Where have all the tomato leaves gone?

mythkat · July 6, 2011

Hi all,

I have two gardens, one at my home and two plots at the community garden (no, I am not obssessed{repeats frequently}).

My tomatoes at home are beautiful, just setting fruit. The tomatoes at the community garden have had all their leaves removed. Not fallen off or dead, just gone. It's my understanding that rabbits, deer, ground squirrels and the like don't eat tomatoes. Is this misinformation? I have seen similar damage to tomatoes in other plots.

Thanks,
Kathy

bcday · July 6, 2011

Here in NY rabbits don't seem to bother them much but whitetail deer will eat tomato plants down to short bare stems.

mythkat · July 6, 2011

We have mule deer here so I suppose they would behave the same. I put soda bottle cloches over them hoping they would grow new leaves. Thanks for the info. The nursery had a list of rabbit and deer proof plants and tomatoes are on it. I guess I should have read it to the deer.

mmmmMato! · July 6, 2011

We had 4 early girls next to the house. I noticed one evening they had been "topped" and told the wife we had to get the tomatoes off of them the next morning. Too late. By the next morning, all but 6 of the toms were gone.

It was late in the season, so I pulled them, and tossed them out where we put grain out for the deer, and waited. The first few deer eyed them with suspicion, but a doe with her two fawns came in at a trot right to them and greedily chowed down. I guess we know who the tomato thieves were!

Whitetail deer LOVE tomato plants AND tomatoes.

mythkat · July 6, 2011

I'll let everyone know we have to put up a gate. I live too far from the river to be bothered by deer but I can tell you that young rabbit goes very well with fresh veggies.

mythkat · July 11, 2011

Well I put milk jugs with the bottoms cut out over the tomato stems and they are coming back. They haven't bothered anything else yet but that can change at any time.

dustdevil · July 12, 2011

Baby wabbits will eat tomato leaves. They usually eat the whole leaf and leave the stem. I guess some of them didn't read the part about tomato leaves being toxic.

cleo88 · July 12, 2011

What about hornworms?

First picture - one morning last year I saw a branch with no leaves.

Second picture - after advice from T'Villers, looked for poop on ground and found it. Bizarre electric green color!

Third picture - after looking for a while, found this bad boy. The wasp cocoons got to him before I did, so I just left him. He didn't move for days, and he was the last one I had - I think the wasps when they were born took care of my garden for the rest of the season. I was lucky the hornworm stopped before he ate more - I've seen pictures of plants that were basically just a main stem.

cdbva · July 13, 2011

I don't like hornworms; they are vile denizens of hell! But that's a terrible way to die... Nature is weird sometimes.

Christine

BigBrownDogHouse · July 13, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdbva

I don't like hornworms; they are vile denizens of hell! But that's a terrible way to die... Nature is weird sometimes.

Christine

I have no sympathy for hornmorms. It's called justice! There's a lot of stuff in this world to munch on, leave my maters alone!

In all seriousness, I remember the first time I discovered one of these things. I saw a naked tomato plant and was absolutely scratching my head. I was studying the plant so close that I was about 6 inches away from the thing when I realized what I was looking at and almost fell over.

My poor plant! Now I do inspections all day long, over and over...

lurley · July 13, 2011

I've never seen a prettier hornworm!

mythkat · July 18, 2011

No, it wasn't hornworms. I have hornworms in my home garden. This is definitely not hornworm damage. I have two plants and the closest plants to mine are over 40 feet away. Also lots of bunny berries.

cloz · July 18, 2011

I have 2 problem animals in my garden. A small bunny and a small woodchuck. My lettuce gets shorter every day. The greens on my carrots got mowed down over the weekend. The leaves of 3 eggplants have been devoured. Two cucumber plants disappeared over the weekend (I have about 8 inches of stem left). My parsley has been nibbled on and 2 tomato plants have had their lower leaves munched away.
They are obviously coming very early or very late because if I can get my eye on them, they won't be a problem anymore.
Bunnies, deer and woodchucks will definitely eat tomato leaves.

July 6, 2011	#1
mythkat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Stagecoach, NV Posts: 14	Where have all the tomato leaves gone? Hi all, I have two gardens, one at my home and two plots at the community garden (no, I am not obssessed{repeats frequently}). My tomatoes at home are beautiful, just setting fruit. The tomatoes at the community garden have had all their leaves removed. Not fallen off or dead, just gone. It's my understanding that rabbits, deer, ground squirrels and the like don't eat tomatoes. Is this misinformation? I have seen similar damage to tomatoes in other plots. Thanks, Kathy

July 6, 2011	#4
mmmmMato! Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Inland Northwest Posts: 4	We had 4 early girls next to the house. I noticed one evening they had been "topped" and told the wife we had to get the tomatoes off of them the next morning. Too late. By the next morning, all but 6 of the toms were gone. It was late in the season, so I pulled them, and tossed them out where we put grain out for the deer, and waited. The first few deer eyed them with suspicion, but a doe with her two fawns came in at a trot right to them and greedily chowed down. I guess we know who the tomato thieves were! Whitetail deer LOVE tomato plants AND tomatoes. Last edited by mmmmMato!; July 6, 2011 at 08:53 PM.

July 11, 2011	#6
mythkat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Stagecoach, NV Posts: 14	They're coming back Well I put milk jugs with the bottoms cut out over the tomato stems and they are coming back. They haven't bothered anything else yet but that can change at any time. Last edited by mythkat; July 11, 2011 at 06:06 PM. Reason: misspelling

July 6, 2011	#2
bcday Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NY z5 Posts: 1,205	Here in NY rabbits don't seem to bother them much but whitetail deer will eat tomato plants down to short bare stems.

July 12, 2011	#7
dustdevil Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: WI, USA Zone4 Posts: 1,887	Baby wabbits will eat tomato leaves. They usually eat the whole leaf and leave the stem. I guess some of them didn't read the part about tomato leaves being toxic.

July 13, 2011	#9
cdbva Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Falls Church, VA Posts: 538	I don't like hornworms; they are vile denizens of hell! But that's a terrible way to die... Nature is weird sometimes. Christine

July 13, 2011	#11
lurley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 741	I've never seen a prettier hornworm!

July 18, 2011	#12
mythkat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Stagecoach, NV Posts: 14	No, it wasn't hornworms. I have hornworms in my home garden. This is definitely not hornworm damage. I have two plants and the closest plants to mine are over 40 feet away. Also lots of bunny berries.

July 18, 2011	#13
cloz Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Southern Connecticut Posts: 435	I have 2 problem animals in my garden. A small bunny and a small woodchuck. My lettuce gets shorter every day. The greens on my carrots got mowed down over the weekend. The leaves of 3 eggplants have been devoured. Two cucumber plants disappeared over the weekend (I have about 8 inches of stem left). My parsley has been nibbled on and 2 tomato plants have had their lower leaves munched away. They are obviously coming very early or very late because if I can get my eye on them, they won't be a problem anymore. Bunnies, deer and woodchucks will definitely eat tomato leaves.