Oh my gosh. Those are the cutiest yorkies I have ever seen. It looks like they are doing a great job watching for tomato nappers. Thanks for the pictures, it looks like tomato season is going great at Bingster Hollow. My tomato plants are experiencing May grey in coastal California. Cbad

Hi Cbad,

So far so good. This spring has been so much better than last year...70-75 degrees every day and lot's of sunshine. Plants seem to be setting well so expect a much better crop than last year. Hope your weather turns to bright sunny days soon. They are cute, aren't they! But rotten as they can be...just like their dad!!!

cheers

Bing

Hi bingster,
I like runt dogs - mischief with tails.
Put a bell on them for when that wall of tomatoes takes over your deck & the waggers get lost among the foliage.

Great photos, Bing! Another yorkie owner here and "squirrel" is a trigger word in our house too. ;)

Dave

Dave,

That's a real cute pup there!!! How true that is!! They absolutely know what the word "squirrel" means. I have a nice park I take them to every day that's just chock full of oak trees and squirrels. They run themselves ragged trying to get one (which I hope they never do). BTW, I always enjoy your posts...you really know your stuff. How's your garden so far this year?

cheers

Frank

Bing and Dave: Somehow when I envision two big tomatomen (like yourselves) I don't think of you as yorkie dads. Glad you are. Thanks for giving us a peek into the Bingster and Digdirt real world...Thanks, Cbad

Those pups are all precious and I know they put the fear in any of the critters that try to invade their territory. Oh yeah, your plants are beautiful. :)

Thanks for the kind words Frank. :) Yeah there is nothing more ferociously funny than a yorkie that thinks it's doberman and has to put up with its summer puppy cut!

Gardens are pretty gloomy so far - 7 1/2 inches of rain in the past 10 days and not a drop of sun until today. Doesn't do much for the tomatoes (peppers are still in the GH) but a good crop of peas and potatoes going. Things should start looking up next week - just in time for the flea beetles to show up.

Dave

Bing,

Try suckering just a few of those plants to one stem. You might find that you like it.

Tim

Gringo...no worries there...they bark continuously at anything that moves. My neighbors hate me!!!

Cbad...these are my best buds in the whole world. Rotten as they can be (just like their owner) but cool pups just the same!

bcskye...you just can't beat dogs as far as I'm concerned. They love you with all their little hearts and are always thrilled to see you and be with you. Toms good so far...about 4 weeks til my first ripe one, I think. Hope yours are doing well too!

Digdirt...saw the news this morning and looks like more rain for you the next couple of days. Guess we're going to get some too this week. Hope your weather gets nice real soon!

Timmy...pruned heavily last year to just one main stem and felt I pruned too much. Am going the other way this year but have a sneaking suspicion you might be right. Your plants look super, as always!

cheers all

Bing

Bingster, can't get my tomatoes out for a while. The man who tills my garden didn't do it while the going was great and now we've been too wet for quite a while. Do have one 20 gal. SWC made and and going to make a couple more to put some tomatoes in. Hope I get the results you do. I'm growing Black Krim, Cuore Di Bue, Amish Paste, Big Mama, Sweet 100, Chocolate Cherry and Warren's Yellow Cherry.

Yep, I'm a dog lover, too. I debated about getting a Yorkie after my big 13 year old German Shepherd died in June. My attorney has one that goes crazy over me whenever I'm there and I think they are the cutest little things. However, we were out looking at German Shepherd pups in Dec. when I fell in love with a 9 month old that hadn't been sold as a wee puppy and had been bullied. Well, I bought that 96.5 pound puppy and he now weighs over 105 pounds. Acts like he's the size of yours and is super loving. Oh yeah, he also bought me a beautiful plant for Mother's Day. LOL!

Think those Yorkies could do a job on the chipmunks in my yard and garden? Are Yorkies diggers? Chipmunks occasionally run short distances up trees but mostly head for a hole somewhere if threatened.

bingster, those clips. I've seen them for sale on various sites along with the twine they fit and have wondered if they really can hold the weight of heavy tomato (melon, cuke?) vines attached to that descending twine. Any problems?

And do you let the vines head down the other way when they reach the top? And last question -- does pruning make the vines grow longer or just give you bigger fruit?

ALL TOO CUTE!!

All these adorable dogs and none of them eat tomatoes instead of guarding them?

All ours are mutts. The last one dropped off in our driveway may have pulled up a newly-planted eggplant (it was him or the crows) and he has tried to kill a young fruit tree while teething, but he has left the tomato plants alone. Hoping this doesn't mean he's waiting for fruit. Don't know that he would pick gently.

They are so cute... makes me want to have them guard my plants.

Awww tomato dogs! I want a tomato dog!! Your deck garden is so cool!!!

Morning All,

Hi Anney....long time no talkee!! This is the first year I've used the clips and I really like them. Timmy1 is a commercial grower and uses them so I'm sure they work just fine. Pruning concentrates the growth in that one stem so it gives you a stronger central stem. Pruning the suckers also gives you less fruit per plant but supposedly bigger fruit. Plus, at least in my case, it makes it easier to manage your plants. I'm sure the experts...Digdirt, Carolyn137, Timmy1, and a host of others can give you other reasons for pruning. This is my third year just using the twine and have never had a problem with support, even with heavy fruit loads on the plants. I would think cantalopes would need extra support like nylon stockings...stick the melon in the stocking then tie it off to whatever is supporting the twine. I "top" my plants when they hit my support bar which is at 6 feet. Yes, Yorkies are diggers. They were originally bred to go down badger holes to root them out. Tough little critters!!!

Sorry Jessica,Eylee, Carolyn, austinnhanasmom, bcskye,

Busy at work and haven't had time to write. Thanks for posting and for your comments. Dogs rule!! Hope you all have a great tomato year...would like to see some pics!

cheers

Bing

:-)

{{gwi:1330458}}

Hi Jessica,

Looks like all is well on your balcony! That will be a jungle out there soon...don't get lost!!

cheers

Bing

Bing, you are absolutely right about the jungle. I have to twist into some interesting positions to fertilize.

"Baltimore woman, 24, has gone missing. Last seen entering a dense thicket of heirloom tomato folliage. Friends say she was carrying a potted basil plant and a hunk of mozzarella.Rescue teams have been equipped with bacon and lettuce sandwiches, and have been searching all night. Tomato dogs may need to be called in from out of state. If she is not found by tomorrow, she will be presumed full and the search called off." :-P

Jessica,

Tomato dogs have been put on alert for possible search and rescue mission in Baltimore. If cheese and bacon is around I'm sure they'll be able to find the victim!!!

cheers

Bing

hahaha...cheese & bacon...can they come rescue me on my porch too? ;-) The plants are starting to get as tall as me & i'm skeered! lol

*crumbles bacon & cheese all over the place on porch*

- Steve