My Perfect Moment Had A Bite Taken Out Of It
Below is a picture of the most perfect tomato. I've been watching and babying this one as it grew in my garden. I've got around 12 tomatoes on my plants but this one was the only one that turned out perfect looking.
It turned a nice red this week and I was anxiously waiting for the moment I could finally pick my very first tomato of the season. This perfect baby was going to be picked first and enjoyed on a nice turkey and ham club sandwich. That was until last night....
Some (Insert Curse Word Here) Creature Took A Bite Out of It!!!
All summer my plants have done great. I haven't had problems with bugs or animals. It's the first summer my garden thrived with no setbacks. I was so excited to go see if my perfect tomato was ready to find a big bite taken out the side!
No tastey club sandwich with my perfect homegrown tomato!
Oh woe as me!
Okay drama queen moment over...I was really ticked that I was going to pick it today but some creature got to it before me. I put so much work into my tomato plants this year. Every year I've tried to grow them in the past something has gone wrong to destroy all my plants. I guess I'll have to wait a little longer for my club sandwich. None of the other tomatoes are ready to be picked yet. (sighs) Oh well...
How is everyone else's gardening going?
Maybe my standards are too low, but I would TOTALLY cut that part off and eat the rest - that was a HUGE tomato. Think of it as a shared meal between you and the critter. :)
I actually think I will. I picked it and have it on the windowsill to ripen. I might cook it in a dish rather than eat it raw on a sandwich though.
Yeah better avoid becoming blood brothers with a squirrel. ;)
If chosen, it will be featured in a curation post by @MuxxyBot.
An image from your post may be featured.
Please reply to this comment if you accept or decline this.
I am sorry to hear that happened to your perfect little tomato! I had a few green ones get bites taken out too, such a bummer! Great post though!
I accept. And thank you! I was sad it was bitten. I've got a nice harvest though. I count about 20 tomatoes in all (some picked and some not). All of the bigger ones (fist sized) are strange looking except this one. At least the small ones are rounded.
Congratulations. This post has featured in today's Muxxybot curation post.https://steemit.com/curation/@muxxybot/muxxybot-curation-18
Dang, that's just no fair. No way, no how. I hope you get at least one more perfect one before the season is over.
I did a search for 'tomato bite marks' and it looks like it might be squirrels, but there are look alikes according to this paper:
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/Portals/0/Gardening/Gardening%20Help/Visual%20Guides/Tomato%20Fruit%20Problems.pdf
You always have the best information! That link was great. See some of my tomatoes are just deformed looking. They are fine and growing but they just grew all wonky shaped. Catfacing is the word that site used. My husband's fertilizer might have been the problem. I'm wanting to think it was a bigger animal than squirrels. My 4 guard cats are almost always around the garden so they keep out squirrels but not the big things like raccoons and possums.
Thanks... I just get lucky with the key words sometimes. I'm so glad it helped! We get to learn so many useful things here and I actually bookmarked this one. Wouldn't have if you hadn't shown the picture and asked the questions.
Teamwork!
Looks like a big fat slug
enjoyeddecided to test your tomato for poison to make sure it was safe.Please don't use pesticide please don't use pesticide please don't use pesticide please don't use pesticide that stuff fucks everything up so badly and it stays in the ground for so long.
Most pests can be taken care of using salt, beer, cayenne, diatomaceous earth, bloodmeal, and bonemeal. Peppermint is also good at getting rid of many pests.
Well...I thought I'd use a health dose of poison!!!
Just kidding...I hate poison. I'm paranoid to use it. Diatomaceous earth is my choice bug killer. Works pretty good. I'm pretty sure a fence or cage is the only thing to keep animals away from my plants though.
Raccoons and most other animals hate bloodmeal. Wolf urine is also good to keep most garden pest animals away. Just make sure not to put it close enough to the plants that it screws up the balance of the soil.
I'm no gardening expert, but, have you considered getting a pesticide?
Ohh wow very nice indeed :D
The soil much be full of nutritions and stuff cause that tomato does look very clean. I grow also my own stuff and it tastes so much better then when getting it from the store :D
Very nice post :)
haha I have totally been in this position In my vegetable garden too. Sorry I shouldn't laugh but it is good to see the funny side in life.
Jaymorebeet is right - cut the bad bit off and enjoy the rest. This is how we share with nature and that is good for your soul.
Sorry. But I've been there and done that. I kick myself, but don't do it because it hurts.
OMG this has happened to my tomatoes too! And some I find halfway down my property with similar bite marks! If you find out what did it please let me know!
When it looks like this, it's usually slugs.