Posted by Stephanie | Posted in Park Seed, Seed, Tips and Techniques, Tomatoes, Vegetables | Posted on 16-02-2007
This is another installment from the Park Seed tomato files. Today we are reading about Insects and Diseases to watch out for in your tomato garden. When dealing with pests and parasites , you must remember that you are at war, and they are your enemy. You cannot let them take what is rightfully yours.
If you know your enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
-Sun Tzu, The Art Of War
INSECTS:
Cutworms: Place paper collars around stems of plants when first setting them in the garden.
Hornworms, Flea Beetles: For best results, use an approved insecticide such as Sevin for control.
White Fly, Aphids: For best results, use an approved insecticide such as Malathion, Rotenone, or insecticidal soap for control.
Red Spider Mites: For best results, use an approved insecticide such as Kelthane or insecticidal soap for control.
Nematodes: Plant Nemagold Marigolds.
Slugs: For best results, use a bait or trap.
DISEASES:
Early Blight (Alternaria): Browning and dropping of the lower foliage in late summer. Apply every 7-10 days an approved fungicide such as Ferbam, Zineb, Maneb for control.
Late Blight: Caused by high humidity, cool nights, and warm days. Quickly rots green and ripe fruit and kills vines. Apply every 7-10 days an approved fungicide such as Ferbam, Zineb, or Maneb for control.
Curly Top: Twisting and upward curling or cupping of the new leaves. Malformed flowers. Control leaf hoppers with Malathion. Generally spread by insects.
Botrytis Fruit Rot: Avoid syringing foliage. Apply a Bordeaux Mixture or Captan for control.
Fruit Cracking: Usually occurs after heavy rains and high humidity. Use resistant varieties. Lime soil as above and mulch with hay, straw, etc.
cheers,
Thomas
tandrews@parkseed.com
cutworm remedy – how do you keep the paper collar from becoming soggy after a rain and becoming useless?
Soft paper such as newspaper, notebook paper, etc. would not work. You would want to use stiff paper such as poster board or cardboard that would holdup for a while. Cutworms do their damage in early spring weather so by the time the poster board deteriorates these worms are no longer a problem. Their life cycle as worms (caterpillars) is fairly short and then they hatch into moths.