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Garden Gate:  What eats tomato plants?  |
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quiltingfarmergirl
True Blue Farmgirl
180 Posts
Barbara
Cato
NY
USA
180 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 02 2011 : 6:46:14 PM
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| The plants have been in the ground for almost 2 weeks and doing fine, until tonight I noticed one plant eaten almost to the ground and several others have the lower branches eaten off. No visible tracks in the soil. Anyone have any idea what might eat them? I have been planting this garden for 8 years and have never had a problem before. |
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Turtlemoon
Farmgirl Legend Schoolmarm
378 Posts
Tanya
Port Orchard
Washington
USA
378 Posts |
Posted - Jun 02 2011 : 8:31:09 PM
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sounds like it could be slugs, or rabbits? weird!
Raggedy Ann stuck in a Barbie Doll World
FarmGirl#1737
http://www.etsy.com/shop/moonhonu |
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
Posted - Jun 02 2011 : 8:53:51 PM
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The rabbits hit mine last week. If you plant onions around them they stay away. Also, bars of plain dial soap every 10 feet around the garden works for everything except for oppossums.
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
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amomfly
True Blue Farmgirl
658 Posts
Angie
LaGrange
IN
USA
658 Posts |
Posted - Jun 03 2011 : 03:28:36 AM
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Sounds like rabbits. I use marigolds in between each plant! It helps, also try the soap hanging. Good luck.
Come visit my blog
http://angieruralliving.blogspot.com/
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
#1038 |
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Turtlemoon
Farmgirl Legend Schoolmarm
378 Posts
Tanya
Port Orchard
Washington
USA
378 Posts |
Posted - Jun 03 2011 : 2:28:20 PM
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yup, like my gram i plant marigolds around the exterior of my garden, pretty and great to keep the animals out.
Raggedy Ann stuck in a Barbie Doll World
FarmGirl#1737
http://www.etsy.com/shop/moonhonu |
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Jun 03 2011 : 5:03:50 PM
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tomato horn catterpillers(sp?), they are very hard to see they blend it, and yes they will eat the plant to the ground, pick them off, and if you have chickens, they love them...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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quiltingfarmergirl
True Blue Farmgirl
180 Posts
Barbara
Cato
NY
USA
180 Posts |
Posted - Jun 03 2011 : 5:13:33 PM
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| Thanks for all of the good advice! Marigolds and soap have been added to my shopping list for tomorrow morning! Am I to hang the soap from the tomato cages, or place it on the ground? I have not seen any of those nasty green tomato horn things, but looked at them online..yuk! No chickens here, just a giant golden retriever and a kitty..Appreciate the help, Farmgirls! |
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CMac
True Blue Farmgirl
1074 Posts
Connie
Ashland City
TN
USA
1074 Posts |
Posted - Jun 03 2011 : 8:52:36 PM
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You will see the worm poo before you will see them! They really blend in. Their poo is blackish and in little pellets. If you see that start looking for the worm. If the worm has a ( or several) white things sticking out of his body. Leave him alone. Those are some kind of waspy thing's eggs that are very good for your garden. If I remember correctly they eat aphids.?. The eggs will kill the worm.
Connie
"I have three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for company."
Author: Henry David Thoreau |
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Heartbroken farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
604 Posts
Annette
rio vista
Ca
USA
604 Posts |
Posted - Jun 04 2011 : 12:10:43 PM
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I have cut worms, tomato horn worms, and a stinkin crow, all vying for my tomato plants, after nearly destroying my bell pepper plants! Now it the tomatoes on the menu. If its snails/slugs, just put a ring of crushed egg shells around the base of the plants. This keeps them off because they will not cross it, and the shells do not wash away like salt rings do. It its cut worms, the ladies here suggested a tp roll around the base of the plant. I just found a bunch of dead ones in my garden!! This abundance of rain so late passed their "winter over" time, is drowning them!! Marigolds are perfect for furry critters, and the horned worms, I just pick off, and throw to the birds. Gross, but effective. Good luck with your garden!!!
The tears I shed then, watered the flowers I harvest now.
www.broken908.blogspot.com
http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/broken908
"The aim of education is the knowledge not of facts but of values."-Dean William Ralph Inge |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jun 05 2011 : 04:01:35 AM
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I'd also say tomato horn worm too.
I always get put inot a bimd over these thogh.
do a google seatrch and you'll see. They turn into Sphynx or hawk moths that come out at night. Some of these are so large, they actually have red eye shine.
So while they really do a number on our tomatoes, they are a cool insect for sure! |
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2011 : 7:15:21 PM
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My hubby has been picking off those gross tomato worms, and I've been picking all the slugs off and around the tomato plants. It's a daily task.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
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Candy C.
True Blue Farmgirl
823 Posts
Candy
Mescal
AZ
USA
823 Posts |
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tribalcime
True Blue Farmgirl
2963 Posts
lisa
lexington
ky
USA
2963 Posts |
Posted - Jun 13 2011 : 06:24:29 AM
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Sorry ......had to laugh about the marigolds being eaten too ...........the rabbits eat my marigolds like crazy...........I ended up using flour all over my plants and has worked to keep bugs and critters off of them .. I live trap the critters also and take away.. I had chipmunks..possums..coons..and squirrels and rabbits all chowing down on my garden this spring..I live in town and when food is hard to get the critters ignore the little measures and chow down
http://tribalhorse.blogspot.com/
My webstores are http://www.1craftywoman.com and http://www.shadowsofthegoddess.etsy.com |
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Garden Gate: What eats tomato plants? |
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What eats tomato plants?
