Old tomato plants (2015, cats, tomatoes, vegetables)

[gardeningview]

It is unbelievable that my 2014 tomato plants, two died and two lived through all that erratic Houston winter into 2015. I noticed they started blossoming, I then weeded and mulched each plant, put some chicken wire around the plant, put shredded cedar at the root to stave off the Japanese Beetle from laying and leaving their grubs behind. Of course those rebellious tomatoes poked themselves outside the chicken wire, I was afraid that if I try to get them back in I may break the limbs. I staked them, went out early mornings and at dusk to pick off those ravenous snails and any other creature that try to eat my tomatoes. On Thursday evening, my husband went out to get those snails, you can imagine my shock and dismay when he said all 7 tomatoes were gone. My chihuahua does not eat tomatoes and the squirrels did not get them as the branches were not torn down, so...............it must be the birds. After all that hard work.:think??

Has any one ever had this happen to their fruits or vegetables?

[Hemlock140]

Squirrels will steal them, birds will not, they simply peck at them. Sounds to me like rats.

[flowerboxcn]

Oh,what a pity

[phonelady61]

yes that sounds like rats . I was going to say next time put them in pots on your deck if you have one . I never had a problem with rats when I had my huge german shepherd out there . also my neighborhood had tons of stray cats too .

[Nonchalance]

In my case, it was starlings. They pulled the tomato plants to make a nest.

[nmnita]

well, that is so sad. I am not going to even verture a guess, but regardless, whoever it was shame of them!!! We do have a good friend that has us take care of her cats when they travel. A few years ago the had a patio type tomato plant with only 2 tomatoes (too much shade) but they were beautiful tomatoes. To their surprise and ours as well, when they returned from their trip, a day after we had fed kitties and seen the tomatoes they were gone. In thier case it could have been almost anything. We live in an area with a lot of wild creatures and the tomatoes were not inside any type of fencing.