Garden

[ScrapHappy]

I had previously posted about "what is wrong with my tomatores?"  Well...I think we found out.  My husband said chipmunks.  He watched one go up and down taking my small green tomatoes.  Between the squirrels eating all the bird food and now chipmunks, it makes me not to want to do it anymore.

[PINKdogWOOD]

Isn't this so depressing @ScrapHappy?  I hear you on this - we watch the squirrels, birds, even rats in the past eat our gardens.

[nana59]

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@ScrapHappy wrote:

I had previously posted about "what is wrong with my tomatores?"  Well...I think we found out.  My husband said chipmunks.  He watched one go up and down taking my small green tomatoes.  Between the squirrels eating all the bird food and now chipmunks, it makes me not to want to do it anymore.

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i gave up last summer....no garden or bird feeder....didn't make sense anymore....constantly fighting a never-ending battle with the critters...

[MariotaMurielle]

we had a chipmunk too. as far as I know he didn't steal any of my tomatoes, but he dug deep holes in the garden right next to the plants. we put cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes around the plants and that seems to have deterred him.

[RespectLife]

YES !  I agree  Cayenne & Red Pepper Flakes....get it at the dollar stores (but do NOT eat spices from the Dollar Store!!)

Also, if you can stand it...try moth balls

wads of human hair

Irish Spring soap

NEVER put a bird feeder out if you have a garden.  You have already invited every rodent type critter to the seed fallen on the ground.  They will now make their way to your garden.  While Chipmunks are cute as heck, they are very distructive.

In Fact, sorry, I would never have a bird feeder either way.  While some lovely little birdies appreciate it...it encourages large nasty birds to come as well, skunks, rodents and larger Fox and Coyotes to grab the smaller guys.  Not to mention the bird cr*p that was all over the place. 

It was a horrible nuisance when our neighbors had one.  The people on the other side begged them to take it down and they did.

[GAQShopr53]

@ScrapHappy Wow...I truly understand how you feel about not wanting to grow a garden anymore.  I have been battling raccoons, deer eating my squash plants and vine bores eating through my zucchini and squash.  Not to mention,  I only harvested one cherry tomato LOL and the other one died on the vine, three squash, and a basket full of eggplants .  I have watered, fertilized and used every organic bug control I can think of....as of today I have a few watermelons that have survived but had a dreamed this morning the squirrels were stealing the baby watermelons and eating them..  I will say my peppers and eggplants are doing great but I don't eat a lot of either one...Go Figure!  Just yesterday my Mom says just go to the Farmers Market and I told her we did not have one this year and that is why I am growing in the garden...I am still determined I will win this battle...don't give up!                                                                                                   

[AuntG]

I've been lucky. We have critters in the woods behind our house, but they leave my tomatoes alone.🍅

[aggravated]

Husband planted tomatoes and other vegetables for a couple of years.  Watched a couple of squirrels chose the tomatoes that he had his eyes on to bring to th table.  Squirrel took a couple of bites and threw tomatoe on ground.  Over and over.  Then the rabbits arrived.  The gardeners in Virginia say the rabbit population has exploded the last couple of years due to the high levels of spring precipitation - flowers and other vegees gone.  We have chipmunks too.  Should mention racoons, deer and various others.  We live in a suburb with woods and a national park (Wolf Trap), streams.  Wildlife abounds.  Husband gave up gardening - the store is a safe bet - no time or extra expense involved.  Yard looks more organized too (in my opinion not his).

[x Hedge]

Awfhh!  I have to wrap everything in chicken wire, and then layers of deer netting over that just to make it harder to get in to the chicken wire level!!!

Then I make sneaky little portholes so I can reach inside to the tomatoes.

[Just Bling]

I never thought of chipmunks destroying my plants last year, I thought it was that caterpillar thingy that blends in with the plants that was destroying them.  I had all potted plants last year that sat on the patio.

This year I have a 3 foot raised garden bed and my tomatoes are way over the gutter of the house!   Planted early girls and big boys, the early girls are a nice size but the big boys are not so big but still good tasting.

Just started to develop a bottom rot on the big boys so I have no idea why all of a sudden this is happening.   Guess I should be happy what I ate already, there's nothing like a BLT made with home grown tomatoes.