Where the Bad Bugs Spend the Winter

Looking to build a winter resort for many of the bad bugs that inhabit your garden during the growing season? It's easy! 

Don't clean up any fallen leaves, branches or fruit beneath the infected plants. The aphids, whiteflies, scale and codling moth...especially the codling moth, will thank you.

So, if you want more sticky honeydew on your driveway, curled, deformed leaves and lots more holey fruit in 2011, just ignore this mess now.

Tomato Troubleshooter: 2010 Update

Tomatoes - and tomato plant problems - abound this time of year. And 2010 is turning out to be an especially vexing year for tomato growers here in California, due to our cool, wet spring. And now that the summer heat has returned, many tomato problems have returned to the forefront of gardeners' attention. 

Good sources of information to help you solve your tomato travails are the books from the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, "Pests of the Garden and Small Farm" by Mary Louise Flint and "The California Master Gardener Handbook," edited by Dennis Pittenger.

These books take an integrated pest management approach to solving plant woes. Instead of first reaching for harsh chemical controls, the books suggest adopting cultural, physical, mechanical and less toxic methods to solve the problems. Some of these solutions border on common sense, such as not planting tomatoes in too much shade; ripping out and destroying problem plants; or, trapping snails or earwigs at night beneath boards, then destroying them the following morning. 

Here are a few of the tomato problems you've been asking about this year, along with possible solutions, that can be found in greater detail in those publications:

Sunscald

Symptoms: Tomato fruit turns light brown and leathery, on side exposed to sun. 

Possible culprit: Sunscald (sunburn). 

Solution: Don't prune leaf cover from plant. Keep plant vigorously growing to produce more leaves.

SOLAR YELLOWING. According to the  UC Davis, Vegetable Research and Information Center , the reason for the yellow or yellow-orange color, rather than the normal red, is that the red pigment (lycopene) fails to form above 86 degrees (F). This phenomenon was first described by researchers in 1952 and was later confirmed by others. When lycopene fails to form, only carotenes remain for fruit color. An orangey-red color results. In production areas where temperatures do not exceed 85 degrees (F), much higher red color develops.

TOMATO FRUIT CRACKING. Radial cracking occurs during rainy periods, when rains follow long dry periods. Fruit exposed to the sun may also develop cracks. Maintain a uniform water supply through the use of drip irrigation or mulches. A full leaf canopy will also help protect fruit from the sun and reduce cracking.
 
Tomato Hornworm or Tobacco Hornworm
Symptoms: Tomato leaves eaten, areas of fruit eaten, black, pellet-like droppings on and below plant.  

Possible culprit: Tomato hornworm. 

Solution: Hand pick in evening or morning. Use sprays that contain Bacillus thuringiensis, a less toxic microbial pesticide, to control young hornworms.

 

 Blossom End Rot

Symptoms: Tomatoes are brown or black on the bottom end. 

Possible culprit: Blossom end rot. Due to a calcium imbalance, brought on by cycles of too much or too little water; other factors that may contribute to blossom end rot include improper soil pH (tomatoes prefer soil in a range of 6.0-7.0) and too much nitrogen fertilizer.

Solution: Maintain even soil moisture. Avoid varieties most prone to it.

Root Knot Nematodes

Symptoms: Poor vigor, reduced yields, tomato leaves turn brown from the bottom up. Swellings on the roots. 

Possible culprit: Root knot nematodes. 

Solution: Plant resistant varieties, labeled "VFN". Rotate crops. Solarize soil. Add compost.

 

Root Rot

Symptoms: Tomato plants grow slowly and wilt. Roots have water-soaked areas that turn brown and dry up. 

Possible culprit: Phytophthora root rot, common in overwatered clay soils. 

Solution: Avoid heavy watering for long periods. Water more frequently for shorter periods. Pull out and discard plant if problem persists.

Fusarium Wilt

Symptoms: Tomato plants turn yellow on one side, spreads to rest of plant. Inside of main stem at base is dark red (stem on right) instead of a healthy ivory color (stem on left). 

Possible culprit: Fusarium wilt. 

Solution: Plant resistant varieties, labeled "VFN". Rotate crops. Solarize soil. Remove old plants.

 

Verticillium Wilt

Symptoms: Older tomato leaves yellow, beginning between main veins. Internal stem is slightly tan colored, in small patches. 

Possible culprit: Verticillium wilt. 

Solution: Plant resistant varieties, labeled "VFN". Rotate crops. Solarize soil. Remove old plants.
 

RAIN-RELATED TOMATO PROBLEMS:

BACTERIAL SPECK: Hits during rain or overhead irrigation early in the season, during cool weather. Retards growth, reduces yields up to 25%, fruit spots, leaf spots. Leaf spots are near the edge of the leaf, dark brown with a yellow ring. Can spread throughout the leaf margin area. Common in cool coastal areas of CA. Solution: plant later in the season; avoid overhead watering.

BLACK MOLD: More common in the late season, when rain or free water affects ripening fruit. Can be cosmetic, or cause deep lesions. Pick fruit as it ripens; keep fruit surrounded by leaf canopy.

 

LATE BLIGHT: Develops during spring rain or overhead irrigation when air temperatures are near 70. The fungus overwinters on nearby areas where potatoes or tomatoes may have been planted. Purple-brown areas on leaves, turn to brown. Fruit may brown, but stays firm. Avoid sprinkler irrigation in cooler weather, especially if potatoes are nearby. Do not use sprinklers on bush-type tomatoes that have developed a dense canopy. Clean up and discard crops after harvest.

Tomato Cracking
  Can be rain or sun related. Maintain a uniform water supply through the use of drip irrigation or mulches. A full leaf canopy will also help protect fruit from the sun and reduce cracking.

Other problems that may be attacking your tomatoes this summer include whiteflies (control with insecticidal soap), aphids (ditto), powdery mildew (give plants full sun, regular watering and avoid excess fertilizer; organic vegetable fertilizers are a better choice), tomato russet mites (don't plant tomatoes near petunias or potatoes) as well as cosmetic tomato problems such as cat facing (puckering of fruit caused by cool weather when plant bloomed) and concentric circles near the stem (due to sudden, rapid growth).

A Clean Whitefly is a Happy Whitefly

On Fridays, it's time to Ask the Snarky Farmer!


     Sandy of Sacramento digitally screams: "I need help!!!!!! My Japanese maple has white flies. I have been washing them off w/water for over a week.  Is there anything else I should be doing?  The leaves are turning yellow at the edges. It is in a large pot and it's a large tree. It has only been planted for a year."

     Although that water spray can help dislodge and control aphid populations, the same is not necessarily so with whiteflies. It is tough to control whitefly populations with a spray of water if there are already a lot of them. A clean whitefly is a happy whitefly! In the past, I've used insecticidal soap to control the young, hungry whiteflies with mixed results. Don't try making your own insecticidal soap; using the wrong ingredients or the wrong proportions can burn your plant, especially the thin leaves of a Japanese maple. And if you see ants crawling up and down the tree trunk, you'll need to stop them from herding the whiteflies (ants harvest the whitefly secretions). Boric acid can control an ant population.

    Also consider purchasing ladybugs, for whom young whiteflies are "fine dining".


    When whitefly populations are out of control on a plant, it might be best to trash the entire plant. Sorry.


     And in order to pad out this blog,  The experts at the UC Davis Integrated Pest Management website have this to say about whiteflies, with many more tips and tricks for controlling this garden bad guy:



DAMAGE
Whiteflies suck phloem sap. Large populations can cause leaves to turn yellow, appear dry, or fall off plants. Like aphids, whiteflies excrete honeydew, so leaves may be sticky or covered with black sooty mold. The honeydew attracts ants, which interfere with the activities of natural enemies that may control whiteflies and other pests.
 

    Low levels of whiteflies are not usually damaging. Adults by themselves will not cause significant damage unless they are transmitting a plant pathogen. Generally, plant losses do not occur unless there is a significant population of whitefly nymphs.

MANAGEMENT
Management of heavy whitefly infestations is very difficult. Whiteflies are not well controlled with any available insecticides. The best strategy is to prevent problems from developing in your garden to the extent possible. In many situations, natural enemies will provide adequate control of whiteflies; outbreaks may occur if natural enemies that provide biological control of whiteflies are disrupted by insecticide applications, dusty conditions, or interference by ants. Avoid or remove plants that repeatedly host high populations of whiteflies. In gardens, whitefly populations in the early stages of population development can be held down by a vigilant program of removing infested leaves, vacuuming adults, or hosing down (syringing) with water sprays. Aluminum foil or reflective mulches can repel whiteflies from vegetable gardens and sticky traps can be used to monitor or, at high levels, reduce whitefly numbers. If you choose to use insecticides, insecticidal soaps or oils such as neem oil may reduce but not eliminate populations.


Biological Control
Whiteflies have many natural enemies, and outbreaks frequently occur when these natural enemies have been disturbed or destroyed by pesticides, dust buildup, or other factors. General predators include lacewings, bigeyed bugs, and minute pirate bugs. Several small lady beetles including Clitostethus arcuatus (on ash whitefly) and scale predators such as Scymnus or Chilocorus species, and the Asian multicolored lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis, feed on whiteflies. Whiteflies have a number of naturally occurring parasites that can be very important in controlling some species. Encarsia spp. parasites are commercially available for release in greenhouse situations; however, they are not generally recommended for outdoor use because they are not well adapted for survival in temperate zones. You can evaluate the degree of natural parasitization in your plants by checking empty whitefly pupal cases. Those that were parasitized will have round or oval exit holes and those from which a healthy adult whitefly emerged will have a T-shaped exit hole. Whitefly nymphs can sometimes be checked for parasitization before emergence by noting a darkening in their color. However, some whitefly parasites do not turn hosts black and many whitefly nymphs that occur on ornamentals are black in their unparasitized state.

Avoiding the use of insecticides that kill natural enemies is a very important aspect of whitefly management. Products containing carbaryl, pyrethroids, diazinon or foliar sprays of imidacloprid can be particularly disruptive. Control of dust and ants, which protect whiteflies from their natural enemies, can also be important, especially in citrus or other trees.

Removal
Hand-removal of leaves heavily infested with the nonmobile nymphal and pupal stages may reduce populations to levels that natural enemies can contain. Water sprays (syringing) may also be useful in dislodging adults.

A small, hand-held, battery-operated vacuum cleaner has also been recommended for vacuuming adults off leaves. Vacuum in the early morning or other times when it is cool and whiteflies are sluggish. Kill vacuumed insects by placing the vacuum bag in a plastic bag and freezing it overnight. Contents may be disposed of the next day.

Mulches
Aluminum foil or reflective plastic mulches can repel whiteflies, especially away from small plants. Aluminum-coated construction paper is available in rolls from Reynolds Aluminum Company. Alternatively, you can spray clear plastic mulch with silver paint. Reflective plastic mulches are also available in many garden stores.

To put a mulch in your garden, first remove all weeds. Place the mulch on the plant beds and bury the edges with soil to hold them down. After the mulch is in place, cut 3- to 4-inch diameter holes and plant several seeds or single transplants in each one. You may furrow irrigate or sprinkle your beds if you use aluminum-coated construction paper or other porous mulch; the mulch is sturdy enough to tolerate sprinkling. Plastic mulches will require drip irrigation. In addition to repelling whiteflies, aphids, and leafhoppers, the mulch will enhance crop growth and control weeds. Mulches have been shown to deter the transmission of viruses in commercial vegetable crops. When summertime temperatures get high, however, remove mulches to prevent overheating plants.

Traps
In vegetable gardens, yellow sticky traps can be posted around the garden to trap adults. Such traps won’t eliminate damaging populations but may reduce them somewhat as a component of an integrated management program relying on multiple tactics. Whiteflies do not fly very far, so many traps may be needed. You may need as many as one trap for every two large plants, with the sticky yellow part of the trap level with the whitefly infestation. Place traps so the sticky side faces plants but is out of direct sunlight.

Commercial traps are commonly available, or you can make traps out of 1/4-inch plywood or masonite board, painted bright yellow and mounted on pointed wooden stakes that can be driven into the soil close to the plants that are to be protected. Although commercially available sticky substrates such as Stickem or Tanglefoot are commonly used as coatings for the traps, you might want to try to make your own adhesive from one-part petroleum jelly or mineral oil and one-part household detergent. This material can be cleaned off boards easily with soap and water, whereas a commercial solvent must be used to remove the other adhesives. Periodic cleaning is essential to remove insects and debris from the boards and maintain the sticky surface.

Insecticide Sprays
Insecticides have only a limited effect on whiteflies. Most kill only those whiteflies that come in direct contact with them. For particularly troublesome situations, try insecticidal soap or an insecticidal oil such as neem oil or narrow-range oil. Because these products only kill whitefly nymphs that are directly sprayed, plants must be thoroughly covered with the spray solution. Be sure to cover undersides of all infested leaves; usually these are the lowest leaves and the most difficult to reach. Use soaps when plants are not drought-stressed and when temperatures are under 80°F to prevent possible damage to plants. Avoid using other pesticides to control whiteflies; not only do most of them kill natural enemies, whiteflies quickly build up resistance to them, and most are not very effective in garden situations.