Worm in tomato stem

KCinNC · June 23, 2018

Noticed last week that one of my Momataro plants wasn't looking too good.
Well it looked a little worse today so I pulled it up. I suspected some sort of blight or wilt and wanted it away from my other plants.
When I pulled it I noticed a brown section of stem above the soil line and the stem was very weak there.
I broke the stem open and could see where a worm had been but didn't find the worm. I hope it doesn't find it's way to any of my other plants.
I hated to lose a plant loaded with tomatoes but I've got 51 more.
Has anyone else had this problem and what type of worm would this be?
I spray with eight maybe 3 or 4 times a season but use fungicide weekly. Not sure any type of spray would be very effective on something inside the stem.
Thanks for any info.

brownrexx · June 23, 2018

I had the same problem in one of my plants this year. It was a big beef that had gotten damaged but had grown back and was doing well. All of a sudden it looked wilted and I let it go for a couple of days until I decided to pull it out I cut the stem and there was no discoloration inside. I also placed it in a glass of water and looked for streaming of bacteria to which would indicate bacterial wilt and there was none. Then I noticed the brown discoloration right at the soil line. I did not see any insects but it looked to me almost like the stem was rotting at that point. I assumed that it had been damaged and insects were eating it or that fungus had moved in to a damaged spot.

KCinNC · June 24, 2018

I would have thought some sort of blight or wilt but could plainly see the worm sign inside the stem when I broke it open.

June 23, 2018	#1
KCinNC Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Western NC Posts: 20	Worm in tomato stem Noticed last week that one of my Momataro plants wasn't looking too good. Well it looked a little worse today so I pulled it up. I suspected some sort of blight or wilt and wanted it away from my other plants. When I pulled it I noticed a brown section of stem above the soil line and the stem was very weak there. I broke the stem open and could see where a worm had been but didn't find the worm. I hope it doesn't find it's way to any of my other plants. I hated to lose a plant loaded with tomatoes but I've got 51 more. Has anyone else had this problem and what type of worm would this be? I spray with eight maybe 3 or 4 times a season but use fungicide weekly. Not sure any type of spray would be very effective on something inside the stem. Thanks for any info.

June 23, 2018	#2
brownrexx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 1,420	I had the same problem in one of my plants this year. It was a big beef that had gotten damaged but had grown back and was doing well. All of a sudden it looked wilted and I let it go for a couple of days until I decided to pull it out I cut the stem and there was no discoloration inside. I also placed it in a glass of water and looked for streaming of bacteria to which would indicate bacterial wilt and there was none. Then I noticed the brown discoloration right at the soil line. I did not see any insects but it looked to me almost like the stem was rotting at that point. I assumed that it had been damaged and insects were eating it or that fungus had moved in to a damaged spot.

June 24, 2018	#3
KCinNC Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Western NC Posts: 20	I would have thought some sort of blight or wilt but could plainly see the worm sign inside the stem when I broke it open.