To pick (the tomatoes) or not to pick...

Cafe Society
1

It’s been a long hot summer this year in Western Montana and the garden is abundant with mostly green tomatoes at this point. We have another 4 weeks before the heavy rains start and the weather gets a lot colder. I’m watching the tomatoes closely and some are starting to turn pink, almost reddish.

In order to maximise flavor I leave them on the vine for as long as possible, but last year the squirrels and chipmunks attacked and took a bite out of a bunch of the ones that I hadn’t picked yet. I’m trying to outsmart them this year.

Once they start to turn reddish should I pick them and let them ripen in the house or should I try my luck leaving them on the vine? I have fencing all around the garden and I have used live traps and chemical deterrents in the past, all to no avail. I’d use my .22 rifle, but I’m just not that good of a shot.

I live in a forested area and the squirrels relentlessly attack my garden from May through September. My strawberries are usually decimated by the time I get a chance to harvest them. Any suggestions? And yes, I know all about pickling and frying green tomatoes. Been there, done that.

2

According to my obsessive tomato growing friend you should pick some off for the benefit of the rest. The plant can only provide so many nutrients to the fruit so the more you have growing the smaller and less flavorful each one will be. My friend snips off branches throughout the season so each plant isn’t overloaded, and clips off the runts to let the bigger ones grow.

As far as keeping critters off of them, well good luck. If squirrels, deer, and other varmints don’t eat them from the top then other critters will get at them from underneath. I had a whole crop of carrots disappear from some burrowing pest like it was Bugs Bunny cartoon.