Tomatoe Help Please...

[scott_vt]

Good Afternoon Guys,
Would anyone have any ideas what is boring holes in my tomatoes ? This is a little garden at my Ct home.

I only have a few different types of vegetables in this garden other than the tomatoes, pole beans, yellow squash, zuchini, green peppers and cukes. That probablly doesnt make any difference but I thought I would mention it.

Whatever is doing the damage is not getting every tomatoe. And it only seems to be bothering the ripe tomatoes ! I have cut some tomatoes open and havent found anything yet, so am looking for suggestions and what I might use as a spray or powder to eliminate the pest !

I have even started picking some of the tomatoes that are not totally ripe so as not to get holes bored in them !

Thanks for any help !

 

[DocHeb]

Slugs or snails will do that. Moisten the ground, put a 12" x 12" piece of wood or wet carpet down. The next day there will be slugs underneath it if they are in the area. To get even, bury pie tins in the soil so that they are level with the ground and put 1/2" of beer in the pan. Next morning - dead drunk snails.

Pheasants and birds will poke holes to get water in really dry areas.

 

[mjarrels]

Green tomato horn worms... ugly things. A good dusting with seven will fix the problem.

mark

 

[DocHeb]

As you said, the green tomato horn worms will do that also. There usually is significant amount of recent growth leaves disappearing at the same time.

 

[NSBound]

Tomato hornworm caterpillar. They're disgusting looking things, always used to freak my mother out. Seven is good. Lots of pics on google images.

 

[scott_vt]

Slugs or snails will do that. .

Good Afternoon Doc,
As you know in the Northeast we have had nothing but rain ! Along with all that rain is a bumper crop of slugs, I think you may have the answer, I will pay closer attention and will try your suggestions ! Thanks !

 

[jinman]

I think you have your answer Scotty. I've been picking my tomatoes as they turn pink just to keep critters from munching them. I just counted 40 tomatoes in various stages of ripening. That's after giving away probably 20 more already. This morning when I picked one tomato that was nearly ripe, I noticed ants coming out around the stem. I opened the tomato and there was a mini-colony in there. They weren't on any of the other 18 tomatoes I picked, so I'm hoping this is not something I'll have to fight. If so, Sevin to the rescue!

 

[Egon]

When you plant the tomatoes put a tin can with each end cut out over the stem where it goes in the ground. That might keep slugs/snails out. Also prune back any leaves which will touch the ground.

In the spring spread some slug bait around several times. Use the kind that is friendly to animals and birds as some baits are very poisonous. By doing this you delay the development of a fine slug crop.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Afternoon Guys,
Thanks for all the friendly suggestions !

Doc, you win the cigar today, I just went out to the garden and snapped this shot of one of the bad tomatoes laying on the ground ! Slug it is !

Now for a little prevention !

 

[CDsdad]

Sevin dust sprinkled on the ground around the plants will help stop the slugs, too. Helps with ants, also.

 

[DocHeb]

While Sevin will help, using the beer/pie tin for a couple nights will put a big crimp on their population without exposing your food to insecticides. You can put wet pieces of carpet down in the garden and lift them up in the am and just pick up the slugs. I use perfect tomatoes for canning, but for slicing I still use the tomatoes that have a small hole - just cut it off. We usually don't have a shortage of tomatoes, however.

 

[JohnDeere4300]

Good Afternoon Scott,

I have had problems from 'tomato horn-worms' and 'slugs/snails'.

Slugs and snails will not cross a rough-surfaced barrier, such as one made from gravel, crushed eggshells, nut shells, sharp sand, cinders, lime or crushed oyster shells. Spread any of these materials around vulnerable plants in the garden.

I also put 7-dust on my plants to take care of the 'tomato horn-worms', and my son caught a bucket full one day before i put the dust on and he threw them in the pond for the fish.

We have 75 plants to take care of, and that don't count the pepper plants. ... We "can" a lot each year and my wife makes salsa, so that's why we have so many plants, but they are hard to keep up with when you have 'pests'.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Afternoon Scott,

I have had problems from 'tomato horn-worms' and 'slugs/snails'.

Slugs and snails will not cross a rough-surfaced barrier, such as one made from gravel, crushed eggshells, nut shells, sharp sand, cinders, lime or crushed oyster shells. Spread any of these materials around vulnerable plants in the garden.

Good Afternoon Bill,
Thanks for that tip, Ive been wanting some eggs for breakfeast for some time..... I just found a reason to do just that !

BTW, I have a Topsy Turvy planter hanging from the kids old basketball hoop, and I noticed no slugs up there, too far to climb I guess !

 

[ELMO67]

You have a garden in CT and ripe tomatoes already? I live in NE CT and don't have any that are even near ripe yet.

 

[scott_vt]

You have a garden in CT and ripe tomatoes already? I live in NE CT and don't have any that are even near ripe yet.

Good Afternoon ELMO,
Yep we have had ripe tomatoes for a couple of weeks allready ! My Ct home is in Seymour about 10 miles south of Waterbury.The tomatoes are on the small side but they are ripe !

NE Ct, I imagine your up in the Thompson area ?

 

[ELMO67]

Plainfield.