So, remember when I mentioned that the birdies were dinning on my ripe tomatoes? Well, I looked into a few different remedies but was astounded by the conflicting info online. Some said the birdies wanted water and to put out a bird bath and they'd leave the red globes alone, some said a bird bath only attacks more birds who learn from each other and will do even more damage. I read about bagging each tomato with a mesh bag as it ripens which would be OK I guess but alot of work on top of the price of the mesh bags, so not my first choice. Then I read about bird netting but there is a trick to even that. Drape it too close and the birds just sit on it and peck right through. Drape it too loosely at the bottom and the birds can get trapped inside and freak out creating a mess of destroyed plants, poop and feathers. Drape too far away and they'll just hop in, have a taste and hop right back out. Not to mention that bird netting is also pricy, so I decided not to mess with that until I can read more on it. So, what did I decide to do?
Pick 'em early. Now, some may say that there's nothing like a vine ripened tomato and I would agree. But I want some of those tomatoes too and letting them become fully ripe out there was a death sentence for my enjoyment. Granted the birds didn't eat much but I'm not interested in their sloppy seconds, who knows what those beaks are carrying around. So I'm picking them early and letting them ripen on the counter, still tastier than anything coming out of the grocery store and no birds are harmed in the process.
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