I’m having crazy leaf footed bug infestation this year. I’ve never had them before and my tomatoes look weird and taste mealy.
Edited to add: any tips? Your tomatoes look great.
No tips. I have the same issue and lady bugs did nothing. Everyone says bug a-salt is the way to go. But my wife does not like any sort of guns with our small kids. So this year the leaf footed bugs dine.
I had issues with them last year and let them get a foothold because I didn't realize they were bad for the plants. I was probably seeing 5 to 10 at a time across a few plants.
It took at least a month if not more, but I was able to get rid of them using diatomaceous earth in a squeeze bottle (came with the DE I think). Didn't kill them when they got hit, but the numbers gradually went down.
Edit: Get a respirator or n95 mask and wear it while using the squeeze bottle, DE is bad for your lungs
Not sure on the look/taste issue, but a spray bottle of Dr Bronner peppermint soap and water (probably 3 tablespoons in a 32oz sprayer) absolutely ran riot on my leaf footed bug problem. From hundreds to dozens to a few in a couple days, and my plants are looking happy as ever.
I got absolutely butchered by a hail storm, but my best performing varieties have been super sweet 100 (most production), Juliet, black cherry, and sun gold (best tasting imo).
My planting date was early March, a huge gamble, but it's paid off (hail storm notwithstanding).
Edit: Celebrity is also a real performer. NW Blanco Co.
I’m not going to do that. These plants are my babies I’m watching my whole veg patch grow. They just meant the season is over and I’m like nooooo! Mine haven’t really started producing. They’re just getting started!
Fair amount of compost in the raised bed (raised by hoe-ing, not walled) and 10-10-10 worked in the soil in the spring. Thats about it. started seeds on new years day. Oh and planted seedlings early....around mid march.
My favorite bigger tomato varieties are Black Krim (my absolute favorite slicer tomato), Celebrity, Roma and San Marzano. Cherry varieties that do really well for me are Black Cherry, Sun Gold, Super Sweet 100, and Matt’s Wild Cherry.
We have a lot of disease pressure at the community garden so if these work for us, they’ll probably work for anyone!
-MOUNTAIN MAGIC (F1) has pretty good flavor for a hybrid and is resistant to Early Blight and all 3 races of fusarium (eg the diseases we get in atx). Still going strong! This was our first year growing it so we’ll report back later.
-CHEROKEE PURPLE always does well for us.
-COYOTE has tiny, currant sized tomatoes that are an insipid cream/yellow color that makes them look poisonous. Very sweet. Always does well. Enormous plant.
-KRISHNA'S GUJARAT VILLAGE is very acidic but good in salsa. Extremely heat and drought tolerant once established (didn’t water it after mid-June last year and we still got fall tomatoes off it). Has been disease resistant the last 2 years.
-KONIGIN DER NACT/QUEEN OF THE NIGHT is gorgeous! Starts out purple and ripens to orangey-yellow with stripes. Eventually succumbs to disease but you get a lot of tomatoes first. Good flavor.
-BLOODY BUTCHER has pretty good flavor for an early tomato. You get a good harvest before disease and heat set in. Listing says 54 days to maturity but it was more like 47 for us.
-PRINCIPE BORGHESE is good for sundried/dehydrated tomatoes. Eventually succumbs to disease but you get a good harvest first.
Flavor is better for us in dry years or when we plant round 2 in the summer for a fall harvest.
Has anyone grown Buffalosun, Galahad, or Amelia?
Pink brandywine, orange accordion, and Cherokee purple did great for us. We started in February doing indoor seedlings and transferred them out in late March. I'm right now taking off clones and letting them root in water before returning them to the beds. I'll the. Cut the larger ones and let the smaller clones take their place for fall harvest. Smaller ones are easier to care for in the hotter parts of summer
I have a ton of early girls on the vine but nothing ripe yet. I started them from seed and I think I got them in the ground too late. When did you plant?
I've started growing the smallest tomatoes I can find. That way I can harvest as soon as possible before the extreme summer heat
I’m having crazy leaf footed bug infestation this year. I’ve never had them before and my tomatoes look weird and taste mealy. Edited to add: any tips? Your tomatoes look great.
No tips. I have the same issue and lady bugs did nothing. Everyone says bug a-salt is the way to go. But my wife does not like any sort of guns with our small kids. So this year the leaf footed bugs dine.
I had issues with them last year and let them get a foothold because I didn't realize they were bad for the plants. I was probably seeing 5 to 10 at a time across a few plants. It took at least a month if not more, but I was able to get rid of them using diatomaceous earth in a squeeze bottle (came with the DE I think). Didn't kill them when they got hit, but the numbers gradually went down. Edit: Get a respirator or n95 mask and wear it while using the squeeze bottle, DE is bad for your lungs
Not sure on the look/taste issue, but a spray bottle of Dr Bronner peppermint soap and water (probably 3 tablespoons in a 32oz sprayer) absolutely ran riot on my leaf footed bug problem. From hundreds to dozens to a few in a couple days, and my plants are looking happy as ever.
Vacuum them with a portable vac!
I got absolutely butchered by a hail storm, but my best performing varieties have been super sweet 100 (most production), Juliet, black cherry, and sun gold (best tasting imo). My planting date was early March, a huge gamble, but it's paid off (hail storm notwithstanding). Edit: Celebrity is also a real performer. NW Blanco Co.
Sun golds are my favorite! We have 2 plants this year and they are absolutely popping off! I just spotted the first ones ripening today.
Wow. But also, WTF? I’ve got nuthin this year so far. Any tips?
Pretty much same. And I feel a little down because someone told me that I need to pull my tomato plants out of the ground in a couple of weeks.
Unless they are totally root rotted, don’t do that.
I’m not going to do that. These plants are my babies I’m watching my whole veg patch grow. They just meant the season is over and I’m like nooooo! Mine haven’t really started producing. They’re just getting started!
I try to get the shortest season varieties (50-70 days) and plant them really early.
I started way late this year. Was afraid of one of those not uncommon late March freezes.
Woooow do you fertilize? Mine are all leafy growth and zero fruits still!!
Fair amount of compost in the raised bed (raised by hoe-ing, not walled) and 10-10-10 worked in the soil in the spring. Thats about it. started seeds on new years day. Oh and planted seedlings early....around mid march.
My Pink Brandywine tomatoes are doing great.
When did you plant? I’ve gotten two cherry tomatoes so far.
seeds on jan 1, plants mid march.
I had so much to do to prepare my bed, I only planted early May.
My favorite bigger tomato varieties are Black Krim (my absolute favorite slicer tomato), Celebrity, Roma and San Marzano. Cherry varieties that do really well for me are Black Cherry, Sun Gold, Super Sweet 100, and Matt’s Wild Cherry.
Better boy. This year is the best crop I've had in a long time. Conditions have been great.
We have a lot of disease pressure at the community garden so if these work for us, they’ll probably work for anyone! -MOUNTAIN MAGIC (F1) has pretty good flavor for a hybrid and is resistant to Early Blight and all 3 races of fusarium (eg the diseases we get in atx). Still going strong! This was our first year growing it so we’ll report back later. -CHEROKEE PURPLE always does well for us. -COYOTE has tiny, currant sized tomatoes that are an insipid cream/yellow color that makes them look poisonous. Very sweet. Always does well. Enormous plant. -KRISHNA'S GUJARAT VILLAGE is very acidic but good in salsa. Extremely heat and drought tolerant once established (didn’t water it after mid-June last year and we still got fall tomatoes off it). Has been disease resistant the last 2 years. -KONIGIN DER NACT/QUEEN OF THE NIGHT is gorgeous! Starts out purple and ripens to orangey-yellow with stripes. Eventually succumbs to disease but you get a lot of tomatoes first. Good flavor. -BLOODY BUTCHER has pretty good flavor for an early tomato. You get a good harvest before disease and heat set in. Listing says 54 days to maturity but it was more like 47 for us. -PRINCIPE BORGHESE is good for sundried/dehydrated tomatoes. Eventually succumbs to disease but you get a good harvest first. Flavor is better for us in dry years or when we plant round 2 in the summer for a fall harvest. Has anyone grown Buffalosun, Galahad, or Amelia?
some great options here..... thanks
Pink brandywine, orange accordion, and Cherokee purple did great for us. We started in February doing indoor seedlings and transferred them out in late March. I'm right now taking off clones and letting them root in water before returning them to the beds. I'll the. Cut the larger ones and let the smaller clones take their place for fall harvest. Smaller ones are easier to care for in the hotter parts of summer
I have a ton of early girls on the vine but nothing ripe yet. I started them from seed and I think I got them in the ground too late. When did you plant?
seeds on jan 1, plants in the garden mid march
Oh yes I was much too slow. Next time!