Hornworms

[Holachicka]

I found about half a dozen hornworms on 1 of my tomato plants last night....:/ They are hard to spot! Had to sit there and stare at the leaves a few minutes before I saw them....hopefully I got them all.

I have sunflowers in the garden but they are not blooming yet, and they aren't next to my tomatoes....maybe I'll try planting a few smaller ones by the tomatoes next year.

Its like staring at those posters they used to have at the mall, if you stand and look long enough you start to see them.

Well... My three year old and I stared at the tomatoes for at least half an hour today.... got a little sunburned, but no worms.

 

[seedcorn]

to find hornworms, have to go late in day or real early as they are night feeders.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

In three days of searching at 6:30 a.m., I've only found one big bugger. So I bought some BT. What time of day should I spray it?

 

[digitS']

Usually, sprays are best to apply in the late afternoon so that there's less a problem with sun damage to sprayed foliage.

I doubt that Bt presents any danger to foliage but it must be ingested by the caterpillar to be effective. Hornworms feed during the night so . . . late afternoon still sounds good.

Best of Luck!

Steve

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Uses of BT and you. Just the facts ma'am.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_11361.cfm

 

[vfem]

Uses of BT and you. Just the facts ma'am.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_11361.cfm

Thats all about GMO foods dear, I didn't see any mention of BT in this articles? Did you get the right link? Sorry

 

[Raindance]

My chickens don't really eat them. They just sorta toss 'em around.

Good luck with them. They're awful.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Uses of BT and you. Just the facts ma'am.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_11361.cfm

Thats all about GMO foods dear, I didn't see any mention of BT in this articles? Did you get the right link? Sorry

It is a very long article. Please look again. When you do ...do a CTL-F and put BT in the field. This will take you right to the BT information. There are approximately twenty-two entries on BT.

Thanks.

 

[bills]

Maybe just hand pick them, rather than spray. It's not like leaf miners that are hard to find..each to their own though..

 

[BetterHensandGardens]

If the chicks won't eat them, the chickadees will!

I haven't had to kill a hornworm since I started growing sunflowers in the garden. The sunflowers are visited constantly by house finches, chipping sparrows and chickadees. It starts well before they have mature seeds.

It is almost as tho' these birds are staking out a claim to the sunflowers. Anyway, they are major caterpillar eaters during their nesting season the ornithologists tell us.

I began to suspect their help when there were just a couple of sunflowers. I noticed hornworm damage to a tomato growing near them. Before I could get out there with the spray, the plant began to heal and grow new leaves. That was about 7 years ago. I've had lots of sunflowers in the garden ever since and haven't seen a hornworm.

Steve

I think you just answered something I have wondered about for years - why did the old time gardeners always, always plant sunflowers? My great-grandfather did it, my grandfather did it, and I have always wondered - they generally only grew something if it was going to contribute to the dinner table. Thanks so much! There will be sunflowers in my garden next year - any suggestions on varieties?