Garden Update! (Battling Pests Both Large and Small)

     I made a couple of surprising discoveries working in my garden this evening. Both were welcome surprises but one was less so. While tending to one of my tomato plants I noticed that two green Allerbest tomatoes had fallen to the ground. One of the tomatoes looked like it had been munched upon but I couldn't quite figure out what animal was responsible. It hadn't fallen victim to an insect infestation nor had it been pecked to an early death by a European Starling (a fate that a few of my tomatoes had last year). It wasn't until I picked up the second tomato that I noticed a perfect imprint of a small set of teeth.

     Who would have taken a small sample bite into a green tomato and then left it on the ground for me to find? Surely my neighbors aren't walking around my garden when I'm not home and planting their chompers into whatever they feel like. It wasn't until a little later in the evening when my roommate commented that the night before he had seen a deer in our front yard eating the grass in our extremely unkept yard! Ah, of course. A passing deer decided to to come by and sample a green tomato and apparently didn't care for it.

     I have dealt with my fair share of garden pests. Last year I had a massive outbreak of Harlequin bugs, Murgantia histrionica, that wiped out my kale and spinach. This year I had an infestation of lettuce aphids and I found my first Harlequin bug egg casing yesterday on the underside of a broccoli leaf. I would never apply pesticides to any of my food so when I begin to see signs of insect infestation I begin the insect massacre! And I don't stop squishing until I'm satisfied that the threat is over! I know what signs to look for this year so I have averted disaster for the most part. Noticing the signs of insect infestation comes with experience.

     But, for reasons I can't quite figure out right now a deer in my yard is a very welcome site. I think I just like knowing that this deer can survive in an incredibly urban environment when so much of biodiversity has been destroyed due to urban sprawl. I don't mind if the occasional deer comes up for a nibble every now and then. But, dude.....wait until the tomatoes are ripe. They will be way more enjoyable.

     But, I must say that if one decides to grow a garden free of harmful pesticides you must be willing to accept and appreciate the insects that will take up residence. I am an entomologist by trade so I have a love of insects that most of the general public doesn't understand and I will admit that I find it incredibly funny seeing a screaming adult run away from a harmless insect. Insects have been here millions of years longer than us and they will be here long after we're gone. This is their home. We're just visiting so show some respect. It is fear of insects that drives the use of pesticides in the first place. We don't like the thought of an aphid on our collard greens but for some reason most people find that spraying our food with poison is a reasonable alternative. Get over your fear.

     My second discovery of the night happened only a few minutes later when I noticed that on the opposite side of the sidewalk that boarders my front lawn there was a tomato plant growing near a fire hydrant. I obviously didn't plant it there (that would be ridiculous). My best guess is that a few seeds from last year made their way out of my garden (possibly from a fallen tomato), across the sidewalk, and found a suitable place to germinate and grow in the small grassy strip next to the road. To quote Dr. Ian Malcolm, "Life, uh...finds a way."

     I'm certain that whoever decides to mow the area in the upcoming weeks will mow it down subsequently killing it. It's a shame really. Any open space is a perfect spot for a public tomato plant. Wouldn't it be awesome to pick a few delicious tomatoes off of a nearby plant when you are on a run or walking the dog? Maybe I'll try to save it and relocate it to a place where people are less mower happy. In the meantime...

Take care of yourself and each other...