Green Tomato Worm

[Wi-sunflower]

Just be sure you get out there with something.

I've had them so bad in the cole crops that they make the leaves look like lace hankies. Kind of hard to tie up cauliflower with leaves like that.

Carol

[ContainerTed]

Salty, that's what we call a "cutworm". They are also extremely destructive and will kill entire Branches of plants and they will also drill holes fruit. That look always reminds me of an "inchworm" with the halfloop in the body.

Had a couple of those in 2008. but only on my Tumbling Tom Red. Here's a couple of pictures of one of the beasts. I was so angry, that I had already crunched one end of it before I went for the camera.

Ted

[Salty_Dog]

Hahahaha nice one Ted.

Yes, i found one on a Sweet Bite plant, one on a Mellow Yellow.
The one found on the Sweet Bite had eaten a good 70% of the branch it was on.
I keep an eye out each time i tend to my plants now.

[salix]

Regardless of identification results, I think you should still follow Blueaussie's suggestion/directions...

[Salty_Dog]

Originally Posted by salix

Regardless of identification results, I think you should still follow Blueaussie's suggestion/directions...

How about I try some Nude Gardening... if that doesn't scare the worms to death, nothing will

[tessa]

the success will work just as good...but be less entertaining

[Salty_Dog]

Well, 3rd good going over my plants since the last Green Looper and i have haven't found another yet.... finger crossed.

Might do a shop at Bunnings in the morning for some Success and some Potash

Mmmmm what else could my babies do with???

[Salty_Dog]

Oops, spoke too soon!

You are spot on Carol, i went an inspected my plants 20minutes before dark and they were everywhere!!!!

From 2mm long to fat ones 25mm or an inch long. All on the underside of leafs.
I only looked on 2 biggest plants in SWC's... that still leaves 24 other plants to check.
OMG i can see this is going to be painful.

I'm straight into Bunnings first thing in the morning for some of that Success that tessa recommended.

Is this the stuff tessa?


http://www.yates.com.au/products/pes...nsect-control/

[tessa]

that's the stuff, salty.
pick up some pyrethrum while you're there. the yates is from natural source, not synthetic...so that's an added bonus.
for me here in perth...i have tomato russett mites in the bazillions. pyrethrum is the be-all, end-all for mite control amongst other things.

for fruitfly control...i recommend organza bags. barrier is best. you can order those on ebay and pay about $15 all up with the postage for 100 bags. gotta get them from china tho...but don't fret. that's exactly where spotlight gets them from before charging you $1.50 per bag.

just imagine how festive your veg patch will look with an organza bag tied onto every tomato.
woo-hoo.

[Salty_Dog]

Got the full shopping list tessa,

Success, Pyrethrum, Sulphate of Potash and a 5 litre sprayer.

OMG, that wasn't a cheap trip at all, those little Yates products cost heaps for their tiny size, so much so, the girlfriend started to make comment about my addiction to these Tomatoes.
Mmmmm i'm getting the idea her Christmas Gift must far exceed the total sum spent on my Tomatoes or there will be a lot of silent time for Salty

[heirloomdaddy]

I'm dealing with a major cabbage looper infestation as we speak. I just sprayed some spinosad and expect that they'll be toast sooner than later. I must have removed 20 or thirty in the last few days.

[Aphid]

I feel for you , right now I'm dealing with tomato fruitworm