Tomatoes are gone before harvest?

Question

My tomatoes are disappearing! Some have died off from obvious bug eatings, but half of them just end up gone?! I'm growing them organically, so what can I do to get rid of whatever is taking off with my tomatoes?

Answer 1

Rabbits probably. I had a tomato garden several years ago, until the rabbits discovered it. So, I put up a 3' high fence with a 2"x 4" mesh thinking that would keep them out. They can run thru a 2"x 4" hole without even slowing down ! I was forced to wrap the bottom 2' with poultry netting. I bought the cheap stuff made of plastic, and you guessed it, they chewed right thru that. I ended up having to get the metal poultry netting and that finally kept them out. I'm not sure it was worth it !

Answer 2

Are they completely missing?  Something could be eating them off the vines, but I've also heard of cases where nice ripe tomatoes (and other garden goodies) were being swiped by neighbors.  Neighbors can be very sneaky about taking produce at odd hours when you're not expecting them, and are very good at navigating fences and such.  You could try putting up a sign or something; if it's not actually people, then the deer or whatever else might be visiting won't care, and if it is people then you might be able to guilt them into leaving your plants alone.

If all else fails, turning the sprinklers on them could be very satisfying.

Answer 3

We live where there is a lot of squirrels and they steal the tomatoes sometimes.  I find them on the ground, bitten into and then discarded.  I think they do it for menace because they can't be very tasty green.  I've tried a lot of things but nothing really solves my problem.  Other

than the squirrels, it might be some other rodent or opossum at night.

Someone said just to share with the squirrels, but I think he's taking more than his share.  

Answer 4

Here are three things that I do at my home:

1. To get rid of some insects I will mist the plant with a solution of dish soap in water. I will then spray the plant once a day until I notice that the bugs are gone. This is particularly useful for gnats and aphids.

2. For larger critters (including humans) I highly recommend chili or red pepper powder. We buy chili powder from the local Mexican market fairly inexpensively. Just dust the plant with the power.

3. Fencing. If you do not have your plants enclosed with a fence, I highly recommend that you do so. Try chicken wire.

Good luck.