Tomato Troubleshooting

Tomatoes are warmweather lovers, so spring is the perfect time to plant seedlings or sow seeds into a vegie patch or pots. There are several pests and diseases that find tomatoes just as appetising as we do, but don’t despair, as we’ve put together this simple troubleshooting guide to help you on your tomato growing journey.

 

Aphids & Caterpillars

Aphids are tiny sap-sucking insects that can be green, brown, yellow or black, and cause tomato leaves and stems to yellow and curl. Caterpillars are chewing insects that can devour leaves and tunnel into and ruin fruit. Caterpillars can be well camouflaged and all you may notice are holes in fruit, chewed leaves or droppings. Fruit can be affected well before it ripens and changes colour, so early caterpillar intervention is important. Both aphids and caterpillars can be controlled with regular sprays of organic insecticides.

 

Fruit fly

Two of the most loathed tomato pests, Queensland and Mediterranean fruit flies, lay eggs onto developing fruit, and the eggs hatch into destructive maggots. Preventing egg laying – by controlling the adult fruit flies – is key, as once eggs are laid, it is too late. Fruit fly is so tenacious that several methods of control are best. In addition to using fruit fly exclusion netting, spray Nature’s Way Fruit Fly Control onto tomato foliage and stems each week. This bait attracts and kills adult fruit flies, before they have a chance to lay eggs.

 

Powdery mildew

Leaves covered with a ‘light dusting’ of white powder is a sign of the disease powdery mildew. As the infection progresses, leaves yellow and plant health suffers. At the first sign of mildew, spray plants with eco-fungicide. To help reduce the chance of infection, water tomato plants gently at their base. This limits disease spores splashing up from the soil onto the leaves.

 

Leaf spots

There are several diseases of tomatoes that cause spots to develop on leaves or fruit. First symptoms include leaf yellowing, followed by dark patches on leaves and fruit. During damp and humid weather, entire plants can be affected. To help protect plants from leaf spot diseases and blights, dust them every 7-10 days with Yates Tomato & Vegetable Dust. It contains a combination of fungicides to control some of the most common tomato diseases.

 

Blossom end rot

Although not a disease, blossom end rot is a condition that appears disease-like, with fruit developing a black sunken patch on their base. It’s caused by a calcium deficiency, which is usually a result of inadequate or irregular watering. To help prevent blossom end rot, ensure plants are consistently watered well until the end of harvest. Applying a soil wetter, such as eco-hydrate, can help water penetrate more effectively down into the root zone and spreading mulch around the base of plants can help retain soil moisture. 

 

Top tomato tips

To grow healthy, juicy tomatoes, here are Angie’s tips:

• Sun: grow your tomatoes in a bright sunny spot that receives at least six hours of sunshine a day.

• Soil & potting mix: your tomato patch needs welldrained soil or grow tomatoes in a pot, at least 30cm in diameter, filled with a premium potting mix. 

• Feeding: encourage healthy plant growth and lots of flowers and fruit with regular feeding. A specialised tomato fertiliser is ideal.

• Support: tall growing tomato varieties will need to be supported with tomato stakes or cages.