JackiMac
May 29th, 2006, 12:03 PM
I have one tomato plant that has been putting out
some flowers...on Wed. I found one flower on the dirt with the stem cut
clean...no chewing or visible tear. Fri. AM I found another right next
to it and as of this AM (Monday) ALL the flowers that had bloomed (6) have been cut off. The flower and about 1/4 to half of the stem are gone. Now, at first I thought my 5 yr old just got too close and broke the first flower, but he hasn't been out on the back deck since Thursday. With dropped flowers that is all that drops not a small part of the stem as well...or so I've noticed. No evidence of bugs,hornworms, no slugs, no cutworms(these would take the WHOLE plant wouldn't they??)...any idea?? This is just too odd...am I missing identifying some other critter or problem? CAN blossom drop happen and take a small part of the stem?
Someone on another forum said they had seen this problem before...about 10 years ago with his tomato plants and now can't remember what the buggy is called...he suggested the twig pruner but those don't cut and then leave just the flower and a bit of stem and they don't seem to infect veggies...mostly tree's have this bug.
The flower is not eaten...it's left laying in the dirt under the plant and the stem left on it seems to have a clean cut...no chewing at all anywhere.
I'm stumped :(
some flowers...on Wed. I found one flower on the dirt with the stem cut
clean...no chewing or visible tear. Fri. AM I found another right next
to it and as of this AM (Monday) ALL the flowers that had bloomed (6) have been cut off. The flower and about 1/4 to half of the stem are gone. Now, at first I thought my 5 yr old just got too close and broke the first flower, but he hasn't been out on the back deck since Thursday. With dropped flowers that is all that drops not a small part of the stem as well...or so I've noticed. No evidence of bugs,hornworms, no slugs, no cutworms(these would take the WHOLE plant wouldn't they??)...any idea?? This is just too odd...am I missing identifying some other critter or problem? CAN blossom drop happen and take a small part of the stem?
Someone on another forum said they had seen this problem before...about 10 years ago with his tomato plants and now can't remember what the buggy is called...he suggested the twig pruner but those don't cut and then leave just the flower and a bit of stem and they don't seem to infect veggies...mostly tree's have this bug.
The flower is not eaten...it's left laying in the dirt under the plant and the stem left on it seems to have a clean cut...no chewing at all anywhere.
I'm stumped :(