Japanese beetles can be harmful to your tomato plants, and you can be in a helpless situation if they cause damage. In order to protect your tomato plants from Japanese beetles, you must follow these 4 useful tips, which I recently used to get rid of them.
Japanese beetles are a common pest that infects your garden and lawn. They live off of chomping on different plant leaves, fruits, flowers, and so on. This may include tomatoes and eggplants, as well as your favorite rose bushes. Although they are not known to spread any infection or diseases to the plants, they can still ruin your garden.
Not knowing what to do when Japanese beetles attack your garden can be very frustrating. Similarly, when no home remedy seems to work for you, your garden and lawn can fall into serious destruction.
So, gardeners and homeowners need to know more about Japanese beetles and their infestation. In this article, we will elaborate more on this topic.
Will Japanese Beetles Eat Your Tomato Plants?
Yes, Japanese beetles will eat your tomato plants. They might also attack your tomatoes. These beetles are known for chomping on almost anything that they find in the garden. Starting from your hard-cultivated vegetables to elegant flower bushes, all are eating grounds for the Japanese beetles.
So, it is safe to assume that, yes, Japanese beetles will eat your tomato plants. Tomatoes are a popular fruit and, according to culinary terms, vegetable, to grow in your garden.
Growing beautiful, ripe tomatoes may take a lot of time and care. Tomato plants are vines that can give you beautiful leaves and tomatoes with little effort. So, when Japanese beetles attack them, your time and effort spent on the plant can go to waste.
When Japanese beetles attack your tomato plants, they eat different parts of the plant. Arguably, tomato plants are their favorite feeding ground. Adult Japanese beetles eat the leaves of tomato plants.
Usually, they target the area between the veins of the leaves. Ultimately, Japanese beetles spread throughout the tomato plant.
The infestation of Japanese beetles can be frustrating for homeowners. especially for farmers and gardeners when Japanese beetles spread across their farming land.
As tomato plants are a popular infestation ground for Japanese beetles, the whole tomato cultivation could soon be in jeopardy. Hence, you must remain cautious about Japanese beetles and their infestation.
What Happens When Japanese Beetles Eat Tomato Plants
Many homeowners and gardeners wonder if Japanese beetles eat tomato plants. So, what happens if they eat the plants?
As we already know, Japanese beetles love to eat the leaves of tomato plants. They attack the veins of the leaves. As a result, they create several unhealthy brown patches on the leaves. This can severely damage the whole plant.
When adult Japanese beetles attack your tomato plants, you will notice a lace-like pattern on the leaves. This happens because the beetles feed on the tissue that lies between major leaf veins.
As a result, they end up skeletonizing the tomato leaves. This damages the structure and health of the leaf. In the end, they may turn brown and fall off. At the same time, Japanese beetle grubs mostly attack the roots.
So, the ability of the tomato plant to take enough water and nutrients from the soil faces disruption. Many times, serious damage to the root can cause the plant to fall off. Your tomato plants will struggle to develop or sustain themselves when too many grubs attack their roots.
The damage caused by Japanese beetles on your yard, garden, and lawn can go as far as hindering their sustenance.
Especially if the infestation is too large, you will need to call in professionals to help you get rid of them. Tomato plants are herbs.
That is, they have soft and fragile stems. So, Japanese beetles can easily attack the leaves, resulting in the plant dying.
How To Get Rid of Japanese Beetles from Your Tomato Plants?
Japanese beetles can be dangerous to your garden and lawn. You must get rid of them as soon as you can. Even if the infestation is small at first, it can very soon take over your garden.
So, taking action early on can save your garden and your favorite tomato plants. Here are some ways you can use to get rid of Japanese beetles from your tomato plants.
1. Using Neem Oil
Neem oil is one of the best natural remedies for Japanese beetle attacks in your garden. If you want to avoid using harsh chemicals on your plants, then you can choose this option. To effectively get rid of Japanese beetles from your tomato plants, mix commercial oil with water. Use a 1:1 ratio when you are combining the two ingredients.
Pour the mixture into your garden sprayer. You will have to spray all over the plant, including the roots and the grown tomatoes.
It is best to spray the tomato trees before the last frost in winter. Also, you will have to spray several times for the method to be effective. This will destroy Japanese beetle eggs and repel the adult beetles.
2. Planting Garlic or Germanium Nearby
Planting garlic is another natural way to get rid of Japanese beetles. These beetles cannot withstand the smell of garlic. So, when you plant garlic adjacent to your tomato plants, the smell of garlic will repel them. This will save your tomato plants from further damage.
Similarly, planting germanium nearby can act as a trap. That is why they are also called “trap plants” by Japanese beetles. These beetles prefer eating geranium plants instead of tomato plants.
After eating it, they will most likely drop dead. This allows you to safeguard your tomato plants. At the same time, you can kill the beetles without breaking a sweat.
3. Applying Organic Pesticide
Suppose the Japanese beetle attack in your garden is severe. In such cases, simple natural remedies will fall short. To get rid of such a vast number of beetles, you will have to use some sort of pesticide on them. Otherwise, your plants, flowers, and lawn, in general, may get destroyed for good. Organic pesticides can come in handy to save you in such cases.
The best part about organic pesticides is that they can yield successful results without causing much environmental damage. Moreover, you can also make your own organic pesticide at home. Spraying organic pesticides in the morning and evening can help you get rid of Japanese beetles. Thus, you will be able to save your tomato plants.
4. Aerate The Lawn
Often, the best way to make sure Japanese beetles don’t attack your tomato plants is to prevent their spread in the first place.
To achieve that, the best way is to aerate the lawn. In this way, you will be able to kill the beetles while they are grubs. So, they will not grow into adults to attack your tomato plants. At the same time, the laid eggs of Japanese beetles will not be able to mature further.
Make sure to aerate the lawn in the fall. This can kill the beetle grubs that feed on the grass or soil. However, if no remedy seems to work for you, make sure you get professional help in your garden.
Conclusion
The invasion of Japanese beetles on your lawn, farmland, and garden can cause a lot of trouble. Here, I’ve provided helpful info for getting rid of them. If you find yourself in this situation, you can quickly escape and save your tomato plants.
Sources:
https://ask2.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=417525
https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/japanese-beetles
https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/control-japanese-beetles/5163.html
https://thegardeningdad.com/proven-ways-to-get-rid-of-japanese-beetles-on-tomatoes/