Did you piss off someone in your neighborhood?
Random acts of tomato violence by a tomato-hating interloper?
Wind doesn’t make any sense given that those pots were certainly rather bottom-heavy. Deer? I’m very skeptical.
That’s just weird.
2026 Gardening Growing Thread
- Thread starter Salmon123
- Start date
Random acts of tomato violence by a tomato-hating interloper?
Wind doesn’t make any sense given that those pots were certainly rather bottom-heavy. Deer? I’m very skeptical.
That’s just weird.
Yeah, just not sure what happened. There was some yelling in the middle of the night. Kids go by my place while headed down into Carkeek to party. Some neighbors closer to the park have been complaining about the music, as sometimes the gate doesn’t get locked at night. It may have just been some random act of mischief.
There only reason I thought maybe deer is one year there were three hanging around the neighborhood all summer. That was the only other time I’ve had issues with my tomatoes. I’ve seen a couple deer this summer as well.
My neighbors get a lot of my tomatoes, so not them. But maybe those people one block over…..
SF
Cucumbers have started to produce along with Jalapeño's, spaghetti squash and tomatoes (still green).
Something nibbled on that squash tho.
Something nibbled on that squash tho.
My yard has been getting pounded by hungry voles this year (worse than usual). Their nests are popping up all over the place. They have crushed my tulip bulbs and nibbled away at certain perrenial flowers. I think I need to buy some mouse traps to protect my hard work.
The past 3 years an invasion of cottontail rabbits into my neighborhood has been a huge problem. Now I protect sensitive plants with flexible wire fencing. My garage is well stocked with various wire meshes and wire cutters are a new gardening tool
. I've been eliminating their hiding places and cover so predators can easily catch them in my yard. Some mornings I find bunny fur strips on the lawn and salute the hawk, owl or coyote that caught it. I might start erecting some perches for raptors, so they can hunt in my yard with less effort.
I've started recording a list of plants the rodents hate and the ones they love. Aster, echinacea, bulbs (crocus & tulip) are their favorites. They don't like lavender, phlox, crocosmia, penstemon, daffodil bulbs or hellebore.
Blacktail deer and mountain beaver are a problem some years, but usually not bad. A dedicated mountain beaver can rapidly destroy your garden though. I go after them immediately with gopher bombs to kill or drive them away into the forest. Their den network is not hard to map out with a little effort.
The past 3 years an invasion of cottontail rabbits into my neighborhood has been a huge problem. Now I protect sensitive plants with flexible wire fencing. My garage is well stocked with various wire meshes and wire cutters are a new gardening tool
. I've been eliminating their hiding places and cover so predators can easily catch them in my yard. Some mornings I find bunny fur strips on the lawn and salute the hawk, owl or coyote that caught it. I might start erecting some perches for raptors, so they can hunt in my yard with less effort. I've started recording a list of plants the rodents hate and the ones they love. Aster, echinacea, bulbs (crocus & tulip) are their favorites. They don't like lavender, phlox, crocosmia, penstemon, daffodil bulbs or hellebore.
Blacktail deer and mountain beaver are a problem some years, but usually not bad. A dedicated mountain beaver can rapidly destroy your garden though. I go after them immediately with gopher bombs to kill or drive them away into the forest. Their den network is not hard to map out with a little effort.
I got my first ripe tomato today
The plants are growing well at 5-7' tall and should start producing A LOT of tomatoes in the next couple of weeks
The plants are growing well at 5-7' tall and should start producing A LOT of tomatoes in the next couple of weeks
Due to marine environment here on the water, the cooling winds coming down the Strait and the fact that 70 degrees is a warm day here I can not grow tomatoes outside. Consequently I cobbled on a "sunroom" off the side of the house and grow them in Earth Boxes. It doesn't get the greatest sun but gets warm enough to grow a few tomatoes. The cherries and sun golds are the tastiest. The plants tend to get a bit leggy due to the poor light but it's the best I can do. Starting to get difficult to crawl in there to water and feed.
How about hanging a grow light?
My raised bed garden is in full swing now. Everything has done fairly well this year - except the onions. This is my third consecutive season where onions have been a bust. Got some strawberries last month, been picking blue berries for a couple weeks. Had spinach for a while, but the second planting is shaded and crowded out by the carrots. Sugar snap peas are on their second wind, so that's good. Mrs. Salmo pulled up a few carrots a week ago, whole lotta' green, but the carrots are still small. Got more lettuce than I know what to do with. And a few radishes - third planting. Tomatoes are coming on gang busters, and we're gonna' have a ton of green beans. I'll never get a "green thumb" award, but I seem to be making progress as a gardener. I had no idea this was going to be more difficult than becoming a successful steelheader.
Getting ready to do some handoffs to the neighbors. Been doing that a few times a week now. Once they finally get sick of getting them, I’ll put them on the curb with a free sign so the daily walkers can have them.
SF
SF
I’ve been harvesting every day now and eating 2-3 big tomatoes per day. Some neighbor handoffs from this mornings harvest.
Cilantro and basil are kicking in.
SF
Cilantro and basil are kicking in.
SF
Question for Western Wa tomato growing experts.
Would you consider we’ve reached the point in this growing season where if blossoms produce beyond this point, it going to be tough getting them ripen?
SF
Would you consider we’ve reached the point in this growing season where if blossoms produce beyond this point, it going to be tough getting them ripen?
SF
Depends on the variety and weather in early September. I'm growing only cherry/grape tomatoes so I think I'll be good for a couple more weeks, but larger heirloom varieties might be about time.
If we have one of those warm sunny first half of September years that will help a lot with the tomato harvest
Yup
Even in my high tunnel after the first week of August or so it was tough to get new blossoms to fully ripen. Green tomatoes aren't all that bad and we used them in chutney and such.
Should say that newer PNW specific tomatoes might have a chance if its a warm and dry Fall, but by August 7th I cut new blossoms off, had plenty of fruit by then.
Even in my high tunnel after the first week of August or so it was tough to get new blossoms to fully ripen. Green tomatoes aren't all that bad and we used them in chutney and such.
Should say that newer PNW specific tomatoes might have a chance if its a warm and dry Fall, but by August 7th I cut new blossoms off, had plenty of fruit by then.