Tomato plants devestated.

Optimum

5 plants in the green house have been destroyed, I originally thought it was mice and had some sticky pads down to see what I could catch, no joy.
I found this lad this afternoon and the Google machine tells me its a tomato moth caterpillar, I didn't know caterpillars would eat my lovely tomatoes but they sure made short work of them..

Any one else having problems with these tramps? They are impossible to find on the plants but I'm presuming there is more then one.. all the fruit on the plants have been attacked, how can I stop them spreading to the remaining plants? Maybe burn the green house to the ground?:mad:

deandean

Aahhh tbat would fairly cheese me off too.
I wonder are they emerging from the soil?
I reckon regular visits with a torch is gonna be needed.
There used to be a pesticide for killing bugs in the soil Hex??? But it may be off the market now.

redser7

Plenty of discussion here for you ...

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine/vegging-out/tomato-eating-caterpillar_74421.html

amandstu

I did see a caterpillar like that (with a yellow stripe the length of the body) but it wasn't on the tomatoes -it was (one of a kind) on the kale.

I had a different tomato problem myself.The whole plant stopped thriving (the leaves dried and new growth stopped).When I picked the "ripe" fruit it had a sour taste -I threw them away even though they looked alright.
.
I had a second plant growing beside it that grew/grows without a problem and the fruit was/is sweet although I don't allow them to ripen fully on the plant out of fear they might be sour too.

eggox

amandstu wrote: »

I did see a caterpillar like that (with a yellow stripe the length of the body) but it wasn't on the tomatoes -it was (one of a kind) on the kale.

I had a different tomato problem myself.The whole plant stopped thriving (the leaves dried and new growth stopped).When I picked the "ripe" fruit it had a sour taste -I threw them away even though they looked alright.
.
I had a second plant growing beside it that grew/grows without a problem and the fruit was/is sweet although I don't allow them to ripen fully on the plant out of fear they might be sour too.

Could the plant have blight

amandstu

I don't think so.i am used to that as it happens (eventually) most years .So I would recognise it.

This year I have avoided it even with the potatoes (so far).

The fruit looked nice and healthy so I left it to ripen on the plant to its full extent.At that stage the whole plant looked alright.When I ate the tomato it had a sour taste and I just threw it away.

But afterwardsthe whole plant seemed to give up the ghost as if it had been starved of nutrients at the base.

There is another tomato plant right beside it that is doing fine (they are both under plastic ).

All I can think is that it got too dry at some point .It has large fruit whereas the other one that survives has baby tomatoes.