Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 I'll bet we get infested with the tomato horned worm this year Dave!! That's my luck of lately. Chickens love them, like giving pigs cherries, they fight over the worms I take them. I also found those bugs usually come from the wild native grape vines. For those who have never heard of a tomato horned worm here's a photo of one, they grow from egg to finger size in just a few days, and two of the buggers can demolish a tomato vine in less than 24 hours!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 When we lived in Sacramento, I spotted Scrub Jay's (a bird similar to a Blue Jay), strutting among my tomato vines, then one jumped up, I wondered what they were doing, then one jumped up again and in it's beak was a tomato horned worm, so I left the Jays alone to keep the horned worm population down. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 We are just about kicking off here to. Cut back on tom's this year 10 Sungold a sweet cherry, 4 Tumbler for the hanging baskets, again a cherry and 4 Red Zebra a nice full size with lots of zing good with mature cheddar. Pretty much everything else is on the go, just cumbers and runners to go in next week. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,429 Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 Yep! I've fought with those nasty green so and so's. First time I came across 'em I couldn't understand what was demolishing my plants. They are almost the exact colour of the tomato vines. Don't know where they come from in the first place. I keep a close watch for 'em now. Had some on some tomatoes I brought into the sun room for the winter. Couldn't understand what the pellets on the wood floor were from. Than realized it was worm poop. They poop it out as fast as they eat it. Finished 'em off once I knew what to look for. Yuck! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted April 24, 2016 Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 Look out for tiny single pearl coloured eggs on the underside of leaves, but around here they hatch mostly on wild grape vine leaves and just walk to anything worth eating, my tomato vines...LOL They are from a variety of Hawk Moths. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted April 24, 2016 Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 Only been attacked once by tomato hawk moth caterpillars, took me bloody days to figure out what was going on. Then someone advised get on your knees and look up into the plants, even then they are difficult to see. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted April 24, 2016 Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 I follow their poop trail, gives me an idea where to start looking, another person once posted, spray the vine with water, it makes the buggers move. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted April 24, 2016 Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 ^^^^^^^ Took me a few more days to realise about the poo, once you know what your looking for life becomes a little easier. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,429 Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 Thanks for all the worm hints. Another problem I had last year was birds pecking holes in the ripening tomatoes. The holes were so neat and round that at first I thought it was slugs. Then I thought that they were hardly going to climb to the top of the vine to do that. Eventually saw one of the birds at it. It was amazing the clean round hole they can make. Solved my problem by draping some fine black plastic chicken wire over the plants. It let them breath o-k but the birds didn't want to get tangled up in it. It's amazing we get any good tomatoes at all with all the predators that are after them. Forgot to mention I've got about 8 Roma Tomato plants growing well. The produce a sweet almost pear shaped tomato. Good for freezing for winter as well as a nice sweet snack. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 Roma are the canning variety Dave, personally I don't like them to eat, but OK in canning. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,429 Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 That's correct, John. I quite like 'em as regular salad tomatoes though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted May 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 Whilst in southern Gambia the other week I spotted a field of what looked like potatoes. Upon closer inspection it turned out they were a squat little bush tomato with lovely big, sweet fruits. Using sign language I managed to buy a few toms from the ladies working the field and I sun-dried some seeds from one of the fruits. They have now all germinated and I look forward to seeing if I can grow them successfully up here in Caithness. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,429 Posted May 19, 2016 Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 Hope it works for you, Compo. Very different climate. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted May 19, 2016 Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 Good luck Compo that's the beauty of gardening you never know until you try. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted May 19, 2016 Report Share Posted May 19, 2016 I dig this thread man! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted May 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2016 Re the tomatoes: It is good to have a garden because you can try different things all the time. If a thing doesn't work you can simply try summat else. It's all part of life's great tapestry Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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