More Troubleshooting Tomato Problems

Yesterday I shared five of the most common problems that you may have while growing your tomatoes. Today, I will share the other five problems and how to diagnose and treat them. Hopefully these tips will help you to troubleshoot what may be going wrong and make those tomatoes truly terrific!

Aphids

These soft bodied pests can cause stunted growth and reduced yields. They travel in colonies and suck the sap from your plants. It is important to control aphids early. An insecticidal soap is very effective in eradicating these pests from your garden. You may also want to introduce some of their natural enemies to your garden in order to control them naturally. Some of their natural enemies include ladybugs, lacewings and parasitic wasps. By avoiding chemical pesticides, these beneficial insects will be encouraged to frequent your garden. However, you will want to set traps for ants as they are friends of the aphid and will actually protect them and carry them to your plants.

Catfacing

You will notice this affliction by the deformed and misshapen fruits that are a result of it. While no one is entirely certain what causes catfacing, we do know that it is related to problems with flower formation. The blossom sticks to the side of the fruit which results in puckering. Also temperature is a factor as temperatures below 50?F at flowering or fruit set seems to cause catfacing. Other factors include extreme heat, drought, excessive soil nitrogen and herbicides that contain growth hormone.

Fusarium Verticillium Wilt

Certain soil born fungi will cause vascular wilt diseases. These diseases turn the stems brown and prevent the leaves from receiving the nourishment they need. The leaves will turn yellow toward the bottom of the plant and work upward. This is often seen to occur on one side of the plant. The infected plant may die eventually. Destroy diseased plants properly and do not place them in your compost pile. Rotate your crops in your garden so that tomatoes and other related plants do not grow in the same area for 3 to 4 years.

Leaf Curl

Are the leaves of your tomato plants curling? Do they feel leathery to you? Leaf curl most often happens in hot weather, especially after a fluctuation in levels of moisture. The problem is also caused by heavy pruning. The good news is that leaf curl will not affect your tomato production.

Blossom Drop

Do the blossoms seem to be dropping off of your tomato plants? Tomatoes are really picky when it comes to temperatures and setting their fruit. If the weather is too warm or too cool, pollination will suffer and the blossoms will drop off. Too much nitrogen fertilizer can also cause the blossoms to drop off as well as dry winds or heavy rains.

Now that you know the biggest and most common problems in tomatoes, which ones have you found in your garden? Leave me a comment and share.