Massive tomato harvest chez Horse in California!
By The Horse
@TheHorse (206210)
Walnut Creek, California
September 16, 2017 1:20pm CST
I forget how many cherry tomatoes I harvested from my balcony farm last year. I think it was maybe six or eight.
This year I should have a bumper crop, perhaps fifteen. I gobbled up the one in the photo a couple of days ago. There are at least ten green ones in the ripening stage right now.
Sadly, I can't grow tomatoes at the preschool. Apparently the leaves of the plants are toxic. Had you heard that? OK, off to water my green babies.
21 people like this
21 responses
@crossbones27 (48446)
• Mojave, California
16 Sep 17
Hmm, have not heard that and thanks for the information. Glad the dogs have not touched our tomato plants, but maybe they know because they Billie goats with everything else.
3 people like this
@crossbones27 (48446)
• Mojave, California
16 Sep 17
@JolietJake I see, just kills brains cells for the most part. No wonder Kai is not the sharpest tool in the shed as far as Germans Shepherds go. 
I kid poor Kai, but she is also funnier than your average German Shepherd and they be goofy dogs.
I kid poor Kai, but she is also funnier than your average German Shepherd and they be goofy dogs.2 people like this
@TheHorse (206210)
• Walnut Creek, California
17 Sep 17
@JolietJake That's what I read as well. I don't have that much on my entire balcony.
2 people like this
@Tina30219 (81536)
• Onaway, Michigan
16 Sep 17
Never heard of the leaves of the plants being toxic you learn something new every day I guess. Enjoy the watering of your green babies
1 person likes this
@Tina30219 (81536)
• Onaway, Michigan
16 Sep 17
@TheHorse I look forward to hearing what you find out.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206210)
• Walnut Creek, California
16 Sep 17
@Tina30219 Yeah, I'll let you know. Right now I'm going cycling with my young buddy to where a friend is displaying some of her art.
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
16 Sep 17
Our tomatoes took off like crazy this year. I credit part of that success with the baby corral we put around the plants so the dogs couldn't get at them.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206210)
• Walnut Creek, California
17 Sep 17
@spiderdust My nemesis (not on my balcony) is ground squirrels. I'd imagine they'd go under it.
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
17 Sep 17
@TheHorse It's made of plastic, but it's very sturdy while still adjustable. This is similar to the one we have. We ended up not using it for its intended purpose, but it was a good solution for us to keep the dogs from digging up the plants.
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@allknowing (130063)
• India
17 Sep 17
Happy to hear about that. I too had that experience when a member from a garden forum sent me seeds all the way from the UK I got three crops - 3 years in succession from the seeds i got from the earlier lot
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@TheHorse (206210)
• Walnut Creek, California
17 Sep 17
@allknowing Once you get tomatoes going, they go and go...
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
17 Sep 17
You would have to eat a ton of tomato leaves to get sick. They stink so I wonder why anyone would want to bit on them LOL!
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
17 Sep 17
@TheHorse men in white coats perhaps....
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206210)
• Walnut Creek, California
17 Sep 17
@AbbyGreenhill Oh dear. Maybe if I eat some more tomato greens they'll just...go away...
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
16 Sep 17
Hmmm... well, compared to last year, pony, you have done very well with your little green friends!
I wonder if whoever banned tomato plants realized it takes a LOT of tomato leaves for a human to have a problem with the toxicity in them? A kitty cat, on the other hand... 
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
17 Sep 17
@TheHorse Yes, even small amounts of tomatoes will make a cat very sick! Most smaller mammals can't eat tomatoes.
No, you would have to mix tomatoes into something the cat or dog will eat for them to scarf it down and have a problem with it. Rats, on the other hand will eat tomatoes and it will kill them.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73626)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
16 Sep 17
What a lovely red tomato. How wonderful that you'll have such good tomatoes.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73626)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
17 Sep 17
@TheHorse here is a link for you
It's commonly believed that the leaves on a tomato plant are poisonous, so we often discard or avoid them
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206210)
• Walnut Creek, California
17 Sep 17
@RasmaSandra I'll check it out. Not sure if this is one of the ones I read. Gracias!
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206210)
• Walnut Creek, California
17 Sep 17
@RasmaSandra Yes, this is one of the ones I read. It will be a strange day when I eat 1.5 lbs of tomato leaves.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
17 Sep 17
Yes the leaves of the tomato and potato plants are toxic. You have healthy plants! this one is very pretty.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
17 Sep 17
@TheHorse No, I have never known anyone to eat the leaves.
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
17 Sep 17
We had a bumper crop of tomatoes this year, we have been eating them now for over a month. My best crop of cherry tomatoes actually grew from a rotten one I threw into the compost pile.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
18 Sep 17
@TheHorse Someone had to have thrown one in that spot don't you think. I can't grow pumpkins to save my life. Again one year I bought one from the store, threw it into the compost pile and the next year had 4 of the most beautiful pumpkins you ever saw.
@sumofalltears (3988)
• United States
17 Sep 17
Congratulations on the rewards of your hard work. I did not know tomato leaves were toxic, I know they smell kind of funky.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
16 Sep 17
I had no idea about tomato leaves. Interesting.
1 person likes this
