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holes in tomato leaves but no pests in sight!

Posted by fillygirl 7 (My Page) on
Sun, Apr 6, 08 at 15:54

My hubby planted two beef steak and one big boy tomato plants and now there are holes in the leaves but under close inspection there seems to be no bugs eating them. There does appear to be a few aphids and we would like to use a home remedy but have no clue what to do. Would the soap and water or garlic and hot pepper solutions work?? Please help!


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: holes in tomato leaves but no pests in sight!

Aphids can just be blasted off with a spray of water. That takes care of most of them easily. And if there are only a few, just finger squish them. Keep in mind that they are attracted to high nitrogen fertilizer feedings so go easy on the plant feeding.

You can use the soap spray (1 tsp. in 1 gallon of water) but spray only in the early morning, never in the heat of the day or in the direct sun and aim for the aphids rather than drenching the leaves - too much can kill the leaves.

As to the holes - since it is early for flea beetles (small black flies that hop away like fleas) look for small greenish brown tomato worms (the larvae of a moth). If found try Dipel dust - a commercial name for Bt_ to kill them before they get into any fruit.

Hope this helps.

Dave


 
 

 

 


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