Hornworms chew tomatoes
Q: After a weekend away, I went out to check on and water all of my garden pots. The two pots of cherry tomatoes had been attacked! There isn’t a single leaf left on both plants and the few fruit they’d set were all chewed up. The stems are still a nice and healthy green color, but I’m at a loss as to what’s happened. Help!
A: I’m convinced that both of your tomato plants fell victim to tomato hornworms while you were away on holiday.
I’d recommend getting down close and personal to your plants and see if you can find any stout, fairly long caterpillars hanging on to the stems of the plants. They’ll be nearly the same green color as the stems. They camouflage really well.
If you do discover any of them, pluck them off the plant and dispose of them. At this stage of their lives it’d take a lot of pesticide spraying to harm them, so plucking is the best form of eradication.
If you can’t find any of the caterpillars on the plants, gently scrape around in the soil of the pots to see if you can unearth any ne’er-dowells hiding there and, again, dispose of them.
I know the plants look like heck, but they can, and more than likely will, amaze you. Soon, the plants are going to produce a new series of leaves and, having survived all of that trauma, become leafy, flowering and fruiting plants once again.
Your job is going to be to watch the plants for any signs of a new tomato hornworm attack.
Check the plant daily, maybe even twice a day, for any warning signs. Look for the slightest bit of leaves being chewed in a confined spot. Large black-looking grains of sand sitting on any of the leaves is usually the poop left behind.
Visually inspect every nook and cranny of your plants. Also, watch in the evenings for any hummingbirds or what are probably sphinx moths flying around your plants. That moth is about the size of a hummingbird and could be looking for a new host on which to lay eggs. Just keep your eyes open for anything “different” happening to the plants and be ready to pluck away.
Keep the plants adequately watered and, if you really feel the need, sprinkle the plants with Sevin dust weekly to help kill any caterpillar-type creatures that you might miss. Stop sprinkling with the Sevin at least seven days before you are going to harvest any of fruit to allow the pesticide time to detoxify. Give the fruit a really good wash before you use it, too.
As sad as your plants look right now, with proper care and a lot of visual inspection and in turn, if necessary, caterpillar removal, your tomatoes can rebound and you’ll have tomatoes yet.
Q: Why can’t I grow lavender? I try and try, but to no avail. Any suggestions?
A: I’ve never tried to grow lavender, but I’m going to bet that you kill it with kindness. I do know they prefer to grow in gravelly areas so they won’t have soggy feet in the least. Too much water is lavender’s worst enemy.
Also, I have learned that they like to grow in the sun. Attempting to grow a lavender in the shade will be a constant trial. Don’t give up. Water just enough and find a sunny spot for growing your lavender. Best of luck! Need tips on growing your garden? Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send your gardenrelated questions to Digging In, Rio Rancho/West Side Journal, P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, NM 87103.