Tomatoes with holes (forum)

au0rey starts with ...
Hi, I found some of my small developing tomatoes with very round hollow holes in them...fit for holloween use...anyone can advise me what could have done this? And what can i do to prevent all my tomatoes becoming like this? Thanks!
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Time: 26th December 2009 8:20am

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Wayne says...
The dreaded green Tomato Grub au0rey, I use Lebaycid but there are many more friendly sprays you can use

Time: 26th December 2009 1:52pm

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Damo says...
I use trichlorofon = yates caterpillar killer, a tiny bit nicer?

Time: 30th December 2009 10:21am

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au0rey says...
Since I netted the tomato plants, I have not since another hole on any of the tomatoes...but will have to check daily. About the sprays, they probably have to soak the whole plant under and above to be in contact with the caterpillars isnt it? Caterpillars hide mostly under leaves.

Time: 30th December 2009 11:57am

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Wayne says...
Good stuff au0rey, I don't think you have to spray often but when you do it should be like you say. I think I would about once a month, happy to share a bit. Perhaps a chilly or garlic spray might do the job to.

Time: 30th December 2009 6:05pm

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au0rey says...
Hi Wayne, caught these caterpillars doing tunnels in my tomatoes...are they the green tomato grub you were talking about? Do they become moths or butterflies? Thanks!
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Time: 21st January 2010 1:58pm

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Wayne says...
That's the suckers, they turn into a big white moth I think au0rey

Time: 21st January 2010 3:32pm

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amanda says...
Grr..I had same problem this year au0rey (except mine were brown) they totalled my crop as I was too busy to dust (had too many plants to do) I was going to try "Tomato Dust".
I get annoyed when I have to resort to any kind of spray or chemical..mainly cos' it's such a hassle and then you have to "withhold", wash etc - you may as well buy from the shops then :-(

One day I dream of having a bug proof enclosure! (my "lotto dream".. he he)

Time: 22nd January 2010 8:48pm

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Wayne says...
I was going to "Tomato dust" Amanda but I read on the label that it contained copper so I gave it a miss thinking it might upset the fruit setting. Do you think it could be a problem. Another reason was that we often get overnight showers at this time of year.



Time: 23rd January 2010 6:25am

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Brendan says...
Hi Wayne & amanda,
What about 'Derris Dust'? I don't think there's any copper in it :-)

Time: 23rd January 2010 8:13am

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Wayne says...
I used Deris dust Brendan and you are correct, it doesn't have copper but the rain washed it off. I'm not going to worry becuse we have very few grubs.

Deris dust is linked to Parkinsons disease http://www.organicnz.org/organic-nz-magazine/1138/parkinsons-disease-pesticides-and-derris-dust/ but whether one would consider it dangerous, I don't know

Time: 23rd January 2010 8:26am

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au0rey says...
Hi all, yeah I get really bothered with using chemical means to fight the pests..that really kills the joy of growing your own food...

Netting helps but not 100% as my tomatoes were attacked though under nets..the holes are still too big and the moths can somehow land and go in? Not sure but the fact that there are caterpillars prove that they somehow got in.

In certain areas, I use double layer of nets and that means to help. I have practically netted my whole small garden haha...

I just bought Dipel but wow they arent cheap at all and I understand that rain can wash it away...and that's tough cos there needs to be reapplication..
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Time: 23rd January 2010 10:05am

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Charles cant spell says...
More wasps people, encourage them with flowering alliums, make an early fodder/sacrificial crop for catterpillers (mustard heavily sown is good)to breed up on. Mustard also is meant to kill menatodes so you get twice the benifit. Have a permanent water source.

The wasps should do the job for you. Once you get the balance right you only get mild attcks and a little damage before the predator prey balance is restored.

Once you spray you generally stuff up the natural equilibrium swing.

I dont have wasp nest everywhere (get stung etc) but there where many wasps coming into my garden when the food supply was there, now i have no grub and a few wasps.

But lots of whitefly and aphids....better find out who kills whitefly.


Time: 23rd January 2010 3:45pm

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About the Author Charlesstillcantspell1
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au0rey says...
Hi Charlies, what do you mean by flowering alliums? Onions and garlic? It would be great to have some predator bugs to deal with the pests naturally.

I do grow calendula and nasturtiums and the caterpillars do feed on them but they still go to my crops...and having sacrificial crops will breed more moths and butterflies and increase the population?

I have aphids and whitefly problem but they are manageable compared to the caterpiler problem. I use pyrethrum spray and it controls them well. I wish I have ladybirds visiting but so far there were only 2 or 3 which came and gone.

I read that good soil (preparing the soil well before planting) will give strong healthy and tough plants. I thought I did that by introducing compost and manure but still dont deter pesky caterpillars. That's why I resorted to physical barriers such as nets.

Time: 24th January 2010 11:06am

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au0rey says...
Oh and I am also growing some pyrethrum daisies which I got from Diggers. SUpposed to repel pests but I learnt that it also repel good bugs such as bees. :(

Time: 24th January 2010 11:07am

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amanda says...
Hi guys, I haven't used anything at all here b4. Funnily enuf' I grew yellow cherry tomoatoes and they never touched them!? They were "broad ripple yellow currant" or such? Heirloom - very sweet and kids love them.
They got my red cherry toms in the same ptch - so I can only guess it was the colour that maybe put them off?
Anyway - i didn't know that about those dusts thaks for info.
I was really growing out of season 4 here - so that didn't help either.

Time: 24th January 2010 1:03pm

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Julie says...
I posted this somewhere before, but Green Harvest sell a 'Good Bug Mix' to attract beneficial insects to your garden.



Time: 24th January 2010 5:04pm

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AMac says...
A Dustbuster is a good way to get rid of whitefly. Get them flying then suck them up. Worked for me!

I washed a big pile of aphids off my compost bin, which got rid off them, but I also washed away their natural control-ladybird nymphs. I still wonder whether I did the right thing. The nymphs were very pretty-a sort of lilac color. There's lots of good pictures on the net.

Time: 16th February 2011 6:44pm

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Billy says...
I have the green caterpillars & am going to try the carbaryl. It seemed to work last season

Time: 6th October 2012 9:41am

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Boris Spasky says...
Carbaryl is banned for home garden use and so it should be. Check APVMA
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201208/s3569178.htm

Time: 6th October 2012 10:39am

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Pauline says...
Wow, very old thread.

Time: 6th October 2012 11:05am

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Birdy_booo says...
I buy mesh bags from eBay to make sure my veggies are organic and also I don't want to spray and kill beneficial insects. The mesh bags are breathable and see-though and is reusable. You just tie them around the stem of fruits after the petals fall away and the tomatoes continues to develop underneath. I also use them on my berries. Of course I have a smaller garden so it can be easily done.

Time: 6th October 2012 1:35pm

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Julie says...
Birdy, I did this last year too. I have heaps of mesh bags I use to deter fruitfly, and popped them over the tomatoes when fruit trees had finished.

Did it on the capsicums as well, as they also get this wretched grub.

Time: 6th October 2012 7:44pm

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Brendan says...
Hi guys, what about Yates 'Nature's Way Fruit Fly Control'?
http://www.yates.com.au/products/pest-control/insects-concentrates/natures-way-fruit-fly-control/
Even 'Naturalure' is good too.

For caterpillars, Yates 'Success' works well.
All these are Spinosad based.

Time: 7th October 2012 9:19am

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