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Has any one seen this kind of damage before? I can't find any bugs on the plants. I mostly check in the early morning and at sundown.
- rainbowgardener
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The green tomato on the left doesn't look like it was eaten. It could be the tomato just split, which sometimes happens with variable watering.
The red tomato was definitely eaten by something. The hole is pretty big so I'm thinking not insect or worm, but maybe a bird (because it is so hollowed out -- squirrels and things like that that come along and take a bite, don't usually leave it so hollow)?? Not sure.
The red tomato was definitely eaten by something. The hole is pretty big so I'm thinking not insect or worm, but maybe a bird (because it is so hollowed out -- squirrels and things like that that come along and take a bite, don't usually leave it so hollow)?? Not sure.
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- rainbowgardener
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It looks like what happened to my tomatoes last year. It was tomato hornworms, a black and white striped caterpillar. I planted marigolds in my garden this year, and I have had no problems. Bugs don't like marigolds, and will avoid gardens with them. I haven't had to use my organic pesticide at all since the marigolds started blooming.
- rainbowgardener
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tomato hornworms are mostly green, blend in with the plant they are on very well, though they do have a little bit of striping which helps with the camoflage effect. Is this what you are talking about?
https://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05517.html
The round hole in the original picture could be hornworm, but it is a bit more hollowed out than I have seen with them.
https://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05517.html
The round hole in the original picture could be hornworm, but it is a bit more hollowed out than I have seen with them.
Your left green tomato picture is due to irregular watering. Cracks appear when the soil drys out. You could improve your fruits by keeping an organic covering at the soil base around your plants.
Your right red tomato is the result of the same soil conditions as the first. The lack of water when the fruit is starting to form, if there are round brown or greenish black patches also seen on other fruits. I see a little yellowing on the outer part of your tomato, as well as a crack. Remove these damanged fruits and continue to water the plants.
Your right red tomato is the result of the same soil conditions as the first. The lack of water when the fruit is starting to form, if there are round brown or greenish black patches also seen on other fruits. I see a little yellowing on the outer part of your tomato, as well as a crack. Remove these damanged fruits and continue to water the plants.