Tomato Damage - Page 3

livinonfaith · April 2, 2012

Someone mentioned looking for a cluster of eggs on the bottom of the leaf. I'm pretty sure that isn't correct. Here is a link to a picture of a hornworm egg. (Third one down.)

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/hornworm.html

The ones I've seen are usually laid singly on the top of the leaf. It's like a pretty little translucent greenish whitish orb, very small but easily seen with the naked eye. If you're a nut case, like myself, and go around checking out your tomato plants every day, they're fairly easy to spot. At least the ones sitting on the top of the leaf are.

I read that the Tomato hornworms lay theirs on the top of the leaf, but the Tobacco hornworms (basically the same thing) lay theirs on the underside. Since Tobacco hornworms will eat tomatoes too, I try to keep an eye out for those as well, but I'm not going to go around studying the undersides of all of the leaves. (Not quite THAT much of a nut case!)

Since I figured out what those little orbs were, I haven't had very many hornworms, but the few that have hatched have occasionally managed to get big enough to do a bit of damage!

kurt · April 2, 2012

When you run the mouse over that picture in your link it states underside of leaf.It does look like the underside of leaf.I have seen them on top of leaf when that leaf is hidden,not out in the open.

livinonfaith · April 2, 2012

Yep Kurt, you're right! I can't get my computer to read the caption, but it is the underside. I went to a couple more sites and they say that both types of hornworm lay their eggs on both the top and bottom, primarily the underside.

Most of the ones I've found have been on the top, but that's probably why some have gotten big enough to cause damage.

Sorry about that!

kurt · April 2, 2012

Ther is nothing to be sorry about.I do know that they come from the soil you buy also.When I first started planting my maters(containers only) I was caught up in the Miracle Gro hype.Then when I switched Pro Mix never had a problem with those critters.With the Miracle Gro I expected them every year and knew they were coming.Mind you I grow maters in my pool screened in enclosure.So I knew there was no outside in invasion.With the MG I had more bugs that showed up and they were not from Florida.

Garf · April 5, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by ginger2778

What a really cool flashlight. I'm in Ft. Lauderdale.Please, where did you get it? I want one!

The 128 LED flashlight doesn't seem to be available in white right now, just UV. I see them in 52 and 100 LED sizes, and the price has gone up. I paid less than 25$ delivered for mine. I will keep looking.

Garf · April 8, 2012

This is an extreme example of what I found in my internet search. About twice as powerful as a car headlight. Sells for over $300.

ginger2778 · April 9, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garf

The 128 LED flashlight doesn't seem to be available in white right now, just UV. I see them in 52 and 100 LED sizes, and the price has gone up. I paid less than 25$ delivered for mine. I will keep looking.

Thank you for the search. I went to ebay as well and also only saw the UV type. I also saw your next post, and I don't think I can manage a flashlight like that, but it is incredible what they can do now, so much light for such a compact thing. Ithought you might have gotten it locally as I live in south Fla too. Many thanks for doing the search for me.
How are your tomatoes doing, mine are starting to die off, with fruit that is ripening unevenly or not at all, so my season is about over

Garf · April 9, 2012

Since I learned my lesson on container mixes, The container plants have picked up some. The in ground plant is beginning to die back but has a lot of tomatoes still on it. The flavor is a little bland for my taste.

babice · April 9, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by kurt

Ther is nothing to be sorry about.I do know that they come from the soil you buy also.When I first started planting my maters(containers only) I was caught up in the Miracle Gro hype.Then when I switched Pro Mix never had a problem with those critters.With the Miracle Gro I expected them every year and knew they were coming.Mind you I grow maters in my pool screened in enclosure.So I knew there was no outside in invasion.With the MG I had more bugs that showed up and they were not from Florida.

Ugh!

This whole thread has me feeling barfalicious! But SO informative and information I definitely needed since I'm a newbie to tomato growing!

It's also helped me make up my mind AGAINST the MG mix. Been using it for years for my gardening but not going to use it for veggies. I just cringe at that thought of snipping one of those nasty things (which I've never seen...yet...) with scissors but also throwing them out to the lizards for them to snatch up! But I gare-awn-tee I will learn to DO IT if they start eatin' any of my toms!

rockhound · April 9, 2012

As soon as my plants get big and the weather is warm enough for the moths(that lay hornworm eggs) to fly, I dust with BT. It doesn't kill anything I wanna keep, so I do it once a month for 3-4 months. Cheap and saves me time and trouble.

April 9, 2012	#40
rockhound Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Tennessee Posts: 285	As soon as my plants get big and the weather is warm enough for the moths(that lay hornworm eggs) to fly, I dust with BT. It doesn't kill anything I wanna keep, so I do it once a month for 3-4 months. Cheap and saves me time and trouble. Last edited by rockhound; April 9, 2012 at 05:12 PM. Reason: incomplete

April 2, 2012	#31
livinonfaith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina Posts: 1,332	Someone mentioned looking for a cluster of eggs on the bottom of the leaf. I'm pretty sure that isn't correct. Here is a link to a picture of a hornworm egg. (Third one down.) http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/hornworm.html The ones I've seen are usually laid singly on the top of the leaf. It's like a pretty little translucent greenish whitish orb, very small but easily seen with the naked eye. If you're a nut case, like myself, and go around checking out your tomato plants every day, they're fairly easy to spot. At least the ones sitting on the top of the leaf are. I read that the Tomato hornworms lay theirs on the top of the leaf, but the Tobacco hornworms (basically the same thing) lay theirs on the underside. Since Tobacco hornworms will eat tomatoes too, I try to keep an eye out for those as well, but I'm not going to go around studying the undersides of all of the leaves. (Not quite THAT much of a nut case!) Since I figured out what those little orbs were, I haven't had very many hornworms, but the few that have hatched have occasionally managed to get big enough to do a bit of damage!

April 2, 2012	#32
kurt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl. Posts: 2,501	When you run the mouse over that picture in your link it states underside of leaf.It does look like the underside of leaf.I have seen them on top of leaf when that leaf is hidden,not out in the open.

April 9, 2012	#38
Garf Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Miami, FL. Posts: 442	Since I learned my lesson on container mixes, The container plants have picked up some. The in ground plant is beginning to die back but has a lot of tomatoes still on it. The flavor is a little bland for my taste.