Tomatoes!
I love tomatoes. Roma, San Marzano, Early Girl, Big Boy, Fourth of July, Mortgage Lifter, Super Steak, Black Krim, Chocolate Cherry, and so many more. Looking around the garden last season I saw so many of us seem to favor tomatoes as a rewarding and reliable crop. I'd love to hear what varieties others grow and which are favorites. And what to you do to ensure a hefty harvest?
Last season I grew 9 varieties; 24 plants in all. In my first season in Gladstone Garden (I moved here 5 years ago from Seattle, where growing tomatoes was almost impossible) I lost more than 100 tomatoes to crows and raccoons, but I still managed to harvest enough for 20 pints of sauce. Last season I lost no fruit to critters and put up 48 pints.
What changed? I placed fine mesh netting around the entire tomato patch, 6' feet tall, and then ran scare tape across the top of the netting. And whirlygigs. It worked great. This year I'll do the same, but I'll enclose my entire lot, not just the tomatoes. Why? Last year I lost a half dozen cantaloupes and honeydew melons to critters. Never again!