Question From:
jim wallin in rodingham, perth WA
Nature of problem:
hi, i grow a varriaty of veg. my question concerns my tomatoes,i grow ox heart plus joy and grosse liss.in recent years my plants have tended to die off well before they should. both the bottom leaves and the tip branches along with leaves,flowers and fruit, are dieing off.the amount and quaulity of the fruit has suffered accordingly.i have problems with green veg. bug, and eggfruit moth in my garden,these cause damage to plants &fruit.or are there other causea i should look for?
Type of Plant (if known):
tomatoes
Symptoms of Plant Illness (please try NOT to diagnose your problems yourself):
leaves and upper stems dieing off prematuraly
Soil Type (e.g. sandy, clay or loam) OR Potting Mix Type:
coastal
How often do you water the plant:
at least every other day
How many hours of sunlight does the plant get each day:
6-8
What type of plant is it:
tomato
How long since you planted it:
october 2015
Have you fertilised? If so, with what and when:
cow manure, blood &bone plus granulated
Is the plant indoors or outdoors:
outdoors
Is the plant in a pot or in the ground:
ground
What other treatments have you given the plant:
i spray with yates success
Upload photo if available:
Other Comments:
could you please advise on best control of green veg. bug and eggfruit grub/moth
Answer: Hi Jim, In the coastal sandplains of WA, the soils are rather poor in nutrients especially micronutrients (AKA trace elements). These elements drive the immune sytems of plants – so your problems are caused by poor nutrition of the plants. The better that you treat your soils, the less problems you will have. Use lots of animal manures, composts and mulch woth either lucerne hay or pea straw. If you use artificial fertilisers, use only those with added trace elements, such as Tomato food, citrus food or rose food. Or you can buy small bags of trace elements. Use wetting agents on the soil every 6 m,onths. Rotate all crops each year: rotate tomatoes with lettuce, beans, cabbages or silverbeet. Remove all tomato leaves below about 40cm as the plants grow to avoid splashes of soil-borne diseases. Maybe suck off the green veg bugs with the vacuum cleaner and spray all caterpillars with Yates Success. Good luck, Don
