It looked like it would soon be raining; I couldn't stand the thought of having so many soon-to-be ripe tomatoes rotting on the vines, so I decided to do something about it. I created a make-shift greenhouse.
It was fantastic that my husband had formed our huge tomato cages from a roll of wire (the kind used for cement slabs). All I had to do was trim the tops of our tomato plants so they would not extend past the top of the 'cages'. I was thrilled that our plants were next to a wire fence, meaning I could use that as one 'wall', attaching the semi-clear heavy plastic to it. I merely pulled the plastic over the wire cages, letting the plastic come to the ground.
I know from previous experience, I'll need to make a way so the plastic doesn't remain on the plants for too long, or else they will mold. Since the plastic isn't touching much of the actual foliage, I figure I'm safe for now. The two ends of the 'greenhouse' are open, but I don't expect any major storms before the last of the tomatoes are picked anyway.
A few days later, I merely made sure to remove any standing water from a couple of places it had pooled on top of my 'greenhouse'. I was able to pick lots of beautiful tomatoes, and expect many more to ripen soon.
By Cyndi from Angwin CA
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