 apparently squirrels regularly bury nuts and can't remember where they buried them. So, they just keep digging until they find one. Is that why we call them squirrels? I am always amazed at the pecan trees that sprout in my flower pots.
LA I was just out there earlier having an afternoon drink on the deck and they have still not bothered the container. Maybe I will be good now for the summer with the plants?
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About me
Name: Jim
Nick name: Bear
Location: Spokane Valley, Wa.
Born at a very young age at Egland AFB, Ft. Walton Beach, FL.
USAF vet, ECM (F4 & B52)/B52 Crew Chief, Computer Systems NCO, disabled
Former Computer Tech/Admin
Campus Manager/Lead Tech/Tech (IT) for The Kemtah Group contracted to Intel, Rio Rancho, NM.
Short Term Missionary to the Marshall Islands with MAPS of DFM of AOG
For me it is rabbits, squirrels, or bugs. I had something eat the tops of almost all of my sunflowers starts 2 times already. This happened after they were about 4-6" high. So I replanted and put up bird netting but the top was still open. By that time the ones that were not touched the first time were about 1 1/2 ft. tall. Came out and they were cut in half and no evidence left behind as if nibbled and eaten completely. Of the 25-30 plants, I have 4 left. So, trying to start again this time with completely covering. Afraid it will be too late for them to bloom since they are the giant/mammoth sunflowers.
Lynn Dollar Thanks. I am restarting them and I put down diatomaceous earth. However, I caused the killing of my squash and cucumbers. I put down kitchen scraps before planting to attract worms. It worked, however it also brought rolly pollies that ate my cucumbers and squash from the roots up. Had to start most of those again also. How dumb can I get?
If not cooking outdoors, I am cooking on the stovetop with my 14" carbon steel wok, 12" CI skillet, or in the oven with my two Lodge CI pizza pans, or two dutch ovens. I've also got a nifty Lodge carbon steel grill pan that rocks for veggies outdoors.
If you do a birdbath or pot of water to save the tomatoes from the birds, there is always a concern for breeding mosquito's in summer.
The easiest thing I wish I had known about decades ago to prevent the growth of mosquitoes is to buy some mosquito dunks. It takes about 1/4 of a dunk for a birdbath, and it prevents the growth of mosquito larvae, without any adverse affects to birds or other wildlife that consumes the water.
I've even started crumbling one of these on the ground where the water drains from my HVAC system during the summer, so that any standing water in that area, which tends to puddle a little, won't lead to a mosquito pollution.
I ordered the birdbath, it will be here tomorrow. I’ll be putting the birdbath down by the flowers, so I can just hit it with the hose every day I think. If that doesn’t work, I’ll get the dunks.
Mosca I get enough rain to keep our birdbaths full much of the time, so use the dunks. Before that I would try and hose them out and fill with fresh water when I remembered. The dunk makes it one less thing to worry about.
I am in a constant battle with mosquitoes and bees in my backyard. In the past several years, a hive somewhere local has decided my swimming pool is their primary preferred water source. I have a salt water pool, and from what I read, chlorine and salt are a bee intoxicant.
I love honey bees and hate to kill them, and even left a little patch of clover in part of the backyard hoping that would draw them away from the pool. Unfortunately, it has not. I got stung yesterday, and worry about a grandkid getting stung. So I keep spraying them with a squirt bottle of soapy water, trying to drive them off.
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