Helpful Tropical Storm Tip For First Time NH Tomato Growers

Editor's note: This article was written by a Townsquare Media Northern New England radio personality and may contain the individual's views, opinions or personal experiences.

The remnants of Tropical Storm Fred are going to soak NH until the wee hours of the morning. Take heed first-time growers! Your tomatoes can still be saved!

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Pick Them Immediately!

Unfortunately, tomatoes have no safety valve to release the pressure when soaking rains happen.

Think of them as little water balloons filling up on an faucet with nobody there to pull the balloon away. However, instead of a big explosion, the tomatoes keep drinking in the rain until they split.

And there is nothing worse than a split tomato.

The flavor spoils almost instantly, leaving you with a taste that I can only compare to as bad tap water. Maybe I'm still stuck on the water balloon metaphor, but really that's the best way I can describe it.

Yuck.

If you grew your tomatoes a little early this year, you're probably well aware of this phenomenon as the heavy rains of July were not ideal for the best yield and taste.

The heavy moisture this summer has created a double-edged sword for local tomatoes, as it has been 'The Perfect Storm' for the most common disease of the plant itself, Blight.

There is a fungus that causes both Early Blight and Late Blight, and this season has been so hideous, it's difficult to determine which is which.

The best thing to do, long term, is clip off the dead branches and leaves and hope for the best.

But for right this moment? Get out there and pick any tomato that isn't green!

You make look a little silly, gardening while dressed as The Gorton's Fisherman, but every tomato you pick in this deluge can still be saved.

There's still time!

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

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Source: Helpful Tropical Storm Tip For First Time NH Tomato Growers

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