How to protect potted tomatoes plants from “critters”?

apply bone meal, spray hot pepper and garlic on the pots, place plastic forks upside down with the prongs facing upward, place bird netting on them

i use a one to one ratio of ivory dish soap and water EVERY DAY and that way they are safe to eat. No chemicals. Worked in Maryland. You might have bigger critters where you are.

You may need to wrap some wire around them.

Wire fencing - sorry, I left out a word!

Basil grown alongside should help.

Last year I planted tomatoes and basil next to each other. Critters are both. It didn't help me. Sorry. Good luck.

Ate both.

Another thing to do is clip the lower leaves. Even growing outside, you should clip the lower leaves. Putting wire around the plants is another good idea. Make sure the fencing has smaller holes so critters can't climb the fence.

I tried plastic mesh but the critters ate through it. Now I try steel attached to poles but that makes it hard to pick the tomatoes. Any thoughts?

yes that is true....I have given you the remedies....use bird netting as was stated before not plastic mesh