Tomato Horn Worms
I think the eggs come in the soil the plant is in, when I buy it.
Posted on 01/24/2008 10:53:49 AM PST by Gabz
Howdy folks!!!
I originally planned to wait until tomorrow (Friday) to get this going, but it is such a damp, dreary, plain old yucky day here on Virginia's Eastern Shore I decided to do it now --dreaming of spring, so to speak!
One of the major topics that seemed to arise last week dealt with "zones" and how even people living in the same "zone" will have different growing conditions based upon location. Also because we are all so spread out the different zones do matter when it comes to planting times and plants.
GardenGirl and Diana in Wisconsin are among our resident experts, but I am sure they are not the only ones and so we would all like to hear from others both amateur and professional, food growers and flower gardeners, folks that deal with trees and shrubs, I hope you get the idea!
Exchanging ideas and getting help on garden problems weere among the reasons for starting this thread, and I would like to expand on that and ask you all to help me come up with ideas of specific topics we can delve into.
Let's have fun --- and wish for spring!!!!!!
I’ve heard squash blossoms were good, but I haven’t tried them yet. Do you have a recipe?
Not only is this fun, there is a list, and you’re now on it!!!!!
ROFL!!!!!!! Poor hubby. Mine has gotten used to me making comments about other posters comments, and like yours just continues on his way!!!
The roads were wicked here last night, but did start easing up after sunup this morning.
And I love adding folks to this list -— and you’ve been added!!!!
It’s a “weekly” thread, meaning both I’m only going to start a new one once aweek, but look to keep wach thread going for the whole week!!!!
I sure do, and I will dig it up and post it to you, hopefully real soon. I fried some last year and they were delicious. Make sure that you hold all of the blossoms up to your ear before you work with them. Why, you might ask? Well, bees love squash blossoms and you might just pluck one that the bees haven't quite finished with. Not that I'm speaking from personal experience or anything ... ;-)
Don't feel bad, I had the same problem --- and also the same problem with 12 rasberry bushes and 100 strawberry plants :(
I am so jealous. I have tried to grow tomatoes for years, here in the high desert. No luck. Worms, moles and javelinas make sure of that.
I have put chicken wire (and fiberglass insulation) around the roots, and cages around the plants. No luck.
On my drip system, North side, 12 rows of 15 stations of 1 gph emmitters or 180 watering stations total for green beans. Then we have 42 2 gph stations for tomatoes, 10 1 gph stations for peppers, 1 adjustable agri-firm emmitter for a 50 gallon pot for the lettuce (slugs have to airlift into my lettuce) and several garden flower watering stations all over the garden. I’m convinced by your photos that you have discovered the great weed defeating system! Congratulations! Wish I could grow in Colorado what you grow in Lousiana!
Thanks. No hurry on the recipe though. We’ve got until summer ;)
I imagine you dropped that blossom awfully quick, hypothetically speaking of course. I’ve been known to do an interesting dance when a bee gets in my hair ... quite entertaining for the rest of the family.
Thanks for the ping. Looks like a great thread.
I picture burying a nylon woven geo-tech fabric about 18” deep, fabric walls, and removable screen top.... like they use to stabilize backfill material on modular stone walls... looks like 1/2” wire mesh only nylon (designed to bury without deteriorating...for a square or rectangular garden area. Then space the planting areas for micro-irrigation in rows and columns like an excel spread sheet (make it a good one. U of A, class of 77...would love the challenge to grow stuff when its too hot? What a concept! (what kind of worms?)
Tomato Horn Worms
I think the eggs come in the soil the plant is in, when I buy it.
My Mom (I’m 53) is laughing at your worm pic! She says “prepare for battle”...and spray leaf of plant with tobacco water...buy an 18” salad tongs and pluck those boys DIRECTLY off the planT! Hehe
Add cidkauf to the ping list..landscaper from Colorado.
Ahhh, another benefit I found with the landscape fabric. I could see the little 'poo pellets' left by a stray horn worm here and there on my tomatoes, and could zero in on his location. I always have a pair of hand shears in my back pocket, and I dispatch those critters quickly. Last year, I found one that had gotten to 5 or 6 inches and was as big around as my thumb! Ick!
Thank you very much..I’m a subscriber now. CIDKauf as in “certified irrigation designer” so micro is my passion...
Horn worms will make a clicking sound if you shake the plant and listen...
You tell your mom, that I will pluck it off the plant, but it is so BIG that I can’t squish it. So - what to do? (I refuse to touch it.)
If I flush it down the toilet, it could come back up and attach to my bottom some morning before coffee. If I stomp on it, worm portions could splatter all over my shoes, and the green color would leave permanent marks, and I would never be able to get the stuff off my sole!
The only answer is this. Take a stick, and flick the worm off the plant, onto the ground. Then, take the same stick to flip it onto a flat edged shovel. Take same shovel (with worm balanced in the center), to the street, and fling! Wait for traffic. If the first set of tires miss the worm, wait (shovel still in hand) to be sure the next car gets it. Sometimes it takes ten to fifteen cars.
Voila! No mess - no fuss - no fear of sitting on the potty in the morning.
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