tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post2038121291168907255..comments2023-10-22T09:42:36.750-04:00Comments on Casa Mariposa: Trouble in TomatotownCasa Mariposahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16647089868277238456noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-34284105911102451002015-01-30T19:58:04.150-05:002015-01-30T19:58:04.150-05:00I am a glutton for punishment as I battle the deer...I am a glutton for punishment as I battle the deer, birds, voles, squirrels and blight for a few dozen late season fruit....I can completely understand your frustration....some day I might get a reality check or a life after tomatoes.Donnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13420133886162844400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-26344790266693751112015-01-23T17:46:50.501-05:002015-01-23T17:46:50.501-05:00Tomatoes are a pain in the butt and our love affai...Tomatoes are a pain in the butt and our love affair is over. I once grew ground cherries, which were effortless but the tomatoes didn't get the memo. Oh well.... Moving on! Hello, farmer's market!Casa Mariposahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16647089868277238456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-14367494572613379902015-01-22T21:36:57.832-05:002015-01-22T21:36:57.832-05:00Ha, a funny post, despite the very sad topic of ho...Ha, a funny post, despite the very sad topic of how much effort tomatoes are to grow. (I think all of us gardeners should join a 'Squirrels are Jerks' club and make pins.) My tomatoes this past year scraggled along, but I don't think my dirt was that great, and there was some sort of leaf disease (but not the blight, strangely enough, as everyone else I knew was struggling with that.) This year I'm going to try growing most of them in my greenhouse, since the only ones that did well were the ones in containers there. If nothing else, I'll just grow tomatillos - so much hardier, and the purple ones make good snacking!Indiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14004102653896371835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-44455332357649083612015-01-22T19:55:52.682-05:002015-01-22T19:55:52.682-05:00I have plenty stored away! :o)I have plenty stored away! :o)Casa Mariposahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16647089868277238456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-13487115811866803082015-01-22T18:15:22.712-05:002015-01-22T18:15:22.712-05:00But where will you turn for this year's comic ...But where will you turn for this year's comic material?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08843132106213356234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-6940844959361789062015-01-21T21:14:27.378-05:002015-01-21T21:14:27.378-05:00I have blueberries that I grow in pots. They are t...I have blueberries that I grow in pots. They are the little Brazelberry ones called "Peach Sorbet' and 'Jelly Bean'. My full sized blueberries were slaughtered in an unfortunate wheelbarrow accident. How tasty are my potted blueberries? I have no idea but the mockingbird can describe them in detail. ;o)Casa Mariposahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16647089868277238456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-2451921743807176322015-01-21T21:12:20.441-05:002015-01-21T21:12:20.441-05:00Fruit flies are pretty pesky! Tomatoes would proba...Fruit flies are pretty pesky! Tomatoes would probably split in all your rain.Casa Mariposahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16647089868277238456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-66252222802286701752015-01-21T18:42:54.496-05:002015-01-21T18:42:54.496-05:00lol..I love the squirrel suit:-) I can relate to ...lol..I love the squirrel suit:-) I can relate to this post- one vegetable that just annoys the HECK out of ya. Mine is spinach. It is eaten by all the critters, My dogs don't even scare them away -they are bold! BUT I decided to try ONE last time. I grew it in the fall instead of spring-my aha-moment:-) It is out there under the snow + green. The other one is blueberries. The rabbits eat the bushes to the ground last winter-the silly things did come back. SOOO this fall, I tried to save them by chicken wiring them in!BUT if they do not come back-I GIVE UP on blueberries. I have friends that tell me, "I have great big blue berries-yadda, yadda, yadda," grrr...lol. But they have huge cages/ fences in their back yard to cover them. I don't want to look at that in my garden- It is okay for the winter, but not all summer. So I can relate to that one annoying plant....I do have raspberries-so I am not too upset:-)Robbie Palmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09175918106265081650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-86975834510069888452015-01-21T00:35:46.724-05:002015-01-21T00:35:46.724-05:00This rainy season is a hard time for me to grow to...This rainy season is a hard time for me to grow tomatoes. So wet and lots of bugs, especially fruit flies.Endah Murniyatihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16175364514530314348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-56925678343049070572015-01-20T20:13:24.162-05:002015-01-20T20:13:24.162-05:00I've read this book and completely relate! I c...I've read this book and completely relate! I can't afford to grow tomatoes anymore. I ended up buying them all summer while trying to grow them at the same time. It was absurd!Casa Mariposahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16647089868277238456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-4142263454880915452015-01-20T20:04:51.403-05:002015-01-20T20:04:51.403-05:00I might have missed someone else's reference t...I might have missed someone else's reference to this in the comments, but here's a story you'll appreciate...<br /><br />http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5360768Gardener on Sherlock Streethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11367115529793643362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-34976127935633245532015-01-20T16:00:21.770-05:002015-01-20T16:00:21.770-05:00I think one of the O's is badly drawn so it...I think one of the O's is badly drawn so it's a butchered version of zucchini. I'm not sure I could eat a tomato for breakfast but did dream I was eating warm, fresh strawberries the other night. Sigh...Casa Mariposahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16647089868277238456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-45329585512645924662015-01-20T10:38:38.135-05:002015-01-20T10:38:38.135-05:00Luckily, or not, with our winters, my brain freeze...Luckily, or not, with our winters, my brain freezes and I forget each Spring that growing tomatoes is a torturous affair. I have managed to cut back on number of plants, but I need to be able to wander out my door and have one for breakfast. I share your distain for squirrels - rodents. And I love that last image. But what the heck are zodkeenes? Frighteningly enough, I recognized the rest....Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12573143203599624833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-22581426530979884762015-01-19T17:36:07.462-05:002015-01-19T17:36:07.462-05:00Because our climate is so much warmer than yours, ...Because our climate is so much warmer than yours, I can find great tomatoes as early as June. But if I had to eat the cardboard crap they sell for $$ at the grocery store, I'd engage in some primal scream therapy and grow a few more plants. But I think our squirrels must be cousins. Casa Mariposahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16647089868277238456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-24648498820394564542015-01-19T17:33:52.364-05:002015-01-19T17:33:52.364-05:00I think that's a very low estimate for what I ...I think that's a very low estimate for what I spend on my tomatoes. They are the most expensive vegetable EVER! Casa Mariposahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16647089868277238456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-33999893740682569612015-01-19T17:32:38.593-05:002015-01-19T17:32:38.593-05:00Mine have had blossom end rot, too and I hate it. ...Mine have had blossom end rot, too and I hate it. You're tricked into thinking you have an amazing tomato until you turn the damn thing over and realize you've been suckered by the F**k You Fairies.Casa Mariposahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16647089868277238456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-23348862158019905362015-01-19T17:30:04.856-05:002015-01-19T17:30:04.856-05:00We occasionally have hawks but they're small s...We occasionally have hawks but they're small so the squirrels are safe. According to Ronald Reagan, ketchup is a vegetable so you and your family might be almost vegetarians. ;o)Casa Mariposahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16647089868277238456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-45036486365943222532015-01-19T17:28:50.582-05:002015-01-19T17:28:50.582-05:00My husband is a tomato guy, too, but he's not ...My husband is a tomato guy, too, but he's not the gardener so as long as tasty farm fresh tomatoes magically appear in the kitchen, he doesn't care where they come from. But I have a friend who grew more tomatoes than she could eat without any diseases at all. These heirloom plants can be a hassle!Casa Mariposahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16647089868277238456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-2264363347595327562015-01-19T17:26:01.597-05:002015-01-19T17:26:01.597-05:00I like tomatoes but they've never made me sali...I like tomatoes but they've never made me salivate so it's easy to give them up. But if I didn't have a great market up the road, I'd have to reconsider and create a new battle plan.Casa Mariposahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16647089868277238456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-27248065894485998932015-01-19T14:44:19.213-05:002015-01-19T14:44:19.213-05:00I had horrible luck with tomatoes this year and la...I had horrible luck with tomatoes this year and last. Squirrels were a problem here too. The little beggars seemed to like to run away with them, take a bite and then discard the rest. I'd feel slightly better if the ate the whole tomato. It was especially annoying to see them abandoned with only one bite. <br />I am not sure if I am willing to give up on growing tomatoes just yet. Though the local farm market is incredible, the one thing that seems to be lacking is great tomatoes. I can find hot house tomatoes, but not interesting or heirloom varieties.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00116583212813729057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-5242094397908491842015-01-19T12:36:10.633-05:002015-01-19T12:36:10.633-05:00Ever read the $50 Tomato? The 50 dollars may actua...Ever read the $50 Tomato? The 50 dollars may actually be a lowball estimate.<br /><br />If we had a good farmer's market close by I would probably just buy my tomatoes too.sweetbayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06248743114944736346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-6118984583251418682015-01-19T12:21:18.786-05:002015-01-19T12:21:18.786-05:00I hate squirrels almost as much as I hate starling...I hate squirrels almost as much as I hate starlings. They are rats with bushier tails. I feel your tomato pain--I only grow cherry tomatoes because the rain gives my slicing tomatoes blossom end rot. They all get downy mildew eventually, no matter how good I am about rotating my crops and pruning to create airflow. Tomatoes are the abusive boyfriend that we can't bring ourselves to leave.Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10404180898034770946noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-27075115231273275512015-01-19T10:13:41.088-05:002015-01-19T10:13:41.088-05:00Yeah, that is one sad tomato plant. I'd stick...Yeah, that is one sad tomato plant. I'd stick with the mater-man too.<br />We have the opposite here, full sun and plenty of hawks to keep the squirrels on edge. The tomatoes thrive and we're sick of them by September. To be honest though, we're more of ketchup family and less so fresh veggies :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-87834057107142776312015-01-19T09:57:52.052-05:002015-01-19T09:57:52.052-05:00Oh, Tammie, you always make me laugh:) Mortgage o...Oh, Tammie, you always make me laugh:) Mortgage on a birdhouse indeed:) My husband would be irate if I gave up growing tomatoes--it's the main reason I even have a vegetable garden. But I have given up on growing heirlooms--the blight always got to them, and the few puny little fruits I harvested certainly weren't worth the trouble. I agree with Beth that when it comes to hybrids, Better Boy has always done well for me. I have vowed to not plant so many this year, because my freezer is stocked with enough homemade tomato juice to make soups for the next two years. We'll see if I remember that resolution, though, when I start planting this spring:)Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01384059342847120951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289863235108169853.post-61537398917874312742015-01-18T20:41:03.824-05:002015-01-18T20:41:03.824-05:00Awwww, sorry about all the mater madness. I don...Awwww, sorry about all the mater madness. I don't seem to have much trouble with the squirrels eating mine--but they must realize all the acorns and hickory nuts are much easier and tastier fare. I don't grow many Tomatoes, but I always have a couple of plants. There's just nothing like walking over to the garden, picking an organic Tomato, washing it, and eating it right away ... even though I get plenty of them from my CSA vegetable share. The homegrown ones make me salivate just thinking about them. But, yes, I understand where you're coming from. If you decide to try again, Better Boy has always been a great hybrid for me. Not the largest fruits, but gosh, they're flavorful and easy to grow! Oh, and my veggie garden is encased in chicken wire--had to do that to keep out the rabbits (don't get me started on the evil, big-eared monsters!). ;-)Beth at PlantPostingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10473637655960119672noreply@blogger.com