Walking in your garden every day is good for you and good for your plants. Regularly checking on your plants helps keep pests away that might be eating your tomatoes before you can When caught early they are usually easy to control without insecticides or other drastic action.
There are many bugs that can get on tomato plants and other vegetables in your garden. Mites, beetles, thrips, whiteflies, caterpillars, aphids, leaf miners, etc. But don’t be discouraged. Tomato plants are hearty, and pests can usually be managed without insecticides. It’s important to keep a close eye on things, know the difference between pest and beneficial insects, and take care of problems as soon as they show up.
One common and easily controlled pest is the tomato hornworm. If your tomato plant suddenly loses leaves or the fruit has big holes chewed out of it, it’s probably a tomato hornworm. They are tricky to find since they blend in so well with the plant leaves.
First, look on the plant’s leaves and the ground below it for black pellets about 1/16 of an inch in diameter. This is a sure sign. Look straight up from there and you will find a hornworm, usually about the size of a finger. Or use a blacklight flashlight at night. A tomato hornworm will appear much brighter than the plant foliage making them very easy to locate. Hand pick them off the plant and drop them in a pail of water.
Aphids can sometimes be a problem. Look for tiny, oval, green, yellowish, or black bugs under your leaves or on tender new growth. To get rid of them, use a sharp spray from a hose. Or, for heavy infestations, spray them with neem oil which is a naturally occurring and less toxic pesticide.
Birds sometimes can eat your mature tomatoes. There are many tools you can use to keep birds out of your garden. One simple one is to put a stake in the ground and attach reflective tape to it. The tape should move with the wind.
It is best to accurately identify any pests that you are concerned with. Unless there are a lot of them, many pests don’t need to be controlled, and many are kept in check by natural enemies or parasites, which are other insects that eat them or lay their eggs in them.
If insecticidal control is needed be sure to use a product that is specific to the pest. Too much use of broad-spectrum insecticides can hurt more than they help because they can kill good bugs that eat pest bugs, upsetting the balance of insects in nature. If you kill beneficial insects, there is a greater chance that the number of pests will rise because their natural enemies have been killed.
As a tomato gardener few things are more distressing than walking out to the vegetable patch and finding chewed up stems on your beloved tomato plants. It’s enough to make any tomato lover see red! But before you panic let’s examine the possible culprits that might be feasting on your tomatoes’ tender stems and discuss solutions.
Signs of a Tomato Stem Chewer
How do you know something is eating the stems of your tomato plants? Here are some telltale signs
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Stems partially or fully chewed through near the base of plants or on lower branches
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Sawdust-like frass around damaged areas
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Wilting dying or collapsed tomato plants with severed stems
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Dark colored waste on leaves or soil around plant
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Holes bored into stems and stalks
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Missing leaves or entire shoots
If you notice these signs, it’s likely one or more pests have invaded your tomato patch for an all-you-can-eat stem buffet. Let’s look at the most common suspects.
Tomato Hornworms – The Usual Suspect
The number one perpetrator that gardener’s often find chowing down on their tomatoes is the tomato hornworm. This large green caterpillar has white V-shaped markings and a horn-like tail spine, growing up to 4 inches long.
These voracious eaters are the larvae of hawk moths. They blend in remarkably well on tomato foliage and stems. If you spot one, chances are there are more on the loose. Left unchecked, hornworms can quickly defoliate entire tomato plants. They also will chew into stems andfruit. Pick them off and dispose of them to protect your crop.
Cutworms – The Nocturnal Nibbler
While hornworms do their damage by day, cutworms come out at night to feast. These plump, soft-bodied caterpillars, up to 2 inches long, hide in the soil by day. After dark they slither up to chew through tomato stems at ground level, leaving plants flopped over wilted by morning.
To control cutworms, put barriers like cardboard tubes, tin cans, or diatomaceous earth around transplants. Pick off any caterpillars found near damaged plants. Beneficial nematodes also help reduce their numbers.
Tomato Fruitworms – More Moth Mayhem
Yet another caterpillar pest, the tomato fruitworm, also goes by the name corn earworm or cotton bollworm. They chew holes in both tomato fruit and stems. These greenish caterpillars have white to yellowish stripes running the length of their bodies.
Rotate tomato crops, avoid planting near corn or cotton, and use pheromone traps to monitor for adult moths. Pick caterpillars off by hand or apply Bacillus thuringiensis to deter them.
Flea Beetles – Tiny Terrorizers
While the pests above eat tomato stems and leaves, flea beetles target just the leaves. These tiny black or striped beetles riddle leaves with small holes in their search for solanaceous plants, their preferred food. They won’t kill plants outright, but can slow growth and reduce yields.
Use reflective mulches, rotate plant families, and apply neem oil or insecticidal soap to control flea beetles. Be vigilant about picking them off plants.
Slugs and Snails – Slimy Saboteurs
These garden pests use rasping mouthparts to chew irregular holes in tomato foliage and stems. Their shiny trails around wounded plants are a telltale clue. These nocturnal feeders thrive in damp conditions.
Remove shelters like boards and debris around plants that harbor slugs and snails during the day. Put out beer traps at night to attract and drown them. Copper barriers also help deter them.
Prevent Tomato Stem Damage
While we can’t protect our tomatoes from all predators, there are some tactics we can use to reduce pest damage:
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Inspect plants daily and hand pick pests
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Cover transplants with barriers like cardboard or mesh
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Mulch well to prevent weeds that harbor pests
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Use drip irrigation to keep foliage dry
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Attract beneficial insects like ladybugs and lacewings
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Rotate plant families in the garden each year
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Clean up crop debris promptly after harvest
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Use pheromone traps and sticky cards to monitor pest levels
Keep an Eye on Your Tomato Patch
Part of being a successful tomato gardener is being vigilant about monitoring for signs of trouble. Make inspection rounds at least once a day during the growing season. At the first sign of chewed up stems, take action to identify the culprit and intervene to protect your tomato plants.
Who’s Eating my Tomato Plants? Find out here and what you can do about it!
FAQ
What eats the stems off of tomato plants?
What animal eats tomato stalks?
What animal eats tomato plants at night?
What is eating the stems of my plants?
What eats tomato stems?
Cutworms, stem borers and click beetle larvae eat tomato plant stems. While rodents and birds will often try to eat tomatoes, cuts at the stems are usually caused by insects. What is Eating My Tomato Plant Stems? If the pests continue to eat away at the plant’s stems, the stems will eventually break, which could cause the plant to die.
Can one eat too many tomatoes?
Eating too many tomatoes can cause skin discoloration, digestive troubles, body aches, and acid reflux. There is not a recommended number of tomatoes to eat per day, but it is important to include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet instead of relying on just one option like tomatoes.
What if a pest eats my tomato plant stems?
The damage is often easy to spot, but it is often unclear what pest caused it. You won’t be able to enjoy your tomatoes if a pest is eating away at the plant. If something has been eating your tomato plant stems, immediately get to the bottom of the problem. What Is Eating My Tomato Plant Stems? What Is Eating My Tomato Plant Stems?
What plants eat tomatoes?
Keep a watchful eye on your plants and ensure they’re getting the nourishment they need. Some plants, like basil, collard greens, and marigolds, can help ward off pests that attack tomatoes. Some plants can attract insects that feed off tomato killers, such as parsley and borage.