Mountain Lane Homesteaders

Help! My tomatos are under attack!

Any tomato experts out there?  My heart is breaking over my tomato garden that I have been nurturing from seed for WEEKS!  They are my BABIES. I have (had) 4 varieties making up about 35 plants.  This is the first time I have been successful growing from seed and they are wonderful varieties I couldn't wait to try.  We live in deer country and knew that we were taking a risk putting them out before getting a fence up but haven't had time to get one built since moving here.  Well, it seemed as though the deer were going to leave them alone (someone told me the leaves are poisonous) so I let down my guard.  Fast forward to a few days ago when we saw signs of something BIG having walked through and enjoyed a snack.  A neighbors horse? A moose?  Heaven for bid....a BEAR?  Hmmm a mystery on the homestead.  Well, at least they left several of each variety.  That is, until last night.

I just went up to see how everything looked and two of the varieties are completely eaten down (Brandywine and Black Pearl) to the stalk with only a few tiny leaves left.  One variety is nearly gone (Cherokee Purple), and the last variety (Yellow Pear) still looks pretty good and has the first little blossom.  I believe the big animal mystery is solved though.  Signs of COWS are about!  Yes indeed.  It was not a wild animal that got my garden as I had feared........it was someones FREE RANGE CATTLE!  Don't know whose they are and it doesn't even matter.  We know that people do free range cattle up here but didn't even think about it regarding our garden since we hadn't ever seen any about. 

Anyway, my poor tomatos look awful and my question is this...........does anyone think there is any chance they can recover without leaves at this point?  Is it worth me going to some extreme measure to try and protect them from future harm or do I need to complete the grieving process and give them up for lost?  I fear the answer is that they are done for but am hoping someone out there has a tomato recovery story! 

there is hope

1:17 PM, Thursday, July 13, 2006 .. Posted by mullerslanefarm

The first thing I would do is to get some chicken wire and make a protective shell over these plants. Put a couple (3-4) sticks around the plants and cover it all around and over the top with chicken wire.

garden woes

8:48 AM, Friday, July 14, 2006 .. Posted by deedee06

Darcy, is an electric fence a possibility? .......Denise

Untitled Comment

10:09 AM, Friday, July 14, 2006 .. Posted by justme

That ugly orange plastic fencing is all you ned to keep deer and animals out. It's ugly but it works. you might be able to get some through the conty extension or fish and game - I don't remember who gives it out but someone does.

As for saving your tomatoes, even if they recover you might not have enough warm days to get a crop.

I read the story about your son and shooting a little animal, that was too cute. I'm sure you will have many more things to shoot over the years, Cows?LOL