Cathy Isom has a few great tips about how to deal with a garden pest that is known to wipe out tomato crops. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
How to Deal with Tomato Hornworms
If you’ve ever grown garden tomatoes, chances are you have dealt with hornworms. These green caterpillar pests can be found in most any region of the United States and can ruin your tomato crop in record time. And not just tomatoes, hornworms also feed on eggplants, peppers and potatoes.
They are about 5 inches long and are pale green with black and white markings, so they blend in quite easily with the green foliage. They feed non-stop, creating spotty and chewed leaves and fruit.
You’ll need to pick them off the plant to get rid of them, or drop them in soapy water. For further pest prevention, there are many natural solutions you can find online, or visit your local garden store.
To keep hornworms away from your tomato plants next year, try interplanting dill or basil. Marigolds are also an excellent companion plant and keep many pests away.
I’m Cathy Isom…