Notes from the Backyard Vegetable Garden
7:43 AM July 27, 2009
I've taken up a new hobby this summer, and it's really addicting.
It all started on my birthday several months ago, when my wife decided to give me a wooden planter box for a backyard vegetable garden.
We started out with several a few tomato sprouts, an eggplant, some corn, cucumber and strawberry seedlings.
Within a few weeks, the garden exploded with growth. I actually had to transplant some of the tomatoes to other pots and planters nearby. Along the way, I learned about how to use tomato stakes and cages to prop up the vines.
I have also learned a little about pests... more on that in just a second.
But first, I have to say, backyard farming is a very relaxing way to deal with the stress of these times.
You go outside. You look at what's happening with new growth. You water. You plan. You forget about whatever it is you're facing at work or elsewhere.
And, potentially, you're growing fresh food that you can eat.
I say, potentially, because of other little varmints that try to steal from you.
I have managed to produce a few tomatoes, as you can see in the picture.
But most of my crop has been destroyed by some nasty green caterpillars. Not only are they chomping away the leaves of the plant, they're also nibbling at the fruit.
Most of the time, I can't even see the little pests... and they don't seem to respond to chemical sprays or pesticides or any other methods.
So, to all gardening experts out there, what's your advice? Have you had problems with these little green caterpillars, and what have you done to fight back?
Help, please... while I still have a few tomatoes that are still intact.
Posted by Eric Spillman | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)
Every year, I'll find hornworms on my tomato plants. It's tedious, but I just pick them off and squash them with my shoe. Sometimes, squirting the entire tomato plant with water from your garden hose makes it just a bit easier to spot the pests. Good luck!!!
Posted by: helpful hint | August 03, 2009 at 10:04 PM
Good for you Eric, Nice shot of you and your tomato!.
I'm a local organic tomato grower, lecturer and educator. I agree that you have a tomato hornworm problem. The easiest way to control these pests is to use an insecticide containing a product called Spinosad. This product is a by-product of the rum industry and acts as a stomach poison. I prefer this to B.T. as the product will control a wide variety of insect. B.T. is effective specificly for worms. Spinosad is available through several different manufactures at your local retail garden centers. It is organic and safe to use around people, pets and vegetables.
Posted by: Gotomato | August 03, 2009 at 10:31 AM
Congrats on finding a great way to relax! You picked one of the best. Can't help you on the worm problem...eeww. I really don't have that problem here. I wanted to suggest next spring you try growing Bell Peppers. Easy to grow and produces a lot of peppers! 1st time I grew them I thought the plant had finished it's growing season and then to my surprise it had new growth and a whole new crop. We ate every one of them! Jalapeno plants are wonderful too along with Cilantro. I love making my own fresh salsa.
I agree with all the others, don't use pesticides. That's the beauty of growing your own....you know where it comes from and what's been used on it. Dish soap, water with a little cayenne makes a good spray for your plants.
Posted by: Beck | July 30, 2009 at 08:22 AM
Isn't wonderful? That you can walk a few steps and you can get your own tomatos for lunch or dinner!!! I don't have enough space but I have mine in small containers over the windowsill on my kitchen. I have jalapenos and cilantro too, so when they are ready I made a great jalapeno salsa with them or a great salad. For the worms my husband check out the leaves and keep them out when he found some and when I water them add a little bit of dish every now and then not every day. By the way congratulations to every one is good to know that some of us enjoy doing something so delicious.
Posted by: angeles napoles | July 27, 2009 at 03:44 PM
Eric-
I've grown tomatoes for years and always have the tomato worms.
When my kids were little it would be a nightly ritual to go out and find the worms. I always thought they were too big to squish, so we would just break off a little of the branch they were on and throw it into the trash can, or a jar. I don't like to use pesticides.
Now when my kids (25 & 30) are home they always go out to see if they can find any worms.
Yucky Hint: When the worms get big enough they "poop" and when you see that just look up and you can usually find them.
Posted by: Jan | July 27, 2009 at 03:09 PM
Eric
It might be good to also learn which insects are good to have in your garden also..
Ladybugs are very good for your garden. Ladybugs feed on Aphids mites and small caterpillars which are damaging.
Green Lacewings are one of the best Insect Predator that you could hope for. The larvae eat Aphids, mealybugs, scales and white flies, Spider mites and thripes to name a few.
Dragonflies are very helpful. They eat the ever pesky mosquitoes.
And don't forget the honey bee...
Here is a page that list some of the helpful insect predators..
http://www.oregonbd.org/Class/Pred.htm
Posted by: jared | July 27, 2009 at 02:33 PM
Tomato Hornworm - are 3-4" long green caterpillars with diagonal lines on sides, prominent horn on rear end. Eat foliage and may take bites out of green fruit. Tomato hornworms are the larvae of 2 large moths: the Hawkmoth and the Sphinx moth and overwinter in the soil in the pupal stage. Adult moths appear in late spring and lay single, pearl colored eggs on the undersides of plant leaves that hatch in about a week. Larvae feed on foliage for about a month before they enter the soil and pupate. They can be difficult to spot as coloring matches plant. Look for them on the undersides of leaf-stripped branches. They can easily be hand-picked and destroyed or if infestation is severe, use Bt (Bacillius thuringiensis) dust. Braconid wasps will kill these caterpillars by implanting rice-like eggs on their backs and Trichogramma wasps parasitize the eggs. http://photos.gardenweb.com/garden/galleries/2006/08/no_need_for_pesticides.html more photos of Hornworms http://www.pbase.com/dougsmit/tomato_hornworm
The BT works best on the young ones. Pic what you see and squish. Available at Home Depot and Lowes.
I would go for the Braconid wasp method of getting rid of these worms because you would not have to use pesticides which could be bad for your small children..
Enjoy your gardening while you can, Eric..
If Monsanto gets its way with some bills that are in Congress right now you may not be able to grow organically in the future..
These Bill are HR 875 & S 425..
Read more on the bills http://educate-yourself.org/cn/HR875andS425organicfarmingban13mar09.shtml
Posted by: jared | July 27, 2009 at 01:52 PM
Nothing like the pride of showing off your home-grown veggies!! Looks like someone might be entering county fairs soon... Good stuff, Eric thanks for sharing... Enjoy the fruits ... er vegetables of your labor.
Sorry, don't have any suggestions for the new found pest problem, but hopefully something that will be safe for the kids or pets to be around...
-m
Posted by: mike | July 27, 2009 at 11:17 AM
Good for you Eric. My husband and I have grown veggies for 28 years and it is only our opinion (haven't read this anywhere) and our guess that those worms that are so gross come from a little white butterfly/moth that comes around the plants. Last year we put a fine net just over the tomatoes and didn't get one worm. Saw alot of the white butterflies but they couldn't get in. Did the same thing this year and no worms. Just a thought. Love you on KTLA. Julie
Posted by: Julie Knutson | July 27, 2009 at 09:23 AM
Congratulations on your new hobby. You're right, gardening brings us closest to the essentials of life. Enjoy! Nothing like eating what you've grown yourself.
You'll weed, putz, examine when you like, but always check your garden morning and evening, closest to dawn and just before sundown. Pick off the bugs. Spray with natural products only. You'll find lots of suggestions on the Web. Dish liquid and water, heavily diluted, in a spray bottle, has worked for me. No chemicals, if you can avoid them. What goes on your produce is also served at your dinner table. HGTV has lots of gardening shows, which are wonderful. My fav hosts are Paul James and Rebecca Kolls. Both into natural gardening. And the Mother of all gardening shows is PBS's Victory Garden. Do yourself a real favor and start your own mulch bins, if you haven't done so already.
PAUL
http://www.hgtv.com/topics/gardening/index.html
REBECCA
http://www.hgtv.com/rebeccas-garden/show/index.html
VICTORY
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/victorygarden/
Posted by: jozielee | July 27, 2009 at 08:51 AM