We quickly deal with the discovered problem of tomatoes: holes have appeared in the tomatoes - what to do and how to save your harvest

The goal of any vegetable grower is to grow a rich harvest. To obtain tasty and large fruits, summer residents follow crop rotation and the rules of agricultural technology, diligently water, fertilize and weed the beds. However, all the work may be in vain due to pests and diseases that affect tomatoes.

In this article we will figure out what to do if holes have formed in tomatoes: possible causes and the most effective methods of control and prevention.

Why holes may appear in tomatoes

The most common reason for fruit spoilage is the activity of cutworm caterpillars. However, tomatoes can also suffer from other pests and diseases.

Cutworm caterpillars

The main “eater” of tomatoes is the cutworm, or night bat. This pest is found in all regions of Russia, both in open ground and in greenhouses. The caterpillars can attack more than 120 crops. In one season, 2-4 generations of insects are hatched.

External characteristics of the scoop:

• body length - 1 cm;
• wingspan - up to 3 cm;
• brown color;
• spots on the wings;
• red mustache;
• green eyes.

The insect overwinters in the soil, and butterflies emerge from the pupae in early June. After 3-4 days, pale yellow eggs can be seen on the tomatoes. They can be found on the stem, leaves and fruits. If the air temperature is favorable, the caterpillars hatch on the third day. The development of an individual can take 13-22 days. During this time, the caterpillar manages to damage leaves, flowers and fruits.

The appearance of the cutworm caterpillar on tomatoes occurs during the period of flowering and the formation of the first fruits. If the beds are not treated, insects will harm the plants until October.

Beginning gardeners may wonder whether their tomatoes are actually being spoiled by the cutworm. To identify the pest, you can hang a jar of kvass or jam over the beds overnight. If by morning there are butterflies in the container, you should immediately begin the fight. You can also use light and pheromone traps.

Other pests

Mining moth affects tomatoes in the southern regions. The pest bites into the stem, stalk and ovary. Caterpillars pupate on plant branches. A new generation of butterflies appears within 14 days.

External characteristics of the moth:

• body length - 9 mm;
• light silver color;
• cream colored eggs;
• The caterpillars are green; as they grow older, they change color to red, and a black stripe appears on the back.

An indirect reason for the appearance of holes in the leaves and fruits of tomatoes is the activity of whiteflies. The insect sucks the juice from plants, which provokes the development of diseases.

Tomato diseases

A disease that causes black holes to appear in tomatoes - late blight. This disease is fungal, it actively develops in an environment with high humidity. Its main symptom is blackening of foliage and fruits. First, black spots appear, and at an advanced stage of the disease, rotting holes form on the tomatoes.

What is dangerous for plants

Cotton bollworm caterpillars infect not only leaves and stems, but also fruits. Insects penetrate into tomatoes, which is why they do not ripen and fall off. Damaged fruits that remain on the plant are unsuitable for consumption.

A large number of insects can lead to the loss of the entire crop. During the day, the caterpillars are in the soil; as evening falls, they begin to crawl out in search of food. During the night, one caterpillar can damage up to 20 tomato leaves and several fruits.

Late blight can also cause the death of the entire crop. The causative agent of the disease takes nutrients from plants and affects the fruits. Its course can be rapid.

Holes on the leaves

Young cutworms have a poorly developed gnawing mouthpart, so their diet initially includes only leaves. As the insect grows, its diet also changes: tomato fruits come under attack.

On green tomatoes

If holes appear on green tomatoes, it means that a mining moth or cutworm is operating in the area. These insects eat both green and red tomatoes equally. Once the caterpillar has gnawed a hole, it settles inside the tomato. Affected fruits, regardless of their ripeness, are not suitable for consumption.

Fighting methods

If you spot butterflies, eggs or caterpillars, you need to act immediately. When deciding whether to treat the beds with drugs, be sure to take into account the degree of maturity of the fruit and the number of pests.

How to treat late blight? The spread of the disease can be combated using chemicals, folk remedies and agricultural practices.

Chemical treatment

Pest caterpillars can be removed with drugs such as:

• "Decis";
• "Tsitkor";
• "Zeta";
• "Sherpa";
• "Arrivo";
• "Inta-Vir";
• "Spark";
• "Proteus";
• "Leptocide."

After the first treatment, the procedure must be repeated seven days later. This must be done due to the extended hatching period of the caterpillars.

Important! When spraying with chemicals, take into account the waiting period (disappearance of the drug from the plant tissue).

Biological drugs

During the period of ripening and harvesting, it is necessary to carry out treatment with biological preparations:

• "Bitoxibacillin";
• "Fitoverm";
• "Lepidocide";
• "Agravertine".

Biological agents help get rid of only hatched caterpillars. To destroy the pest, it is enough to carry out 2-3 procedures with a break of seven days.

Important! Chemical and biological drugs are effective in combating young individuals. If insects reach sizes larger than 5 cm, then no means will take them.

In case of late blight, you can treat the beds with the preparations “Fitosporin”, “Zaslon”, “Fundazol”, “Trichopol” and “Barrier”.

Folk remedies

You can fight cutworms and moths with the help of calendula, celery and coriander, which repel insects. These plants are planted around the perimeter of the site.

Spraying with infusion of arrows will help in pest control garlic. Water is poured into a bucket of chopped arrows and the container is placed in a sunny place for seven days. Then the infusion must be filtered and diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. A small amount of ammonium nitrate can be added to 10 liters of solution. Treatment is carried out once every 14 days.

You can also use heads of garlic to prepare the tincture. 200 g of finely chopped garlic are poured into 10 liters of water, the mixture is boiled for an hour, then cooled and filtered. For a better effect, before boiling, you can add 100-200 g of onion peels and 200 g of tobacco dust to it.

Burdock infusion is also used to repel cutworms and moths. The leaves of the plant are crushed and placed in a bucket so that they occupy 1/3 of the container.The bucket is then filled with water and left for three days. The infusion must be strained before use; if desired, you can add liquid or grated soap to it. Treatment with the solution is carried out once every 10 days.

Important! Do not throw away spoiled fruit immediately. Before disposal, they must be cut and the caterpillar killed.

There are a lot of traditional methods against late blight. Most often, spraying solutions with iodine, salt, fermented milk products, a mixture of ash and tobacco, garlic and potassium permanganate are used.

Experienced gardeners use iodine - a product with antimicrobial properties. 20 drops of iodine are added to a bucket of water, the solution is used to spray seedlings.

Agrotechnical techniques

Often pests begin to settle in the area from the weeds. Their eggs can be found on quinoa, ashes, nightshade, sorrel and henbane. These plants should be pulled out in May to deprive the caterpillars of food.

Insects are heat-loving, therefore, by cooling the greenhouse, their numbers can be reduced. To do this, keep the room open for 14 days before planting seedlings. The air temperature should not be higher than 10°C.

Crop rotation helps reduce the risk of pests and diseases. Tomatoes should be planted in a different area every year. You can return to your original bed after 3-4 seasons.

Preventive measures

Prevention of pests and late blight has many common points. It is very simple to protect tomatoes from the formation of holes: just keep your area clean and tidy.

Pest prevention:

• promptly clear the area of ​​weeds to deprive butterflies and caterpillars of food;
• loosen the rows;
• observe the terms of chemical treatment;
• install nets on windows and vents of greenhouses;
• monitor the beds during the period of mass flowering and fruit set;
• at the end of the season, destroy plant debris and dig up the area to a depth of 15 cm;
• Treat the soil and greenhouse with insecticides twice a year.

To prevent late blight, you can spray with a serum-based solution. Lactic bacteria stop the spread of fungal spores, protecting the plant from development illnesses. The procedure is carried out once every seven days.

Measures against late blight:

• purchase seeds from trusted producers;
• ventilate regularly greenhouse or greenhouse;
• carry out pre-planting treatment of beds and seeds;
• in case of sudden temperature changes, cover the soil with agrofibre;
• control the level of air and soil humidity;
• water plant at the root, without splashing moisture;
• regularly disinfect the soil, garden tools and premises structures;
• observe crop rotation.

Advice from experienced summer residents

Vegetable growers often face the problem of holes forming in tomatoes. There are several tricks that can be used in addition to prevention and basic control methods:

1. Plants should not be planted close to each other. There should be a distance of 70 cm between seedlings. Thickened beds interfere with free air circulation, which leads to the development of diseases, and if pests appear, there is a high chance of losing absolutely the entire harvest.
2. It is necessary to regularly check the leaves - this simple measure will allow you to identify insects and diseases in time. It is worth paying attention to the lower leaves.
3. A good measure against pests is to add insecticide granules to the soil.
4. It is not necessary to use special preparations to combat insects.Moths can be caught using baits, and caterpillars can simply be shaken off the bush.

Conclusion

To ensure that your efforts in growing tomatoes are not wasted, do not neglect preventive measures. If holes begin to form on the tomatoes, take immediate action: determine the cause of damage to the leaves or fruits and begin to fight it.

Getting rid of pests is quite difficult. When deciding to treat the beds with chemicals, first assess the damage caused and the number of insects. In most cases, you can drive away caterpillars using traditional methods - they are effective and safer for plants. If the problem of tomatoes spoilage lies in late blight, begin processing them immediately.