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taraleighinkv

I was so excited...

TaraLeighInKV
10 years ago

I thought I had been doing a good job of checking my tomatoes for them to start blushing, but also for pests. I really want that first ripe tomato... and this evening I spotted one that was a little less green from the back porch. I rushed over, so excited since I read they will finish turning in the house, to find that something had eaten two big holes on either side. I'm sure it was a caterpillar since there was nasty poop in the hole.

So I went on the hunt, and found a tiny hornworm eating one of my Cherokee Purple tomatoes, and another 4 of various sizes on other types of tomatoes plants. I didn't kill them, but I made hubby take them down in the woods and do what he will. He let them go so they will either find something else to eat, or not. I love the moths, but I like my tomatoes more. I plan to plant some datura and nicotiana for them next year, but I don't have anywhere I'm willing to let them eat this year. I did find a ant mimic spider making a meal of a tiny hornworm off my pepper plants, so I'm getting some help. Gotta love nature.

This post was edited by TaraLeighInKV on Mon, Jun 24, 13 at 22:36

Comments (5)

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    10 years ago

    Taraleigh,

    What a disappointment!

    It happens though. Remember that there are plenty of pests that seem to enjoy tomatoes as much as we do and some years it takes a lot of effort to protect the fruit from the hordes of pests that want it.

    If hornworms become too much of a problem, you can spray the plants with a caterpillar killer called Bt. After they ingest it, they stop feeding and die within a day or so.

    While it is nice to be able to peacefully coexist with the tomato hornworms if possible, the primary reason you grow tomato plants is to be able to harvest tomatoes for your family to eat and that has to be your first priority. Tomato and tobacco hornworms are common, so it isn't as if you owe them protection as an endangered species, you know. While I like to watch the moths and have grown other plants that I can move hornworms to, I wouldn't hesitate to spray my tomato plants with Bt if that was what I had to do to protect the crop. The Bt is a bioinsecticide that only kills caterpillars, but be careful that you do not spray it on nearby flowers that would attract butterflies. Spray it only on the edible plants you need to protect from the hornworms.

    I'm going to link an image of one such product so you know what to look for at the store if you choose to purchase it and use it. You normally can find these at big box stores that have garden centers, nurseries or farm supply stores.

    Dawn

    Here is a link that might be useful: Example of a Bt Product

  • TaraLeighInKV
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I'm going to go ahead and get some of that, just in case I can't keep up with handpicking them. We only have 30 tomato plants, and a husband and son who check them daily, so hopefully we can stay on top of it. I actually looked up the datura and nicotiana and they are beautiful. Are they perennial, or do they have to be planted each year as well?

    My tomatoes, despite the disappointment, are actually doing better than anything else in my garden. The grasshoppers are out of control, they stripped my Cherokee Trail of Tear Bean, along with all the others that I had started, the pepper plants look like swiss cheese or are tiny little nubs, and the peach tree has peaches that have been eaten down to the stone. They are all huge. I read your advice that most of the controls are most effective on small hoppers... so we put out traps (haven't caught any yet), and my husband has been on patrol with the hand vac and flyswatter. Short term gains, I know, but it felt good. Next year, I start early with grasshopper control.

    Thanks for the help and encouragement!

  • Erod1
    10 years ago

    Tara,

    I woke up this morning to the exact same thing. I searched every plant high and low and cant find a single worm!

    Emma

  • TaraLeighInKV
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I found 3 more this morning. What worked best for me was to look for branches missing leaves and look under those, or piles of black pellets (poop, yuck) and look above that. Some of them were very tiny. I started feeding them to the garden spiders. I felt bad, but I'd rather feed the spiders than squish the hornworms. I did pardon one, the biggest one, to bring in the house to raise for my son. I figure with the trimming I need to do on my tomatoes for air circulation, I'll get enough to feed the guy. Plus my dad really overwaters his tomatoes, so I have lots of trimming to do over there as well.

    I also read that fruitworms will get the fruit and leave the plants alone, I think. So as yucky as it sounds, maybe it's in the fruit?

    So frustrating, but I do have Black Cherries turning, so I have been bringing them in the house as soon as they start to blush so I can have them instead of the pests.

    Hope you find the culprit!

    Taraleigh

  • Erod1
    10 years ago

    I went and looked again and found a few teensy weensy maybe 1/4 inch blackish worms on 2 plants. I squashed them. I did find a big poop right under the tomato that was half eaten, i wonder if the worm was still in it when i picked it and threw it in the woods. Nevertheless, im going to dust with Sevin.

    I have another dilemma. 2 of my plants have really bad blossom drop while the rest are setting fruit. They are heirloom beefsteaks. We had a bit of a cool front move in today and i know it wont last longer than today, but i went out and shook the plants a few times. I dont know if one days coolness will get me some pollinated flowers or not but its worth a shot.

    I just dont know why only 2 plants wont set fruit when the others continue to do so....

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