ugh
double ugh
triple ugh
a couple of weeks ago, we planted 61 gorgeous tomato plants...all in a row, perfectly spaced, bordered by marigolds. it took hours.
2 days later we
noticed that rabbits had nibbled on the leaves of a few, and 2 plants had
disappeared completely
i drove to town,
picked up supplies and fashioned a secondary fence to protect the plants
6 more plants
disappeared....and fresh gopher mounds appeared in their place
we planted gopher
bombs, traps and ran water in the tunnels...and went to bed
the next day, all
looked good
3 days later...
julia child was
gone
a special tomato
that i can only imagine would have been colorful and plump
a real vivor
we will
never know
a gopher kidnapped
julia child and michael pollan and 40 other tomato plants
this is what the
tomato patch looked like when it was all said and done
decimated
no ransom notes,
just holes, mounds of dirt & tipped name plates--where julia, michael,
cherokee and others once stood
rather than feed
another generation of gophers, we pulled the plants, and are starting again.
we transferred the plants to larger pots as a transitional step. it
was slightly heartbreaking, as they were rooting really well, and had
begun to sprout roots from the deeply planted stalks. i gave them a good
feeding and mixed up a delicious soil (1 part dirt: 1 part organic potting
soil: 1 part compost) and crossed my fingers
today
the plants we
saved are doing very well...and should produce a nice healthy crop of tomatoes
soon
we will plant
again. in gopher safe-raised beds
(this post is from my other blog which
catalogs our journey on our new
ranch--www.keepingupwiththeclampetts.blogspot.com)
