topic Re: Is there a way to keep tomato worms from the garden? in Garden

Is there a way to keep tomato worms from the garden?

Mmsfoxxie — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 19:40:02 GMT

I grow tomatoes in a couple of large containers and then I have a wooden sided planter that my husband put together that's about 4 ft by 6 ft in size. I've planted tomatoes in the same containers for about four or five years. Last year I saw my first tomato worm! Hubby had to go get the thing for me. Didn't see anymore for the last few weeks of the season.

I'm thinking that since I saw one last year, there may be more to come. Are there any natural additives that I can add to the soil to keep them from coming. I plant marigolds in between the tomatoes.

Re: Is there a way to keep tomato worms from the garden?

gizmogal — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 20:09:28 GMT

Ewwww. I’d want them gone, too!

See this video for mostly non chemical, natural applications:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=891ZHhdFI48

(I’ve used dish soap and water in a spray bottle to kill off aphids on my window box petunias. Once they were gone via daily spraying, I had to spray much less often to keep to keep them away.)

This might help with companion plants besides marigolds.

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/companion-plants-discourage-tomato-worms-77355.html

Loads of suggestions by googling “how to get rid of tomato worms” .

Hope something works for you. If saw one of those things on a tomato, I’d start growing carrots!

Re: Is there a way to keep tomato worms from the garden?

Fiero Woman — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 20:02:01 GMT

I use a mixture of pulzerized garlic, Dawn and cayanne pepper. Spray and forget.

Re: Is there a way to keep tomato worms from the garden?

gardenman — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 20:12:16 GMT

Tomato hornworms are the caterpillar of the five spotted hawkmoth. If you keep the plants protected from the moths (easier said than done) you should never see another tomato hornworm. Now covering the plants with a row cover or garden fabric can be challenging as the plants grow, but if the five spotted hawkmoth can't reach the plant, it can't lay it's eggs and you'll never see another one of their caterpillars.

Re: Is there a way to keep tomato worms from the garden?

Mz iMac — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 22:01:02 GMT

My parents always grew their tomatoes inside the enclosed screened back patio.

The plants started out on a table in tiny green cupboard thingies.

After a while, mom would replant in a regular pot w/soil & string them up on the floor.

Bug free!

Re: Is there a way to keep tomato worms from the garden?

Another new name Sue — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 22:59:55 GMT

Check your plants every day for tiny black beads on the leaves which is the caterpillar poop. When you see it, search that area for the caterpillar which is exactly the same color as tomato leaves. When you find it, call your husband.

Re: Is there a way to keep tomato worms from the garden?

JustJazzmom — Sat, 14 Apr 2018 00:39:40 GMT

Another critter to worry about in the soil is the larvae of the cutworm moth. Putting a plastic barrier about 4” deep around each tomato plant prevents the larvae from burrowing into the stem or putting a hole in it.

But if you do see a tomato hornworm caterpillar with some white dots on its head, a parasitic wasp has laid eggs on it & when that larvae hatches they use as a food source — the caterpillar

Re: Is there a way to keep tomato worms from the garden?

Mmsfoxxie — Sat, 14 Apr 2018 11:32:05 GMT

Thanks all of you for the good tips and I will try some of them but, lol, it will be hard for me to look at one long enough to see what kind it is, lol. The one I saw last year was huge!

I'm going to refer back to this thread after I do some planting which will be around May 15th for my Midwest area. Im going to view the suggested videos later today.

So many knowledgeable people on here!

Re: Is there a way to keep tomato worms from the garden?

goldensrbest — Sat, 14 Apr 2018 12:32:01 GMT

Would food grade diatomaceous earth ,work?

Re: Is there a way to keep tomato worms from the garden?

JustJazzmom — Sat, 14 Apr 2018 14:49:27 GMT

@goldensrbest wrote:
Would food grade diatomaceous earth ,work?

No, not unless you see slug activity along the ground around your hostas.

Re: Is there a way to keep tomato worms from the garden?

sweetee2 — Sat, 14 Apr 2018 21:59:13 GMT

My dad used to put a paper cup around the base. He said they couldn't climb up the cup.

Re: Is there a way to keep tomato worms from the garden?

EatWell — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 21:24:54 GMT

@Mmsfoxxie wrote:
I grow tomatoes in a couple of large containers and then I have a wooden sided planter that my husband put together that's about 4 ft by 6 ft in size. I've planted tomatoes in the same containers for about four or five years. Last year I saw my first tomato worm! Hubby had to go get the thing for me. Didn't see anymore for the last few weeks of the season.

I'm thinking that since I saw one last year, there may be more to come. Are there any natural additives that I can add to the soil to keep them from coming. I plant marigolds in between the tomatoes.

Why don’t you pick the little fellas off your tomato plants by hand?

Re: Is there a way to keep tomato worms from the garden?

GingerPeach — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 22:07:40 GMT

@Mmsfoxxie wrote:
I grow tomatoes in a couple of large containers and then I have a wooden sided planter that my husband put together that's about 4 ft by 6 ft in size. I've planted tomatoes in the same containers for about four or five years. Last year I saw my first tomato worm! Hubby had to go get the thing for me. Didn't see anymore for the last few weeks of the season.

I'm thinking that since I saw one last year, there may be more to come. Are there any natural additives that I can add to the soil to keep them from coming. I plant marigolds in between the tomatoes.

@Mmsfoxxie

You can apply BT (bacillus thuringiensis) as a spray or powder to the leaves of the plants. It is safe around people and pets but the product is harmful to caterpillars that eat the leaves.

Here's one article on its use: https://plantcaretoday.com/bacillus-thuringiensis.html

Here's just one example of the spray version.

Re: Is there a way to keep tomato worms from the garden?

Mmsfoxxie — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 23:21:26 GMT

@EatWell, Gasp! I could never do that, lol.

It was just one last year and hubby got him. I'm looking to something to do or have on hand in case I see more this year.

@EatWell wrote:
@Mmsfoxxie wrote:
I grow tomatoes in a couple of large containers and then I have a wooden sided planter that my husband put together that's about 4 ft by 6 ft in size. I've planted tomatoes in the same containers for about four or five years. Last year I saw my first tomato worm! Hubby had to go get the thing for me. Didn't see anymore for the last few weeks of the season.

I'm thinking that since I saw one last year, there may be more to come. Are there any natural additives that I can add to the soil to keep them from coming. I plant marigolds in between the tomatoes.

Why don’t you pick the little fellas off your tomato plants by hand?

Re: Is there a way to keep tomato worms from the garden?

JustJazzmom — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 02:14:35 GMT

The hornworm is a larvae of a moth. I suggest if you buy tomato plants from a nursery, look under the leaves for any eggs (don’t buy that plant or maybe remove that leaf before purchasing)

Bt can be used, but the smaller the caterpillar, the more effective it is. If your caterpillars are full grown, the Bt is not as effective against them.

Re: Is there a way to keep tomato worms from the garden?

GingerPeach — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 19:44:30 GMT

@Mmsfoxxie

I sprayed my geraniums with the BT recently (I used the spray shown in my first post on this thread) and here they are still blooming. If I hadn't, they'd already have been chewed to pieces by the geranium bud worm. This year I caught them early.

I thought I'd share how well the BT works.

Re: Is there a way to keep tomato worms from the garden?

Mmsfoxxie — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 20:00:32 GMT

@JustJazzmom, I ordered some a set of heirloom tomato plants from QVC. I believe their heirlooms. I ordered them a couple of months ago....a pack of six. While the yield from them in the past hasn't been as great as they claimed, I did get tomatoes. For the last few years, I've went to local nurseries for a few plants and not only was the yield low but I saw that worm this time.

@GingerPeach, your geraniums are beautiful! Thanks for the visual for BT.