Vegetable - Tomato (page 2)
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  This year my tomatoes have yellow spots on them. When you peel them you have to remove the outside layer because there are small white spots under the skin. Sometimes this occurs only in places and other times the whole fruit is affected. Is this some type of fungus or disease? Is there anything I can do to stop it?

  There are a lot of disease problems that can affect the fruit as well as the leaves of the tomato plant. If the leaves have spots and have been dying back, there could be some correlation. Another distinct possibility is stink bugs. They can pierce the outer layer of fruit, and leave a hard speck on the meat of the fruit where they were feeding. You cut out the damage and the fruits are fine. Check to see if you have any stink bugs around. Place some old boards at an angle in your garden. Check them in the morning to see if you have any stink bugs congregated underneath them. Stink bugs are hard to kill especially this late in the season. Try trapping them and destroying them, and destroying any egg masses you may see on the foliage.

  The last couple of years have been a disaster for me with tomatoes. I had sixteen plants and lost all of them for two years straight, just after June. My leaves turn yellow and then the tomatoes stop producing. The only thing I did different this year, was tilling the soil and adding lime. Please help! What can I get that would be safe to put on these tomatoes to stop the disease?

  First of all, practice crop rotation. Never plant in the same place for up to three years. When you do, your chances of diseases increase. Also, look for disease resistant varieties--those with a VF following the name. Then if you choose to prevent other diseases, you can spray weekly with Daconil or Funginex.

  You had a response on red spider mites a few weeks ago. You mentioned two sprays-- Kelthane and Intercept. Are these safe for vegetables, mainly tomatoes? I have tried everything except moving away.

  Spider mites have really built up quickly in August. When it comes to spraying vegetables be sure to read the label directions. There are formulations of both Kelthane and Intercept which are labeled for use on vegetables, but then there are formulations for ornamentals only. Diazinon or malathion can also give you some control. Follow label directions as to length of time to wait between spraying and harvesting your vegetables. Read the label prior to spraying.

  You would render a great service to many home gardeners around the state by giving us advice on how to eliminate or at least minimize, the tomato virus that plagued almost everyone this year. Many of my friends along with myself had to periodically destroy several large, established plants throughout the growing season as plants suddenly wilted and died. I have heard that some type of special soil treatment and care over the winter months can help prevent this problem next spring.

  There are two diseases which you could be talking about--the spotted wilt virus or fusarium wilt. Spotted wilt virus was quite common at least in the southern half of the state this past growing season. This virus is transmitted by an insect called a thrip. Hopefully, last year was an isolated year for a bad outbreak. The main thing you can do for prevention this winter is to clean up any weeds or debris around the garden, as thrips overwinter in weeds. The fusarium wilt is a soil borne organism. In the past, home gardeners often used a soil sterilant in late winter to kill out disease organisms. These products are no longer available for use. The main remedy is to practice crop rotation, and use resistant varieties, those having an F following the name.

  Tell me something about tomato hornworms. How do they get to your tomato plants, and what are they before they are hornworms? Is there any method for controlling them next season, besides hand-picking them off? I have a deck which is nine feet off the ground, and I had tomatoes in containers. The worms got to them, but not to the ones I had planted in the garden. I need all the help I can get--the fish didn’t like them either--not one bite!! 

  Tomato hornworms are among the most destructive pests of tomatoes. Even where they aren’t abundant, these giant caterpillars may do a vast amount of damage, since each worm consumes a large quantity of food to reach full development. The adult of the hornworm is a large fast-flying hawk moth. In flight they are often mistaken for hummingbirds. They are often seen at dusk hovering over flowers sucking nectar. They overwinter in the soil as dark brown pupae. They emerge in the spring as adults and deposit spherical green eggs on the undersides of the foliage. They hatch in five days and reach mature size in three to four weeks. They pupate in the soil and the adult moth appears in two to four weeks. Depending on the season, we will have between two and three generations per year. Other than hand-picking, spraying when the worms are small with a BT product such as Dipel or Thuricide can also control them. Be sure to destroy any spent tomato plants this fall, and you might consider starting with fresh potting soil next season. As to why they hit the higher plants versus those in the garden, there are some possibilities. One is that the moths work by scent, and the scent from the higher plants may be at a level closer to their flying pattern. Another possibility is that there may be flowers on the deck near your tomatoes, that they are going to for nectar and then they zero in on the tomato plants for egg laying. But give them time, eventually they will find the ones in your garden as well.

  Can you please tell me where I can get StopRot? I hear you talk about it, but no one seems to know what I’m talking about when I go ask about it. I want it for the rotting that occurs on the bottom of my tomato plants. 

  Stop Rot is a packaged product of calcium chloride. If you can’t find it under this trade name at a local nursery, calcium chloride should be available from tractor tire dealers or concrete mixing plants. For large quantities, mix 4 - 5 pounds per 100 gallons of water–for homeowners mix an ounce per two gallons of water, then spray.

  My tomato plants are covered with red mites. This is the third year in a row for this problem. What works best to kill them? I have bought various products for spider mites, but I still seem to have them. Am I dealing with spider mites, or some other insect? I need help.

  Spider mites are difficult to control, and thrive during hot, dry weather. Malathion, Intercept or insecticidal soap are some recommendations. Try to monitor frequently, so that you can catch them when they start attacking, not after they have been allowed to build up. Webbing indicates a large accumulation of the insects which will be harder to kill. Clean up the debris around your garden and all your old plants when you are through for the season. Good sanitation can prevent them from overwintering in your yard.

  Lice have been getting on our tomatoes every year. We have been using seven dust. The tomatoes don’t taste good. Does the Sevin get in the tomatoes? What should we use for aphids? Is there a good tomato that insects will not bother?

  Lice or aphids, unfortunately attack a wide array of plants, and I know of no tomato varieties which are immune. Luckily, they are easily killed, if you catch them early. Insecticidal soap, Malathion, and even a steady stream of water should do the job. Sevin is a better insecticide for chewing insects. There should be no flavor change. Be sure to follow the label directions when using any pesticide--organic or non-organic, as to time to wait between spraying and harvesting.

  I have tomatoes that are growing well, but they aren’t setting any blooms. They are healthy plants. I don’t have full sun, but they do get a little morning sun and then again some very late afternoon sunlight. What should I do? 

  Either limb up some surrounding trees to increase sunlight, or move your garden to a sunnier location. You need at least six hours of sunlight per day to grow tomatoes. I would hazard a guess, that you don’t have that much. If you do, make sure that you aren’t overdoing it with nitrogen at the expense of fruiting.

  My Bradley tomatoes have four splits in the top starting at the stem and running down about one third of the tomato. They also look diseased around the "split" opening. The rest of the tomato tastes good, but I'm not sure if we should eat them, if they have a disease. What is causing this problem? They don't split until they begin to ripen.

  Splitting of tomatoes occurs during fluctuation in moisture levels. Some varieties are more susceptible to this than others. When the tomato reaches the mature size the skin of the tomato becomes thicker and more rigid to protect the tomato during and after harvest. If extra water comes in then, the fruit will try to enlarge, and the skin will crack. The exposed tissue underneath may start some decay before you harvest. Cut out the damaged tissue, but the tomato should be fine. To prevent the splitting, keep the soil mulched and try to keep the moisture levels as even as possible.

  I live in an apartment, and don't have any land to grow a garden. However, I would like to grow tomatoes. Do you know of a way to grow tomatoes in pots or similar containers? Thanks for your help!

  Almost all vegetables can be grown in containers. The larger the container, the easier it is to keep them watered in the heat of the summer. A five gallon container has worked well for me with tomatoes. Use any potting soil and plant them. Make sure that your patio (or wherever you are growing them) has at least six to eight hours of sunlight a day. Provide a stake or cage to keep them upright. More frequent applications of fertilizer will be needed than if growing in the ground, since you will be watering more often. You can use a water soluble fertilizer or slow release osmocote. You should be able to harvest many tomatoes. Wait until all chances of frost have passed before planting.

  They say not to plant tomatoes in the same spot each year. If you only have one place to plant them, what can you do? Is there some type of fertilizer that I can put in the area this fall or winter so I can replant next spring?

  Many times limited sunny areas, relegate our tomatoes to the same spot each season. Fertilization is not the problem or solution, since nutrition isn’t the reason we recommend crop rotation. Disease control is why rotation is important. If you are plagued with any of the wilts or blights, these are soil borne diseases, which can build up in the soil. When you replant in the same area repeatedly, the diseases hit you earlier and earlier each season. If it is a small area, you might consider replacing the top four inches of soil. If not, use resistant varieties–those with a VFN following their name, and keep up with disease management. Using a cover crop, such as rye, vetch or clover now can keep weeds at bay this winter, and enrich your soil next spring when you turn them in.

  My tomato plants are growing well and starting to set fruit, but I have noticed that a couple of them have started to have curled leaves. Is this the beginning of some disease or what should I spray with to control it? 

  As long as there is no discoloration or spotting of the foliage, it is simply a physiological reaction to the weather. Rolling or curled leaves tends to be more common in some varieties over others--in fact, I have seen plants that stayed rolled up almost all summer, yet they produced fine. Watch the plants closely for any other symptoms, since it is possible there is a disease coming, but for now don’t spray with anything.

  I would like to plant some late season tomatoes, but I am having a hard time finding them at my local outlets. What are my options--start from seeds now (and is there time) or is there some way to take cuttings off of my plants now? There is always the possibility that my existing plants will survive through fall, since they are growing well now, but usually they begin to play out by late summer.

  Many nurseries begin to get in vegetable transplants for fall gardens later in the summer. You might ask your nurseryman if they are planning to get any, or if they can order some for you. You can also start from seed if you’d like. It takes about six to eight weeks for a transplant, but you could also direct sow and get some plants that way. Don’t forget to water though. Another option is to root some suckers. Tomato plants are always producing suckers--small plants in the joint of the branch and main stem. These small plants can be snapped off and planted, and you can get new transplants. Pruning tomato plants to a single stem has long been the fashion, but this late in the season, when the weather is so abysmally hot, leaving the extra foliage helps to prevent sunscald. You will get more tomatoes, they just won’t be as large.

  I received a packet of tomato seeds with a catalog order the other day. Is it possible to grow your own transplants from these seeds without a greenhouse? If so, how would I do it?

  Growing your own transplants can be done, but you need to provide an artificial light source. The biggest drawback to growing your own transplants, typically is insufficient light. You cannot grow quality transplants in a sunny window. Rig up an artificial light source within six to eight inches of the soil you are growing the seeds in. Leave the light source on for a minimum of ten to twelve hours per day. Keep the seedlings moist, but allow them to dry out slightly in between watering. Use a water soluble fertilizer as they begin to grow. It typically takes a minimum of six to eight weeks to grow a transplant large enough to move outside. You may find it is much easier to simply buy transplants, than growing your own. The only advantage to growing your own is better variety selections.

  Our tomato plants last year began to wilt and gradually died. We suspect "wilt" disease. What procedure do we need to do, to take soil samples to the county extension office in Lonoke? I have heard you talk about treating the soil for it.

  Soil samples will not tell you whether or not you have disease organisms. They simply give you fertility levels and pH. If you had problems with diseases in the past, practice some sound gardening practices. Rotate -- don't plant the same vegetable in the same spot. Choose varieties that are resistant to wilt -- those having a V F following their name. Mulch and fertilize and water. If the problem should reoccur, take a plant sample to your county office for correct diagnosis. The only way for a homeowner to sterilize their soil is through soil solarization in the summer. You would need bare soil, till it deeply and wet it. Then cover with clear plastic for a couple of months -- preferably July and August. Hopefully enough heat will be generated to kill the disease organisms.

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