Tomato Thieves!

Donna Mattingly · October 10, 2020

Lord have MERCY!~ I have tomatoes planted all over my property that I've grown from seed each year. I share my harvest widely in the community and I love taking notice of how each tomato is doing...but I have this new neighbor. I was out gathering today (as I do every day) and she said she picked a bunch of my green tomatoes because she'd hate it if they just rotted and went to waste! (Trust me - NO danger of that happening, here!)...I don't understand some people! And then she asked me if I could do something about the people who use our driveway as a "cut through" to the street behind us. I guess that is too intrusive for her!? I just don't understand some people!!! If she would only give me a chance I would offer her my best tomatoes. Earlier in the season, I'd go out there with my notebook - making notes of how different varieties were faring ( so I could get a handle on what I want to grow next year)...So if she was paying attention at all, she would know these tomatoes are a great big deal to me! Bet I am not the only one in this group with such a problem! It's yucky!

Master Shake · October 10, 2020

That would drive me insane.... You should have asked for them back.

ddsack · October 10, 2020

I hope you told her that you keep weight and production records on each plant and that taking tomatoes without your knowledge is detrimental to your record keeping and decisions about which varieties come back next year! But a person this entitled probably can't be made to feel guilt!

Goodloe · October 11, 2020

Maybe she just doesn't understand that taking something (anything!!) that does not belong to her is stealing...? She needs an attitude adjustment!!

clkeiper · October 11, 2020

Sheesh!!!!! I have told people "please don't take things from my garden. if you want something ask. it may be for a special project of a specific crop for a person". tell her to keep out of your garden in no uncertain terms. and post a NO TRESPASSING SIGN> THIS INCLUDES YOU! she has no right to help herself to your garden produce.

Koala Doug · October 11, 2020

Like clkeiper mentioned, a sign might be appropriate... maybe one like this: https://www.amazon.com/King-Kush-Tre.../dp/B07CGC6LB3

clkeiper · October 11, 2020

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koala Doug

Like clkeiper mentioned, a sign might be appropriate... maybe one like this: https://www.amazon.com/King-Kush-Tre.../dp/B07CGC6LB3

THAT! was the sign I was actually thinking of.

. seriously!

imp · October 11, 2020

I would be tempted to say a number of things, but "Well, you are a self admitted thief and busybody, what other hobbies do you have that I should know about?"

Barb_FL · October 11, 2020

I expected when I opened this thread, the thief was going to be a raccoon or another critter. It never occurred to me that a person would help themselves and then indicate that they would have rotted. Since when do unripe green tomatoes rot on the vine.

I would never give her anything from the garden again and avoid her altogether. That takes the cake for rudeness!

MissS · October 12, 2020

I had some tomato thieves too. This year I gardened at the community garden. I planted 32 tomato plants for the MMMM swap as well as some other veggies. Just at the peak of the season someone came to our gardens and wiped some of us out. Someone harvested all of my tomatoes as well as my wheelbarrow. One woman breeds daylilies and some of her prized plants were dug up. For someone to know where to go and what to dig up, it must have been an inside job because these plots were not side by side. The funny thing is that our CM is on the grounds of our County Work-Release Jail. Taking what one is not given is stealing. Stealing is caused by greed.

Donna, what did you say to this woman when she told you that?

slugworth · October 12, 2020

I have the opposite problem;nobody wants my tomatoes and they just rot.

Fred Hempel · October 12, 2020

Oh my.

Tell her you are fine with her stealing your tomatoes, as long as she doesn't mind you walking into her house and taking her television or computer.

Shrinkrap · October 15, 2020

Tell her maybe the people who use your driveway as a "cut through" to the street behind, don't want it to rot and go to waste.

GoDawgs · October 15, 2020

Donna, I'm almost speechless but that would be out of character for me. I would have a real hard time being polite to this woman but I would absolutely make it known to her that her touching anything in your garden is not acceptable. If not deterred in some way, people like this will be repeat offenders.

ddsack said "I hope you told her that you keep weight and production records on each plant and that taking tomatoes without your knowledge is detrimental to your record keeping and decisions about which varieties come back next year!... "

I like that approach and also tell her that you are doing other research on tomatoes as well and that some of your carefully collected data is now skewed if not useless. I'd lay it on heavily before politely banning her completely from your garden in order to safeguard other data.

clkeiper · October 15, 2020

ELECTRIC fence that side of your yard/garden. that would help a lot I bet.

October 10, 2020	#1
Donna Mattingly Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Kentucky Posts: 64	Tomato Thieves! Lord have MERCY!~ I have tomatoes planted all over my property that I've grown from seed each year. I share my harvest widely in the community and I love taking notice of how each tomato is doing...but I have this new neighbor. I was out gathering today (as I do every day) and she said she picked a bunch of my green tomatoes because she'd hate it if they just rotted and went to waste! (Trust me - NO danger of that happening, here!)...I don't understand some people! And then she asked me if I could do something about the people who use our driveway as a "cut through" to the street behind us. I guess that is too intrusive for her!? I just don't understand some people!!! If she would only give me a chance I would offer her my best tomatoes. Earlier in the season, I'd go out there with my notebook - making notes of how different varieties were faring ( so I could get a handle on what I want to grow next year)...So if she was paying attention at all, she would know these tomatoes are a great big deal to me! Bet I am not the only one in this group with such a problem! It's yucky!

October 10, 2020	#3
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,220	I hope you told her that you keep weight and production records on each plant and that taking tomatoes without your knowledge is detrimental to your record keeping and decisions about which varieties come back next year! But a person this entitled probably can't be made to feel guilt! __________________ Dee **************

October 11, 2020	#4
Goodloe Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Steens, MS 8a Posts: 410	Maybe she just doesn't understand that taking something (anything!!) that does not belong to her is stealing...? She needs an attitude adjustment!! __________________ ~Jon~ Downheah, Mississippi

October 11, 2020	#5
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	Sheesh!!!!! I have told people "please don't take things from my garden. if you want something ask. it may be for a special project of a specific crop for a person". tell her to keep out of your garden in no uncertain terms. and post a NO TRESPASSING SIGN> THIS INCLUDES YOU! she has no right to help herself to your garden produce. __________________ carolyn k

October 11, 2020	#8
imp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Wichita Falls, Texas Posts: 4,832	I would be tempted to say a number of things, but "Well, you are a self admitted thief and busybody, what other hobbies do you have that I should know about?" __________________ I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing.

October 10, 2020	#2
Master Shake Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: australia Posts: 117	That would drive me insane.... You should have asked for them back.

October 11, 2020	#6
Koala Doug Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Detroit Posts: 688	Like clkeiper mentioned, a sign might be appropriate... maybe one like this: https://www.amazon.com/King-Kush-Tre.../dp/B07CGC6LB3

October 11, 2020	#9
Barb_FL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Indialantic, Florida Posts: 1,999	I expected when I opened this thread, the thief was going to be a raccoon or another critter. It never occurred to me that a person would help themselves and then indicate that they would have rotted. Since when do unripe green tomatoes rot on the vine. I would never give her anything from the garden again and avoid her altogether. That takes the cake for rudeness!

October 12, 2020	#10
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,146	I had some tomato thieves too. This year I gardened at the community garden. I planted 32 tomato plants for the MMMM swap as well as some other veggies. Just at the peak of the season someone came to our gardens and wiped some of us out. Someone harvested all of my tomatoes as well as my wheelbarrow. One woman breeds daylilies and some of her prized plants were dug up. For someone to know where to go and what to dig up, it must have been an inside job because these plots were not side by side. The funny thing is that our CM is on the grounds of our County Work-Release Jail. Taking what one is not given is stealing. Stealing is caused by greed. Donna, what did you say to this woman when she told you that? __________________ ~ Patti ~

October 12, 2020	#11
slugworth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: connecticut,usa Posts: 1,150	I have the opposite problem;nobody wants my tomatoes and they just rot.

October 12, 2020	#12
Fred Hempel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Sunol, CA Posts: 2,723	Oh my. Tell her you are fine with her stealing your tomatoes, as long as she doesn't mind you walking into her house and taking her television or computer. __________________ Artisan Seeds -- www.growartisan.com

October 15, 2020	#13
Shrinkrap Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: N. California Posts: 694	Tell her maybe the people who use your driveway as a "cut through" to the street behind, don't want it to rot and go to waste.

October 15, 2020	#14
GoDawgs Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Augusta area, Georgia, 8a/7b Posts: 1,685	Donna, I'm almost speechless but that would be out of character for me. I would have a real hard time being polite to this woman but I would absolutely make it known to her that her touching anything in your garden is not acceptable. If not deterred in some way, people like this will be repeat offenders. ddsack said "I hope you told her that you keep weight and production records on each plant and that taking tomatoes without your knowledge is detrimental to your record keeping and decisions about which varieties come back next year!... " I like that approach and also tell her that you are doing other research on tomatoes as well and that some of your carefully collected data is now skewed if not useless. I'd lay it on heavily before politely banning her completely from your garden in order to safeguard other data.