Quck answer
Birds can be a significant threat to tomato plants, but there are several effective methods to keep them away. One approach is to use physical barriers, such as bird netting or cages, to prevent birds from accessing the plants. Another option is to use scare tactics, such as hanging reflective objects or using predator decoys, to deter birds. Applying taste deterrents, like hot pepper spray or soap solutions, can also make the plants less appealing to birds. Additionally, planting companion plants that attract beneficial insects can help control bird populations indirectly. By combining these strategies, you can protect your tomato plants from birds and ensure a successful harvest.
When growing tomatoes, it is common to worry about birds eating your tomato plants. Birds actually help protect tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum, USDA zones 10-11) by eating insects that can harm the plants, such as hornworms and snails. However, if birds start nibbling on the ripening fruits, they can quickly become a gardener’s enemy.
Preventing birds from eating your tomato fruits requires a combination of strategies. To help your fruits reach their full potential, try different methods to keep the birds away.
Identifying Damage from Birds
Tomato fruits are often eaten by birds, rats, cats, squirrels, and opossums. To protect your plants, it is important to identify the specific culprit and choose the appropriate deterrent. Before you focus on keeping birds away from your tomato plants, make sure that birds are the ones causing damage to the fruits.
Check the fruits for small puncture marks that resemble a bird’s beak. Bird damage is usually characterized by a few pecks on the fruit, but more severe attacks may show damage along the edges. On the other hand, fruits attacked by other animals often have marks from teeth.
Also, observe the time when the damage occurs. If the damage happens during daylight hours, it is likely that birds are responsible.
Protecting Your Plants
Using bird netting is an effective way to protect your tomato plants from being eaten by birds. Create a framework around the plants using bamboo poles, wooden trellis, fence posts, or tall stakes. The height of the framework should match the potential height of the tomato plant variety, ranging from 3 to 8 feet. Carefully drape the bird netting over the framework, making sure it doesn’t touch the plants. Secure the netting to the ground with wire.
However, be cautious when using netting as it may also prevent birds from reaching and eating insects that are harmful to the tomato plants. Regular inspection of the plants is important to ensure that other pests do not cause damage.
Scaring Birds Away
Moving objects can help scare birds away before they reach your tomato plants. Garden pinwheels, for example, can add a decorative touch while creating movement that scares off birds. You can also hang shiny objects, like aluminum pie pans or old DVDs, using fishing line. The reflective surfaces and the sound of the objects banging together can deter birds. Hanging multiple objects close together can enhance the deterrent effect.
Providing Alternatives for Birds
Birds often peck at tomato fruits to quench their thirst rather than because of hunger. Setting up a water feature, such as a birdbath, in a safe location away from predators can provide birds with a source of hydration and reduce their interest in garden-grown fruits and vegetables. Additionally, planting species with sweet fruits near the birdbath can satisfy birds’ cravings for sweetness and distract them from the maturing fruits on your tomato plants. Examples of plants with sweet fruits include figs (Ficus carica), which thrive in USDA zones 7 through 10.
Harvesting Tomatoes at the Pink Stage
When tomatoes are growing, they need warm temperatures rather than sunlight to ripen completely. Therefore, it is advisable to pick the fruits when they begin to turn pink. After picking, you should keep them indoors away from direct sunlight to allow them to ripen. Since the fruits grow rapidly and can quickly reach their full ripeness, it is important to check the plants every day to ensure you don’t miss the perfect time to harvest them.
