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And just like that, I woke up to my garden decimated by tomato hornworms. Never had that happen before. I did one last quick harvest of what was left. Those are big ugly fascinating creatures. Can't believe how quickly they showed up and destroyed my tomato plants. All I have left are 2 jalapenos and 2 red pepper plants. Not sure how well they'll do now.
And just like that, I woke up to my garden decimated by tomato hornworms. Never had that happen before. I did one last quick harvest of what was left. Those are big ugly fascinating creatures. Can't believe how quickly they showed up and destroyed my tomato plants. All I have left are 2 jalapenos and 2 red pepper plants. Not sure how well they'll do now.
I keep seeing the adorable moths that come from them, so I sprayed last night, and will send DH out with a black light tonight to find them.
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My wife has pulled up 6 of her 10 tomato plants. They have stopped producing or the tomatoes stopped ripening. She has been watering them every morning, but it has been 100+ degrees each day for over a week.
I keep seeing the adorable moths that come from them, so I sprayed last night, and will send DH out with a black light tonight to find them.
I need to learn more about these creatures - they turn into moths? After my husband sprayed I went out later and I can't find any evidence of them ever being there. And literally, I swear there were at least a hundred day before yesterday. I have no idea how they appeared so quickly either.
I need to learn more about these creatures - they turn into moths? After my husband sprayed I went out later and I can't find any evidence of them ever being there. And literally, I swear there were at least a hundred day before yesterday. I have no idea how they appeared so quickly either.
They are adorable, they look kinda like tiny hummingbirds when they are flying.
I'm just learning too, but I check my garden in the morning and evening. If you see a bare branch, or little coffee ground like stuff on the plant find them immediately, cause as you found out, they can wipe out a lot of plant in a short time. I spray with thuricide regularly before I see any.
If you use a black light at night they will glow. I make my husband do it because screaming doesn't seem to help.
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We don't have hornworms here, but did back in WV. We picked them off and squashed them. So from what I learned you will actually have a first batch emerge from the soil early in the year, and mostly feed off of weeds or other plants. They wind up completing their life cycle and have deposited their eggs AGAIN for a 2nd brood to emerge just around the time your plants are really nice- convenient eh?
There are a number of other critters that will eat them and some targeted applications listed in that link.
The main pests we have are white cabbage moths and grasshoppers, and this year boy are we overrun with hoppers. The cabbage moths don't bother me too much- they do get a cabbage or two but for the most part I can use the cabbage- just remove severely damaged portions and wash the 'smut' they left on the plant off.
Hoppers we've found BIRDS to be the most effective control. We make sure to have ample water and irrigate daily. Since we are in a very dry climate and the natural grasses have 'seasoned' (ie dry as burnt toast). It's not uncommon to see hundreds of birds hanging out in and around our garden and they eat a lot of hoppers.
If you can encourage a natural predator for hornworms I'd try that. I've only had to resort to a pesticide once in our time gardening in Montana.
We don't have hornworms here, but did back in WV. We picked them off and squashed them. So from what I learned you will actually have a first batch emerge from the soil early in the year, and mostly feed off of weeds or other plants. They wind up completing their life cycle and have deposited their eggs AGAIN for a 2nd brood to emerge just around the time your plants are really nice- convenient eh?
There are a number of other critters that will eat them and some targeted applications listed in that link.
The main pests we have are white cabbage moths and grasshoppers, and this year boy are we overrun with hoppers. The cabbage moths don't bother me too much- they do get a cabbage or two but for the most part I can use the cabbage- just remove severely damaged portions and wash the 'smut' they left on the plant off.
Hoppers we've found BIRDS to be the most effective control. We make sure to have ample water and irrigate daily. Since we are in a very dry climate and the natural grasses have 'seasoned' (ie dry as burnt toast). It's not uncommon to see hundreds of birds hanging out in and around our garden and they eat a lot of hoppers.
If you can encourage a natural predator for hornworms I'd try that. I've only had to resort to a pesticide once in our time gardening in Montana.
I have no idea of how to propagate natural predators in my area.
BUT, thuricide is not a pesticide, it is a biologic. Everything I use is organic, and has worked well
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I have no idea of how to propagate natural predators in my area.
BUT, thuricide is not a pesticide, it is a biologic. Everything I use is organic, and has worked well
That's good. We've considered that too, but honestly our pests are controllable. We've tried to encourage beneficial insects- like leaving paper wasp nests alone (unless they are in a spot like near a door). Yellowjackets fly around the garden and they don't bother us when we're in there- so leave them alone.
The birds- that I think is a function of our environment. Basically we have a little green and moist oasis in the middle of a dry desert.
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