DIY Network

Managing Growth Problems, Insects and Disease Managing Growth Problems, Insects and Disease From "Fresh from the Garden" episode DFFG-110

Learn how to protect your growing tomatoes from growth problems, insects and disease....

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	Suckers -- new vines that sprout between two older vines -- can take energy away from the rest of the plant.
	One tomato hornworm can strip a tomato plant of all of its leaves in about 48 hours.
	Stinkbugs suck the juice from plant stems and fruit.
	Many gardeners wrap vegetable stems with tinfoil until they get big and thick enough to repel cutworms.
	To dry green tomatoes, sit them in a sunny location for at least a day....
	Then wrap them in newspaper and stack them in a wicker basket.

• As tomato plants grow, especially the vining types, they produce suckers. Suckers are new vines that sprout from the "V" between 2 older vines. Suckers can take energy away from the rest of the plant. Prune these sprouts by snapping them off with your fingers. They break off as you pull down and away from the base of the shoot. For larger shoots, use a clean knife or scissors to avoid tearing the stems as you prune your plants.

• Because tomato vines grow so quickly, you have to continue to support them as they move upward.

• A smart pest-control plan is a good idea to get great tomatoes. The tomato hornworm is the most common tomato pest. It's green and has a rhinoceros-like horn on one end. One hornworm can strip a tomato plant of all of its leaves in about 48 hours. If you see hornworms pick them off the plant immediately and dispose of them. If you see a worm that looks like it has lots of white sacks on its back, leave it on your tomato. It has been infested with a beneficial wasp that eats hornworm larvae.

• Another tomato pest is the stinkbug. It looks like a small dinosaur because of its scaly shell. Stinkbugs suck the juice from plant stems and fruit.

• Another insect that can damage tomato plants in the cutworm. They can put a stop to your garden before you even get started. They cut seedlings off at ground level before the stems can harden. Many gardeners wrap vegetable stems with tinfoil until the plants get big and thick enough to repel cutworms. All bugs can be controlled with pesticides, but be careful to not spray or sprinkle the fruit directly. Wash all vegetables with plenty of fresh water before you eat them.

• Insects aren't the only enemies to tomatoes. They're prone to a variety of diseases including Fusarium wilt, verticillium wilt, Tobacco Mosaic virus and blossom end rot. Both of the wilts are from soil borne fungus so putting a barrier, like mulch, between the leaves and the ground will help prevent them. Tomato Mosaic virus is transferred from plant to plant and causes tomatoes to be stunted and yellow. Always wash your hands between plants and remove sick tomatoes immediately. Blossom end rot is caused by poor nutrient levels and moisture fluctuations in the soil, fertile beds and regular watering is the best prevention.

• To harvest the tomatoes, grab the fruit firmly and gently twist and pull up and away from the vine. If the tomato doesn't come loose easily, it may not be ripe yet. Be careful not to break the main stem when you harvest because it can lead to disease or it can damage the rest of the tomatoes. Vining type tomatoes produce fruit constantly. These tomatoes have to be harvested every day or two, since they produce over and over until the plant dies. As you harvest be sure to pull or pinch off any suckers so that the plant can put all of its energy into making more tomatoes.

• Overripe fruit will attract pests and birds. Be sure to pick all ripe fruit form the vine even if it isn't nice enough to eat. This will also help stop airborne diseases and molds.

• To dry green tomatoes completely sit them in a sunny location for at least a day so they won't rot when they're stored. Wrap each tomato in a piece of newspaper and stack the tomatoes in a wicker basket. Put the ripest tomatoes on top and store the basket in a cool place.