What is shredding my tomato plants? tomato horror

[karrr]

Someone is shredding my tomato plants, ripping the stems to pieces. Does this look familiar? Who could it be?

It is not deer, the deer top tomatoes, squirrels take most of the small undergrown green tomatoes and possibly one of them is crazy and ripping plants to pieces (they also took every single double protected tiny green fruit off of my fruit trees). The shredding is done at night or early morning. Woodchucks normally come and break plants when tomatoes start blushing, raccoons never touched my tomatoes before. I’ve seen skunks and a possum, foxes, bunnies and chipmunks. I guess it could be anything.
I sprayed the plants with deer repellent, sprinkled cayenne pepper and a bitter hercampuri herb powder, found five more plants shredded next morning.
I was late planting my garden this year, wanted to build a better fence around a some

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garden beds and I used the galvanized wire fence but the holes are too big and the squirrels have no problem getting in or climbing over, along with the shredder. My husband is urging me to stop growing food.
Also we have government regulations in NJ for trapping and relocating wildlife, so I have to come up with something else that works. Any input is greatly appreciated!

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[Uncle_Feist]

I've never seen anything like it.

[rxkeith]

can you put a game or trail camera out there.
i have not seen anything like that either. i have the wild kingdom up here.


keith

[Cole_Robbie]

I'm thinking deer. Anything that can exert that much force is big enough to leave footprints. I see mulch in your pics. You might have to pull it back around a plant or two and wet the ground around it to get good impressions. You'll get tracks of something. Game cams are cheap too. (Keith beat me to that suggestion)

[MissS]

I'm thinking a fawn. Whatever it is, it looks like it is starting at the upper parts and then striping it downwards, so bigger than a rodent.

[karrr]

I'm thinking deer. Anything that can exert that much force is big enough to leave footprints. I see mulch in your pics. You might have to pull it back around a plant or two and wet the ground around it to get good impressions. You'll get tracks of something. Game cams are cheap too. (Keith beat me to that suggestion)

It would be difficult for a deer or a fawn to get inside the fenced off area because it is quite small and there is no damage to the fence so it is something that can climb or dig but I didn’t find any holes in the ground. Have to get a game cam now, thanks for the idea! (both) The mulch is quite deep there, since I dug up the soil from the path around the bed , piled it up on the beds and filled the trenches with wood chips, I will try what you suggested anyway.

[karrr]

I'm thinking a fawn. Whatever it is, it looks like it is starting at the upper parts and then striping it downwards, so bigger than a rodent.

Thanks Patti! I think it likes the flavor of the stems

[Ken4230]

I have an outlaw friend who always tells me that rules and regulations are made to be broken. Usually right after I have chastised him for being an outlaw. Several years ago I had a raccoon doing pretty much the same damage. It looked like something had laid down and wallowed in my tomatoes.

I think he had distemper because I found him dead several days later. Him dying just saved me from trapping and killing him. Can't tolerate my tomatoes being messed with. I did catch him on camera, don't really know but I think he was after the moisture. Do you have an abundance of critters around your garden? Mother Nature is very quick and very cruel in dealing with an overpopulation in a species. Overpopulation is one of the reasons why CWD is in the cervid population now.

[Kurt]

Im guessing deer.

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+hig ... e&ie=UTF-8

[karrr]

I have an outlaw friend who always tells me that rules and regulations are made to be broken. Usually right after I have chastised him for being an outlaw. Several years ago I had a raccoon doing pretty much the same damage. It looked like something had laid down and wallowed in my tomatoes.

I think he had distemper because I found him dead several days later. Him dying just saved me from trapping and killing him. Can't tolerate my tomatoes being messed with. I did catch him on camera, don't really know but I think he was after the moisture. Do you have an abundance of critters around your garden? Mother Nature is very quick and very cruel in dealing with an overpopulation in a species. Overpopulation is one of the reasons why CWD is in the cervid population now.

Maybe not all of them but nearly. We have deer, raccoons, bunnies, squirrels, chipmunks, woodchucks, skunk, even saw a possum once, I bet other rodents, foxes pass through daily, I wish they lived here instead of the woodchucks. When we play badminton late in the evening, bats try to join in.
I am really tempted to borrow a trap.

[GoDawgs]

I have never seen anything like that in my life. I sure hope you can get it figured out !

[karrr]

Im guessing deer.

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+hig ... e&ie=UTF-8

Yes, I see the possibility, going to get a cam and some extra netting. We used to have a deer kindergarten here, they would leave their fawn in my yard because it is safe and fenced in from most sides except on right side of the house. We put a little electric barrier there so they stopped treating my yard as their own, except for an occasional adult jumping the fence now and then.

Thank you Kurt!

[Seven Bends]

I hope this isn't a double post; I tried posting this before but I think I was tripped up by the "there's been another post; are you sure you want to post this?" message and didn't actually submit it.

If you google something like "shredded tomato plant stems," what comes up from old posts at Houzz, Tville and Reddit is rats -- rats generally, and maybe roof rats in particular. What's distinctive about the damage is the lengthwise shredding of the stems, and the sheer carnage.

I haven't seen deer do anything like that. I'm dealing with deer damage now in my garden, and they're comparatively tidy eaters -- just munch off the leaves and you're left with bare stems sticking out. I can see them maybe uprooting a young plant by yanking on it while they're eating, but nothing like this lengthwise shredding. Also with deer, you'll see deep hoofprints in the mulch or any soft/moist soil, and maybe droppings nearby, especially if they stood in one place long enough to do all that damage.

One suggestion from those old posts (if you don't have or want to get a trail cam) was to sprinkle flour around the plants and then look for tracks the next morning to figure out what kind of animal you're dealing with. The people who tried this ID'd rats.

[karstopography]

Rats are way more common and prevalent than given credit for. Rats are prone to destroying tomatoes, the plants and the fruit also. My friend growing tomatoes in Kemah has battled rats every season and they eat the tomato plants and fruit and always strike at night.

[karrr]

I hope this isn't a double post; I tried posting this before but I think I was tripped up by the "there's been another post; are you sure you want to post this?" message and didn't actually submit it.

If you google something like "shredded tomato plant stems," what comes up from old posts at Houzz, Tville and Reddit is rats -- rats generally, and maybe roof rats in particular. What's distinctive about the damage is the lengthwise shredding of the stems, and the sheer carnage.

I haven't seen deer do anything like that. I'm dealing with deer damage now in my garden, and they're comparatively tidy eaters -- just munch off the leaves and you're left with bare stems sticking out. I can see them maybe uprooting a young plant by yanking on it while they're eating, but nothing like this lengthwise shredding. Also with deer, you'll see deep hoofprints in the mulch or any soft/moist soil, and maybe droppings nearby, especially if they stood in one place long enough to do all that damage.

One suggestion from those old posts (if you don't have or want to get a trail cam) was to sprinkle flour around the plants and then look for tracks the next morning to figure out what kind of animal you're dealing with. The people who tried this ID'd rats.

Wow thanks so much! Going to try the flour thing tonight. Time to look for traps I know its not deer because i sprayed deer repellent and they would not touch a freshly sprayed thing. I use the I Must Garden deer repellent and it works, but needs to be applied at least every few weeks

[karrr]

Rats are way more common and prevalent than given credit for. Rats are prone to destroying tomatoes, the plants and the fruit also. My friend growing tomatoes in Kemah has battled rats every season and they eat the tomato plants and fruit and always strike at night.

thanks so much, this is really useful! Time to put some battle gear on

[Ken4230]

I haven't seen deer do anything like that. I'm dealing with deer damage now in my garden, and they're comparatively tidy eaters -- just munch off the leaves and you're left with bare stems sticking out. I can see them maybe uprooting a young plant by yanking on it while they're eating, but nothing like this lengthwise shredding. Also with deer, you'll see deep hoofprints in the mulch or any soft/moist soil, and maybe droppings nearby, especially if they stood in one place long enough to do all that damage.

Same for me on the deer damage. I have 2 young bucks come for lunch every day. My strawberries are gone, eaten to ground level. Container Sweet Potatoes are nothing but stems plus my in-ground ones are the same. Cucumbers, no leaves but plenty of cucumbers still. They are very picky about the squash, eating only the newest leaves. I guess they think that they are entitled to my plants because they are not scared of me at all (if only it were this easy during deer season).

I can get within 5-6 feet of them before they turn and walk off. Have not bothered the tomatoes at all. Groundhogs are another story, they were devastating my garden but I think my neighbor on the hill has taken care of them with his sub-sonic target rifle. It looks like one the Olympic shooters use, adjustable stock, high $ scope. I guess we are genuine Red Necks around here. I did move several containers to a 4' high table I built, now they are just eating the lower leaves but I may get some Sweet Potatoes after all. In a way this is making the vines more manageable, so that's a positive.

Probably will take them both out in November if they're still this tame. Venison is my primary meat. Tacos, Chili, and burgers is the primary way we fix it. I do have a motion detection water sprinkler, hope to have it hooked up shortly.

[karrr]

I haven't seen deer do anything like that. I'm dealing with deer damage now in my garden, and they're comparatively tidy eaters -- just munch off the leaves and you're left with bare stems sticking out. I can see them maybe uprooting a young plant by yanking on it while they're eating, but nothing like this lengthwise shredding. Also with deer, you'll see deep hoofprints in the mulch or any soft/moist soil, and maybe droppings nearby, especially if they stood in one place long enough to do all that damage.

Same for me on the deer damage. I have 2 young bucks come for lunch every day. My strawberries are gone, eaten to ground level. Container Sweet Potatoes are nothing but stems plus my in-ground ones are the same. Cucumbers, no leaves but plenty of cucumbers still. They are very picky about the squash, eating only the newest leaves. I guess they think that they are entitled to my plants because they are not scared of me at all (if only it were this easy during deer season).

I can get within 5-6 feet of them before they turn and walk off. Have not bothered the tomatoes at all. Groundhogs are another story, they were devastating my garden but I think my neighbor on the hill has taken care of them with his sub-sonic target rifle. It looks like one the Olympic shooters use, adjustable stock, high $ scope. I guess we are genuine Red Necks around here. I did move several containers to a 4' high table I built, now they are just eating the lower leaves but I may get some Sweet Potatoes after all. In a way this is making the vines more manageable, so that's a positive.

Probably will take them both out in November if they're still this tame. Venison is my primary meat. Tacos, Chili, and burgers is the primary way we fix it. I do have a motion detection water sprinkler, hope to have it hooked up shortly.

Good luck with the sprinklers!

[MissS]

@Ken4230 I have 3 of the motion sensor sprinklers. They work great. The only problem is that once in awhile your hose rutures and then I end up with a large water bill.

[Vanman]

Game camera first. Then SSS. Shoot, shovel, shut-up.