Tomato carnage

[bobleponge]

There I was in my little greenhouse potting on and pottering, when I heard the fluttering of wings. I looked up and saw a chaffinch desperately trying to escape. I opened the window and moved slightly out of its way to give it a fighting chance of getting out, when in charges the boy at top speed, very interested indeed.
After a short but quite intense chase around the greenhouse by both myself and my trusty hound, I caught the little fellow, gave him a little stroke and had a good look at his colouring, and sent him on his merry way.
I then looked round to see total devastation on the floor. I had 22 toms in pots, 5 different varieties, all labelled, but only with a label in the first of each one in the line. Gutted. I was so good as well, had labelled everything and they were all in order. Label in each pot next year then.

[RedThorn]

glad the chaffinch is ok.

Are the plants wrecked or just the labelling?

[zazen999]

You live and learn old chum.

Are they all vines or any bushes in there?

[bobleponge]

Mr Chaffinch is fine and dandy, currently sat on top of the Weeping Willow looking down at the chaos he caused in my greenhouse.
All vines, fortunately none of them appear to be badly hurt, just out of their lines so I didnt know which is which. I guess I will be able to tell the difference between Tigerella and a Black Cherry, but not so sure between St Pierre and Denise's toms. Never mind, sure things could have been worse.

[Alice]

Carnage indeed Bobleponge when birds get indoors.

My neighbour was cutting her hedge and frightened a hen Blackie off her nest.
It flew straight in my back door to the back kitchen.
Every wall, appliance, dish and corner was covered in merde !
Even after I had cleaned it all I was finding bits in strange places for weeks.

But Mrs Blackie was OK.

[janeyo]

I guess I am not meant to laugh then......

I sometimes label one with a proper stick, then I cut up sticky labels and stick on the others. ( I can get 8 labels out of a 2.5 x5cm approx) As I normally only label a row when they go out with one stick it saves on sticks and I know the pots will still have a label if they fall over.

[bobleponge]

You can laugh if you like Mrs.
I was just glad I'd already taken out 15 toms out to either plant or harden off. Fortunately my yellow gooseberry toms hadnt grown at all so at least they werent scattered to the 4 winds.

[pigletwillie]

I have just had delivered 500 labels as I do the same, just one label in a tray of 12 or 15 plants. Then the Mrs gives the one away with the label in and when it comes to planting out two tunnels worth, its a case of hoping you have planted 30 roma and not 30 sungold.

As I grow the same varieties (bar a trial or two) the labels are good to be saved for the next season.