When write last week abouttomato hornworms , my train of opinion was unknowingly hijacked into the realm of random non - insect tomato pests . One of my favorite garden stories on this dependent dates to the previous 1970s , when my parent moved to the mountains of Virginia , away from engaged animation in a grown Midwestern city . Money was tight but we had plenty of state . To facilitate support our growing sept , a bad vegetable garden was essential .
One of the first summertime in the new garden , my mother noticed a job with her with child love apple crop . Just as soon as a tomato on a lower arm would begin to ripen , she ’d find a single bite take out of it . Perplexed , she visited our closest neighbour , an aged duo refer Eunice and Earl , who were raise in the pot and keep a enceinte veggie garden , and told them about her tomato trouble .
“ You have a problem with ‘ land tarppons , ’ ” Earl told her .
Whether it was his soft mountain drawl or the pronunciation , my mother was super nonplused and was entirely clueless about what a “ land tarppon ” might be . She ask for elucidation and it quickly became decipherable that Earl was talking about box turtle or domain terrapins , which are commonly known to munch on low - hang love apple . The caption of the “ land tarppon ” quick become part of our phratry lore .
No Tomatoes for Turtles
Native box turtle , ascertain throughout the eastern one-half of the United States , are one of the more common turtles found in suburban landscapes . Box turtle are straight omnivores , but have a special sweet tooth for ripen yield , such as tomatoes and cantaloup . The best path to keep them from noshing on your harvest is to either add fencing around your intact plot or around the specific crops they place . If you decide to fence your entire garden , be trusted to bury the bottom of your fencing to keep turtleneck from craftily digging their style in . A viable turtle barrier within your garden can be anything from a tomato batting cage with chicken wire around the base or a couple boards set up around your melon patch .
Friend or Foe?
While box turtleneck and other common terrestrial turtles can be a pain around the veg garden , they should n’t be discouraged from your attribute . Aside from eat your tomato , box turtleneck are known to be a major poke and escargot piranha ( along with many other caterpillar and insects ) . I reckon all gardener would be happy with few slugs in their life ! Some gardeners even actively encourage turtleneck visits by planting favorite foods , like berries , in the opened or providing dependable habitat in your yard , like leaf cover song beneath hedging or minuscule brush piles where they can forage for prey and find cover .
Do you have any stories of unexpected garden guests ? I would love to get word them !
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