Everyone loves tomatoes. I think homegrown tomatoes are so popular because they taste so much better than anything you can buy in the grocery store. However there are some things you need to watch out for to make sure you have a bumper crop. Here are just a few:
- Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects that suck the liquid sap from the leaves. They may be clear, white, green, red, or brown. Use permethrin, neem oil, or malathion as needed.
- Fusarium Wilt turns the lower leaves yellow as they wilt and die. IT spreads to the upper shoots and will eventually kill the whole plant. If you slice the stem near the soil line lenghtwise and the internal tissue is dark brown/grey, there is nothing you can do but destroy the plant and fumigate the soil for next year. There isn’t any chemical treatment you can apply.
- Tomato Leaf Roll affects older, lower leaves that roll upward until the margins touch or overlap. The leaves feel leathery but remain green. You won’t notice any other symptoms. This is a temporary condition resulting from excessively wet soil. Once the soil dries, the symptoms will gradually disappear.
Stop by Western Gardens and learn more about growing healthy and delicious tomatoes. Also, visit us on Facebook for daily updates and specials.
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Becky is a wife, mother, avid cook and novice gardener. She loves growing organic, wholesome food right in her backyard that she can transform into a delicious creation in her kitchen. When she's not growing or cooking food, she enjoys running half marathons, reading, and watching her children pull weeds in the garden.
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