Gardener's Blue Ribbon® Tomato Care & Cage Kit

This convenient kits includes (1) Gardener’s Blue Ribbon® Ultomato Tomato Plant Cage and (1) 8 oz. container of Safer® Brand Caterpillar Killer w/B.t. Garden Dust.

After your seedlings begin to grow larger, you will need this kit to ensure that the tomato plant is supported.  The Caterpiller Dust will ensure that none of the pests will be able to eat your tomatoes this year!  It is OMRI® Listed for use in Organic Gardens, and perfectly safe for family and pets!

Gardener’s Blue Ribbon® Ultomato Tomato Plant Cage (Model #TMC60)

We specially designed this plant cage for growing tomato plants. Each cage is comprised of three 5' heavy-duty Sturdy Stakes and nine fully-adjustable support clips for continuous support throughout the plant's growth. The stakes of this cage have a strong steel core and tough, thick plastic coating. The coating is a dark green so that it blends nicely with your scenery!

Safer® Brand Caterpillar Killer w/B.t. Garden Dust (Model #5162)

This pest control product is very effective in killing caterpillars and worms, including corn earworm, bollworm, armyworm, diamondback moth, green cloverworm, hornworms, loopers, melonworm, pickleworm, tomato fruitworm, tobacco budworm, salt marsh caterpillar, mimosa webworm, and imported cabbageworm!

The Safer® Brand Garden Dust with B.t. utilizes bacillus thuringiensis (var. kurstaki) which, once ingested by the wayward pest, kills them within a few days.

It is recommended that this product be applied late in the afternoon or on cloudy days since B.t. breaks down in the sunlight.

When the B.t. is ingested by the worm, it works as a gut rot poison that makes the worm stop feeding.  The caterpillar or worm will stop feeding immediately and die within days of malnutrition.

Carefully read and follow all directions on the product's label.  B.T. is very specific and only works on caterpillars and leaf feeding worms. 

It will not harm beneficial insects, children, pets or wildlife.

It is recommended with any pesticide to test plants for sensitivity to the product.  Spray a small section of the plant in an inconspicuous area and wait 24 hours before full coverage.

Application Rates:

Apply Safer Brand Garden Dust when pests are first noticed and repeat every 7-10 days or as necessary. Caterpillar egg hatch can occur over an extended period of time. Monitor treated areas for the prescence of newly hatched pests and retreat if necessary. Thorough leaf coverage is necessary for effective control. After ingesting a treated portion of the leaf, caterpillars stop feeding in a few hours and death occurs in a few days. Apply at a rate of 2 to 3 ounces per 50 feet of row planting.

Safer® Brand is the leader in alternative lawn and garden products. Safer® Brand recognizes the growing demand by consumers for these products, offering a wide variety of natural and organic solutions for lawn, garden, landscape, flowers, houseplants, insects and more!

Gardener's Blue Ribbon® Tomato Care & Cage Kit - Specifications

Product Features:

• Dust kills armyworm, diamondback moth, green cloverworm, hornworm, imported cabbageworm, looper, melonworm, pickleworm, mimosa webworm, salt marsh, caterpillar, corn earworm, bollworm, tobacco budworm, dewberries, grape leaffolder/leafroller, grapeleaf skeletonizer, salt marsh caterpillar, omnivorous leaf roller, ello moth, io moth, oleander moth.
• Tomato Plant Cage is designed specifically for growing tomato plants and other climbing fruits & vegetables, giving continuous support throughout the plant's growth. Convenient to store and can be used for many growing seasons.

What's in the Box:

• 1 bottle Safer® Brand Caterpillar Killer w/B.t. Garden Dust (Model #5162)
• 1 Gardener’s Blue Ribbon® Ultomato Tomato Plant Cage (Model #TMC60) - Includes:

     (3) 5' stakes

     (9) support clips

Specifications:

• 8 oz dust, RTU powder and granular contains bacillus thuringiensis (.4365%)
• (3) 5-foot heavy-duty sturdy strong steel core stakes and (9) fully-adjustable support clips are green in color to blend with scenery. Covered with tough, thick plastic coating.

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  ultimate tomato cage are AWESOME! July 21, 2011

These tomato cages are the best cage I have ever used in my life. At first I thought that these were flimsy and would never hold up. These cages are holding up to even the biggest tomato on the market (BRANDYWINE) and not falling over. I love the flexibility of being able to readjust the connectors. You just pop one out and pull your tomato branch with ease, then pop it back into place. It eliminates the old constant tying the tomato to the stake. This product is simply remarkable to the point I want to share it with every gardener I know. When season is over, you just snap apart to tear down and doesn't require large storage for the winter. This is the best product you can ever buy if you love tomatoes like I do.

  Review Posted on HomeDepot.com June 25, 2011

We tried a preparation containing bacillus thuringienesis (Bt) 10-15 years ago to kill grubs in the lawn. It was a failure. I later read that manufacturers were shipping dead preparations. (Bt is a family of bacteria living naturally in soil. The bacteria in the preparation must be live to be useful.)
Now (June 2011) we had cabbage worms eating the leaves of our young Brussels sprout plants. Extension services recommended Bt, so we bought this product. It worked! The directions are not very thorough, but the package is a very effective dust sprayer. Shake the package, aim the orifice and give the bottle a good steady squeeze and you get a nice dust spray. Focus on the new buds. Our plants are doing fine without worm damage in the new growth a week after treatment.

All About Growing Tomatoes

Growing tomatoes can be a fun and rewarding activity.  As seedlings are planted in the spring, gardeners are often already dreaming of those plump, juicy tomatoes fresh from the garden all summer long.

Safer® Brand provides the know-how and great tips for growing delicious tomatoes.  Growing tomatoes organically with these instructions and tips means your family can enjoy them without worry in sandwiches, sauces and all kinds of great recipes! Happy growing!

Read more about growing tomatoes and watch a video by Master Gardener William Moss on "How to Grow Tomatoes".  More»

Pest and Disease Control of Tomatoes

What's Bugging your Tomatoes?

Are there holes in the leaves of your plants or tiny little creatures on the leaves and stem? Maybe you can even see big beetles resting on the leaves and eating them?  For insect troubles, use Safer® Brand Tomato & Vegetable Insect Killer. It is the only OMRI listed® pesticide with the dual action of soap and organic pyrethrin.

If you fear your trouble is with leaf feeding worms or caterpillars, try a more targeted approach… Garden Dust and Caterpillar Killer (liquid concentrate) are Safer® Brand’s OMRI listed products with Bt. (Bacillus thuringensis var. Kurstaki) which targets these species and will not harm beneficial insects including earth worms.

Common Tomato Diseases

Blossom End Rot - Irregular watering or not enough calcium or nutrients in the soil can lead to blossom end rot which is the brown spots at the bottom of the tomato plants which leaves them inedible. Also tomatoes that touch or grow in the soil will likely develop this issue.  It is not a disease, rather a physiological disorder. Mulching, regular watering, and fertilization will eliminate or at least reduce this issue. Have your soil tested for calcium deficiency if it continues to be a problem.

Leaf Spot – (Early Blight, Late Blight and Septoria Leaf Spot) Leaf Spot diseases for tomatoes show as dark brown spots with dark concentric rings on the leaves.

Fruit Rot – (Anthracnose, Early Blight and Late Blight) Fruit rot shows on the fruit of the plant and develop as early rotting fruit on the vine.  They typically occur when the fruit touches the soil.

Management of Diseases - Follow the watering practices and select a well location with good air circulation to help prevent these diseases but if they occur, use Safer® Brand Garden Fungicide. It is an OMRI listed® sulfur based fungicide that can be used up to the day of harvest on tomatoes and other vegetables.  (Just wash your veggies as you normally would before eating)  It will kill the disease on contact and prevent additional outbreaks of the disease for about 30 days by changing the pH of the plant so the disease can not thrive.

When leaf spot is present, remove the damaged leaves from the plants but do not remove more than 30% of the plants leaves at a time. If the problem is attacking more than 30% of the leaves, remove only up to 30% of the worst affect leaves, spray garden fungicide and repeat the process in about 10 days.

Important!  When using any pesticide products test the plant for sensitivity in a small area and wait 24 hours to make sure the plant is unharmed before using the product on the full plant.

content courtesy of Penn State College of Agricultural Science & Master Gardener Prgraom.
For a complete list of content sources please visit our site bibliography page

Why Organic?

The benefits of going organic in your lawn and garden are exponential!  In addition to helping improve the environment and decreasing the chances of accelerated disease in your family, going organic can provide mental and physical benefits, long-term money-savings, and increased vitamin and mineral content in your soil, among other things.

Learn more:

Benefits of Going Organic

Organic gardening provides for intense, realistic flavors in your food, and higher vitamin and mineral content than in conventionally produced foods. Organic Gardening: It's good for the environment and healthier for you and your family!

Organic vs. Natural - How to Read Labels

In the world of pesticides and repellents the words "organic" and "natural" are often mistakenly used to replace one another. Understanding product labels and certifications can help clear up the confusion.

Organic Pest Control - Different Ingredients Work for Different Insects

Nature has strategies to deal with insect pests without the use of synthetic chemicals. These strategies include organic pesticides as well as mechanical methods such as using traps, using beneficial bugs, and simply handpicking the pests, etc.

Expert Tips for a Beautiful Garden Full of Tomatoes!

Gardening can be a very rewarding and healthy undertaking. By using organic products and methods, plants grow better, insect pests can be controlled, plant diseases can be eliminated, and lush harvests can be enjoyed!

Learn More:

Tomato Maintenance

Mulch & Weed Control

Add mulch to the area around your planted tomatoes to reduce weeds, and keep moisture and nutrients in the soil. Adding Concern® Weed Prevention Plus® to the soil when planting will further prevent weeds from germinating.

Preventing weeds is important because weeds can rob the tomatoes of moisture, light and nutrients. Weeds can also harbor insect pests and disease.  If weeds are a problem in your garden, try Safer® Brand Fast Acting Weed & Grass Killer. It is an organic herbicidal soap that knocks down weeds within hours and only kills what you spray it on. It won’t move through the soil to the plant and it can be used up to the day of harvest around tomato plants and other vegetables.

Watering

Water tomato plants very regularly and keep the soil moist.  Irregular watering can lead to cat facing which is when a tomato has a crack down the center of it.  A cat-faced tomato can still be eaten but isn’t as attractive.

Water tomato plants in the morning so the moisture can dry during the day. If you must water in the evening, make sure to water at least 2 hours before the sun goes down to prevent very damp conditions during the night hours.  Damp conditions overnight can lead to fungal issues. 

Water tomatoes at the stem and in the surrounding soil. Do not water the full plant and leaves as only the roots need the water to thrive. Watering the leaves may also lead to fungal disease problems.

Harvesting

Harvest Tomatoes when they are fully ripe for best flavor and nutrition. If there is a great concern about critters eating the fruit of your labor before you get a chance to, try our sister product – Havahart® Critter Ridder® to keep the animals away. It is also OMRI Listed® and won’t harm the animals….

Also, harvesting a tomato just before it is fully red can keep critters away too.  Let the tomato ripen fully on your window sill inside before eating.

content courtesy of Penn State College of Agricultural Science & Master Gardener Prgraom.
For a complete list of content sources please visit our site bibliography page

FAQs About Insects in Your Tomato Garden

Q:  My plant leaves look chewed!  Do you know what type of insect might do that?

A:  Insects that have the ability to chew plants must have special cutters in their mouths
     for this purpose.  Such insects may include caterpillars, beetles, and grasshoppers,
     for example.

Q:  If I use a floating row cover, how will bees and other pollinating insects reach the plants?

A:  They won’t be able to so you will need to pollinate them yourself by hand.  Check with your local
     garden center or farm supply store to find out how to hand pollinate them.  You may want to
     remove the row covers during times of insect pollination.

Q:  How do I know if my plant is being attacked by an insect or a disease?

A:  If it’s an insect, the plant may have holes in its leaves.  Turn the leaves over and you may see the
     insects themselves clustered on the underside of the leaves.  You may also see and feel a sticky
     substance if it’s an insect because the insect will leave a secretion on the plant.

Q:  I have really big larvae in my garden, and my neighbor says they are Tomato
     Hornworms.  They are attacking my tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.   How do
     I get rid of them?

A:  B.t. (Bacillus Thuringiensis) is an excellent way to get rid of them without harming
     beneficial bugs.  It actually works on most caterpillars.  When the worm ingests the
     B.t., it works as a gut rot poison that makes the worm stop feeding.  The tomato
     hornworm will stop feeding immediately and die within days. 

Images courtesy of Oklahoma State University and Forestry Images.
For a complete list of content sources please visit our site bibliography page