A few weeks ago we talked about how temperature and water can affect tomato production. Since these ruby colored gems are the highlight of most vegetable gardens, including mine, let’s identify some common pests you may encounter.
Hopefully, you are checking on your garden every day. If not, you could find yourself with a badly defoliated tomato plant in a matter of days. I know. It’s happened to me. Tobacco and tomato hornworms are insatiable feeders. They are the caterpillars of two large and very similar moths. It is not important to identify which type of hornworm is devouring your prized tomato plant. It is important to locate and remove these highly camouflaged problem-makers. It’s kind of like playing “Where’s Waldo?”
You will be removing these by hand. Flashback to last week’s article – ewww, yuck! Okay, I admit I don’t personally remove them by hand. Sometimes, if the hornworm is feeding near the end of a branch then I will snip off the branch and let the hornworm continue eating leaving me feeling a little humane. The recommended method is to drop them into a bucket filled with soapy water. Or, you can follow my husband’s lead and fling them out into the pasture for our feathered friends to dine on. For further reading on hornworms: https://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/tomato-hornworms-in-home-gardens/
Next up are aphids. These small, soft-bodied insects feed on leaves and stems usually in large groups. Their damage turns leaves yellow and stunts new growth. Unfortunately, they often transmit viruses. Check the underside of leaves, along the stems, and in furled new growth. Also look for ants congregating as they like to “herd” the aphids for their honeydew – a sugary excrement. Hose the offenders off and let their natural enemies, like ladybugs, eat the rest. Aphids are more prevalent early in the growing season.
Psyllids are another small insect with similar damage patterns and a sugary excrement like the aphids. Monitor and treat plants as you would with aphids except you might need to use a little insecticidal soap to keep their numbers in check.
Making their appearance later in the season when it’s warm and dry are spider mites. Their damage causes stippling on leaves. The leaves will sometimes have a bronzed look to them. To find out if you have a mite infestation, hold a blank white piece of paper underneath some tomato leaves, then tap the leaves. The mites will fall off the leaf and onto the paper. If you see tiny dark dots crawling around, take action. Use your water hose to spray these critters off. If that doesn’t give you satisfying results, use an insecticidal soap or neem oil.
A little more challenging to control is the tomato fruitworm, also known as the corn earworm. It likes to enter the stem end of the fruit when young, feed during its development, then will sometimes exit and enter another tomato. A pheromone trap to determine when the adult moth is present can be helpful to let you know when to start looking for eggs and larvae. For management options: http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/insects/caterpillars/tomato-fruitworm-corn-earworm.aspx.
Remember to limit your use of insecticides (even ones that are labelled “natural”) and be willing to tolerate some pest activity to attract natural enemies. If you must spray, refer to this chart: http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/pests/plant_pests/veg_fruit/hgic2218.html. And, always read the label of any insecticide to make sure it’s approved for the particular insect and plant you want to spray.
Kelley Rawlsky has an M.S. in horticulture and is the director of Bringing People and Plants Together, an organization dedicated to bringing horticulture education and therapy to the community. For more information: PeopleAndPlantsTogether@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook.
Article originally published in Broomfield Enterprise - Aug 13, 2017
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