July 8, 2009

In the garden


I harvested our first tomato on June 29 and the plants have been producing very well since. There is nothing like home-grown tomatoes! But I have planted 2 currant tomatoes that I am unhappy with: they are very enthusiastic growers but the fruit is not in proportion to the greenery. (It is the tall plant in the middle). No more Gold Rush Currant.

So this morning I decided to pull one of them up. It wreaked a lot of havoc on the plant next to it however, so I will just keep the currant tomato trimmed rather than jeopardizing one of the "good" tomatoes.


And guess whom I found while messing about? Mr Toad! I wonder if he has been feasting on the Western Red-bellied Tiger beetles. I wish he would take on the tomato hornworms. These are disgusting creatures that can denude your tomato plant in short order. My first growing season I did not know about them and when I finally figured out what was going on, picked off about 50 of these pinkie-sized worms. I made the roadrunner a happy guy that year. Now they go to the chickens, who also think they are a great delicacy.

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