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GARDENING TIPS HOME
MILLINGTON SEED COMPANY
HIGH QUALITY GARDEN SEED |
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Organic Tomato Worm Control |
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If you are visiting this page you are
most likely a tomato grower and lover as
well. Seeing your tomato's getting wiped out
by tomato worms is a terrible thing. After
all the love and care you put into your
tomato's they have the nerve to show up when
the tomato's are starting to get big. You
have been watching your tomato's and
attached to them. You don't want to share
them with any nasty worms.
Tomato worms or hornworm damage can be
identified by their tell tale chew marks
and droppings near the and around the
chew marks. If you see chew marks you
can count on it that a tomato worm is
very near by. During the day they can
often be found on the underside of
tomato leaves where they mimic the plant
quite well. Being experts in the art of
camouflage makes |
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them difficult
to hand pick but it is definitely my
first round of attack. Sometimes you can
locate tomato worms by a clicking sound
they sometimes make when you approach
them. I actually think it's because they
are frightened. When hand picking tomato
worms get a coffee can or something to
collect them in and kill them when you
are finished. |
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Another way to
control cutworms is by putting some type of
barrier just under the ground around the
stalk of each plant. This is hard work but
necessary if you already have a cut worm
problem. Some people use toilet paper roll
centers cut to about 2-3 inches long. You
will need to make a cut in the ring to get
it around the plant stem. Others use wax paper etc. The idea
is to create a barrier around the base of
the plant where cutworms strike. Cutworms
like to saw plants completely off just below
the soil surface. Blocking them from this
area of your tender plants keeps them from
killing your plants. |
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 What
else can you do? One thing you can do is
start a defense plan early in the game.
Planting a dill plant or 2 between your
tomato's and a row of dill on either side of
your tomato's when you plant your tomato's
prevents tomato worms. Sounds crazy until
you understand why. See what happens is a
Carolina Sphinx AKA the Five-Spotted Hawk
Moth comes into your garden at night
and lays eggs on your tomato plants. It just
loves tomato's but absolutely hates the
smell of dill. He will fly to the neighbors
garden instead if they don't know the dill
secret. I have also been told cilantro
repels the Five-Spotted Hawk Moth. I haven't
tried it but I do grow cilantro for making
salsa.
You can also cover
your tomato's at night during your local
Five-Spotted Hawk Moth season. You will have
to find out when this is and you will need a
type of removable cover. You should get up
early in the morning and remove it to allow
your tomato's to breathe and get a good dose
of daily sun. You can purchase 50 foot row
covers at
Gardens Alive!
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 Diatomaceous earth is another good organic
product. Be careful though I have seen
diatomaceous earth at certain large chain
stores that had poison in it. I don't
understand the logic behind that myself.
Diatomaceous earth is Made from the finely
ground fossils of prehistoric fresh water
diatoms. Diatomaceous earth kills common
household and garden pests like slugs, beetles and countless
others. It also works great in the
house on cock roaches, ants etc. Some insects actually eat
diatomaceous eat which is extremely fatal. |
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The tiny pieces are extremely sharp and
actually cut insects open so they secrete to
death. Spread diatomaceous earth around the base
of your plants and on the actual plants. When it
rains you may need to reapply. Be careful not to
breathe it in and wear a mask if you aren't in
an open area. It is like a powder and breathing
any solid particles into your lungs should
always be avoided. Make sure not to use pool
grade or diatomaceous earth with any poisons
added. Diatomaceous earth also controls spider
centipedes, millipedes, other crawling
insects. Use indoors and outdoors for ants,
fleas, cockroaches, crickets, earwigs. In
home, controls carpet beetles, bedbugs and
silverfish. To control fleas lightly apply
diatomaceous earth dust on pet bedding,
carpets and furniture when a flea problem
surfaces. Won't bother pets or humans.
 Another organic product called
Green StepTM Caterpillar Control
 works
great on tomato worms. An effective all
natural liquid concentrate that paralyzes
caterpillars resulting in their death from
starvation. You will notice crop damage to
cease almost immediately. Green Step
Caterpillar Control only affects targeted
insects. Apply Green Step to the top and
bottom of tomato plant foliage at the first
sight of tomato worm damage. Then they
suggest reapplying every 5-7 days. This is
another highly effective way of controlling
tomato worms.
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About The Author:
Written By Steve Snyder
Visit my garden seed website. We offer high
quality fresh flower, vegetable and herb seed
for the home gardener.
Millington Seed Co
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