ru: (crotchety)
Ru ([personal profile] ru) wrote2009-07-24 04:27 pm
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Okay, I know there are a few gardening types on my f-list, so I'll pose this query here.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but generally all of a tomato plant, except for the ripe fruit, is poisonous. That's what you get for being related to nightshade and all. That would therefore imply that except for the ripe fruit, you generally don't want to go snacking on tomato plants.

With that in mind, I'd love to know why I've had a squirrel breaking off (and I'm assuming chewing) tomato leaves from the garden. And while I don't have positive proof, I think it may be eating the unripe fruit too. On the other hand, it's entirely possible I'm not seeing the same squirrel every time. Hm.

On a different note, we apparently had a GINORMOUS storm last night, with massive, explosion-like thunderclaps. I say 'apparently' because I slept through it. >_> Although I did have some rather distressing dreams involving explosions. It seems like even though I can be very sound sensitive, especially when I'm trying to fall asleep, when it comes to huge sounds in the middle of the night, I sleep right through them. I slept through Hurricane Fran when it came barreling through the area over a decade ago, killing power(which we were without for a week) and knocking down trees, some of which were in our backyard. Well, I should qualify that. I did wake up once--long enough to think to myself "Oh, it's raining", and then rolling over and going back to sleep. ^_^;

[identity profile] tsaiko.livejournal.com 2009-07-29 01:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Saw this article today in the NYtimes and thought of your question. Appears the leaves are not as poisonous as thought.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/29/dining/29curi.html?hpw

[identity profile] peppermintberry.livejournal.com 2009-07-29 04:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Huh, interesting! I knew that fried green tomatoes are popular, but I figured cooking them destroyed any nasty chemicals in them. That explains a lot, in any case. Maybe the squirrel culprits have a hankerin' for tomato sauce. Thanks for the link! ^_^