Quote:
Originally Posted by GoDawgs
I appreciate the heads up, Bill. I've just checked all the tomatoes and no spider mites. I can't remember ever having any problem with them but it sure pays to keep an eye out for them.
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If you are getting the very dry weather and the 100 degree days with no rain like we have been having now for nearly two months you will start seeing them. First indication will be some slight stippling of some leaves usually above the half way height up the plant. The leaves may look a bit dry or faded before any mites can be even seen and webs follow along later once they get really multiplying fast. Now that I am older I find spotting them a bit harder as the eyes aren't nearly as sharp as they used to be. The signs usually start out very slowly and the damage starts out very gradually unless you really get a massive invasion of them. I have only had that happen a couple of times and it is frightening how fast they can ruin tomatoes when that happens.
When I first started growing tomatoes and spider mites hit in very hot dry weather I just assumed the tomatoes couldn't handle the heat and drought even though I was watering them. I just thought they were dying of natural causes and I guess in a way they were. I have always had so many things available to destroy my tomatoes that the subtlety of spider mites took a while to catch on to. Fusarium and RKN are very direct in their destruction of tomato plants and for decades they were the main things I had to worry about. I guess the damage they did just beat the spider mites to the punch most of the time; but now that I am grafting and have plants healthier for far longer the damage of spider mites during hot dry weather is one of the regular battles I have to wage to keep my plants going.
Maybe you will luck up and not have a problem with them this year. I had no problems with them last year and they don't always show up. I think they come blowing in on the wind but I have no real clue where they come from; only that they like it hot and dry. The dry part is not usually a problem til the end of summer or early fall but this year has been unusually dry and so I was watching for them.
Bill