Check regularly for disease and insects and ensure plants have enough moisture and nutrients. Dr. James Jarratt, entomologist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the threat of cutworms is past for most gardeners as their tomatoes have been in the ground more than three weeks. Those who planted late should watch for plants cut off at ground level, a sure sign of cutworms. To protect the plants, spray or dust the rows with Sevin. A natural remedy is to put collars of aluminum foil around the base of the plants.
Aphids are tiny insects with a green to reddish tint found on the main stem of the tomato plant.
They pierce the stalk and feed on the sap that contains the plant's nutrients. Treat by spraying with the appropriate solution of Malathion or Thiodan. A soap solution of 2 tablespoons of liquid dish detergent to 1 gallon of water has the same affect. Jarratt said stink bugs are common, late season pests that damage the tomato fruit. A tomato punctured by a stink bug often ends up deformed with a white spot on the outside and a hard inner core.