A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum First Post: Issue with Tomatoes

This is my first post here.

Thanks for the opportunity.

Here is my problem. I like to grow tomatoes but I keep getting this white string like line going on the leaves. The plant will produce a few tomatoes and then turn brown from the bottom up and die. I keep it in the full sun and water everyday. Not a lot of water but water everyday. I water the ground and not the leaves.

I have not been able to figure this out. I've tried researching and asking at HD or Lowes but no luck.

Any ideas?

Owl

First let me say Hi and Welcome Owl.

You're problem could be "leaf miners"(insect larvae)...is it just in a few leaves or all your plants?

Welcome Owl Glad to have you Here,,
I have to agree with Tamara,, sounds like Leaf miners,
does it look like this,, Lines squiggly running through the leaf(s)?

welcome, Owl.
could be a soil bug.
I'm curious though, when you say you water 'everyday' if you plant is rotting from too much water. maters have deep roots. the top part of the soil should be drying out good in between waterings. watering every 3 days slowly, is better than watering everyday.

Angleblossem;

That is exactly what it looks like. What can I do about it? (leaf Miner) Is this a common problem?

Should I not water everday. I am in Hawaii and they are in the full sun and I use a potty soil garden soil mix in large pots.

Owl

Owl

Spray down your tomato plants with a standard insecticidal soap, available from all garden stores and nurseries OR make your own by mixing a quart of water with 2 tbsps. of liquid dish soap. Insecticidal soaps are sufficient for light infestations, and are typically gentler than using chemical-based insecticides.

then,,
Mist a commercially prepared insecticide intended for garden use onto your affected tomato plants if you have a heavy leafminer infestation. For best results, use an insecticide made with abamectin or cyromazine, to which leafminers are susceptible. Spray evenly on all exposed tomato vegetation according to the label's guidelines, as toxicity varies widely by brand.

Then,
Apply a spinosad-based spray, many of which are organic. These type sprays are ideal for those who want something more powerful than an insecticidal soap but don't want to apply chemical insecticides. Spinosad is a type of bacterium that's toxic to tomato leafminers but won't harm beneficial insects like lady beetles.

I hope this helps

Thanks, I sprayed down the plants with water and liquid dish soap, picked the leaves that look like they are infected and sprayed the plant with a spray called "Sevin".

The plant is growing fast and I have a lot of small tomatoes on it.

It looks promising.

If I knew how to add a picture of the plant to a post I could show you.