Tomato Damage

Garf · March 16, 2012

Today I found damage to 2 tomatoes near the top of the plant. It looks like snail damage.

kath · March 16, 2012

...or tobacco hornworm? You've also got a lot of stripped foliage. We have plenty of snails and slugs in a wet season, but I've never had damage like you show that high up in the plant except from hornworms.

cornbreadlouie · March 16, 2012

Check all over your plants for giant caterpillars. Notice any chewed up leaves or blackish "chunks" near where it got bit?

travis · March 16, 2012

If a hornworm did that, there'd be a huge pile of worm turds on the foliage and the ground directly under the damage.

If it's slug damage, God save you all from the Slug that Ate Cleveland!

mcsee · March 16, 2012

With no sign of 'Frass", I'd also be thinking a Snail or Slug too, which if the damage is on the top of the plant then somewhere near the bottom the culprit will be hiding.

KLorentz · March 16, 2012

Horn Worm most likely.The reason why even with out the poo is wind could have blown it of the leaves etc.I have also found in recent years they do not always relieve themselves in the same spot they ate.the stripped stems to me are very telling.

Kevin

Garf · March 16, 2012

There was a huge pile of crap just below the damage. It looked like mini razzberries, but light green.

Garf · March 16, 2012

I just went out with a flashlight and found and killed 4 huge hornworms. So much for my theories.
I must not be paying enough attention to my plants.

kurt · March 16, 2012

Beleive it or not those suckers will hide on plant during the day as they will take on the color of the mater plant and hide underneath leaves.Also some will crawl down into the crevices around the outer sides of containers during the day.When watering look for them to come up caus they do not like being drenched.If you do containers they like to hide under trays and pot bottoms.I had the brown variety this year and they are easy to spot.I love picking them and throwing them into yard and the lizards have a feast.

Floridian in Chicago · March 16, 2012

They can be really hard to spot, they blend in so well. Last year I knew I had at least 1, but I could not find it for the life of me. So I sprinkled some Bt on the area of the damage. A few days later I found a dead brown hornworm still hanging from the plant!

Virginia

Garf · March 17, 2012

In the light of day, I found more damaged tomatoes for a total of 5 so far. I also found some leaf damage, then turned the leaf over to find a small hornworm, which got crushed. Now I need to inspect the plants every day and night.

texasrockgarden · March 29, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garf

In the light of day, I found more damaged tomatoes for a total of 5 so far. I also found some leaf damage, then turned the leaf over to find a small hornworm, which got crushed. Now I need to inspect the plants every day and night.

All I can say is with that kind of damage you have neglected your plants.

Just kidding. Maybe it's time to bring out the BT.

I don't know your work schedule but I am always on the lookout for worm droppings, early in the mornings and late in the evenings when I tend the chickens and sometimes during the day when I am just puttering around in the garden. I am retired and live alone so that's what I do - tomatoes.

It's understandable, however, to let these worm munchers sneak up on you if you work 40 - 50 hours a week and have a busy family live. I've been their.

You have some great looking plants. I envy you folks in FL for your winter gardening season.

Sun City Linda · March 17, 2012

I HATE hornworms and I HATE rats!!!! Other than that, I am a really nice person

Garf · March 17, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

I HATE hornworms and I HATE rats!!!! Other than that, I am a really nice person

Scissors make short work of hornworms.

remy · March 18, 2012

Garf,
Don't feel bad. Those suckers are hard to spot until you train your eye what to look for. When we got them here one year. They did a nice chunk of damage before I realized what was happening. They are nasty things. My husband still freaks out at the mere mention of hornworms.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

I HATE hornworms and I HATE rats!!!! Other than that, I am a really nice person

I'm with you but add rabbits to the list

Remy

March 16, 2012	#3
cornbreadlouie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: SF bay area... north bay Posts: 242	Check all over your plants for giant caterpillars. Notice any chewed up leaves or blackish "chunks" near where it got bit? __________________ Do You Like Worms?

March 16, 2012	#2
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	...or tobacco hornworm? You've also got a lot of stripped foliage. We have plenty of snails and slugs in a wet season, but I've never had damage like you show that high up in the plant except from hornworms.

March 16, 2012	#4
travis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,984	If a hornworm did that, there'd be a huge pile of worm turds on the foliage and the ground directly under the damage. If it's slug damage, God save you all from the Slug that Ate Cleveland!

March 16, 2012	#5
mcsee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Victoria. Australia Posts: 543	With no sign of 'Frass", I'd also be thinking a Snail or Slug too, which if the damage is on the top of the plant then somewhere near the bottom the culprit will be hiding.

March 16, 2012	#6
KLorentz Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Stryker, Ohio Posts: 995	Horn Worm most likely.The reason why even with out the poo is wind could have blown it of the leaves etc.I have also found in recent years they do not always relieve themselves in the same spot they ate.the stripped stems to me are very telling. Kevin

March 16, 2012	#7
Garf Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Miami, FL. Posts: 442	There was a huge pile of crap just below the damage. It looked like mini razzberries, but light green.

March 16, 2012	#9
kurt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl. Posts: 2,501	Beleive it or not those suckers will hide on plant during the day as they will take on the color of the mater plant and hide underneath leaves.Also some will crawl down into the crevices around the outer sides of containers during the day.When watering look for them to come up caus they do not like being drenched.If you do containers they like to hide under trays and pot bottoms.I had the brown variety this year and they are easy to spot.I love picking them and throwing them into yard and the lizards have a feast.

March 16, 2012	#10
Floridian in Chicago Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: USA Posts: 6	They can be really hard to spot, they blend in so well. Last year I knew I had at least 1, but I could not find it for the life of me. So I sprinkled some Bt on the area of the damage. A few days later I found a dead brown hornworm still hanging from the plant! Virginia

March 17, 2012	#11
Garf Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Miami, FL. Posts: 442	In the light of day, I found more damaged tomatoes for a total of 5 so far. I also found some leaf damage, then turned the leaf over to find a small hornworm, which got crushed. Now I need to inspect the plants every day and night.

March 17, 2012	#13
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	I HATE hornworms and I HATE rats!!!! Other than that, I am a really nice person