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Garden Gate:  Catepiliers on my Tomatoes  |
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Laura Marie
True Blue Farmgirl
419 Posts
Laura
Rancho Cordova
California
USA
419 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 22 2008 : 9:04:09 PM
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Ok ,so I am trying to figure out how to get these little things off of my tomatoe plants. They have eaten them alive as well as my leaf lettuce and the leaves off of all my radishes. They aren't eating my herbs, just my veggies. What's up with this? I live in Southern California and I am trying to figure out what to do with them. My mom recommended soapy waters, but I don't know if that actually hurt my plants, although I did drench one of the suckers with soapy water, not on my plant and think I may have finished him off...I don't want to do that but I want them to leave my food alone. Any farm girl have any advice. I don't want to buy harsh chemicals but I don't know what else to do...I pulled 7 off of my two plants Friday night. So I am open to any advice at all! |
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LisaLu
True Blue Farmgirl
126 Posts
Lisa
Wildomar
Ca
USA
126 Posts |
Posted - Sep 22 2008 : 9:34:28 PM
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Laura:
I live in Wildomar, just north of San Diego, I had 600 tomato plants last year, 100 this year, and presently 20 going strong. Tomato hornworms are always a problem. If you don't want to use chemicals, make daily rounds, look on the ground and on the leaves for black "poops", the bigger the "poop" the bigger the worm. If you check daily, it's easier to get them under control. Always look directly above the "poop". They are incredibly well camouflaged. I've spent hours out in the garden hunting for those dreadful critters. They can get huge. If you don't like to pull them off, I've used a pair of scissors & cut them in half! I've recently trained my dog to handle things for me. Sounds disgusting, because it is!
What else do you have growing?
Happiness is homemade... |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Sep 23 2008 : 03:10:56 AM
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We get those caterpillars every now and again too.
I'm always at a wash though 'cause they turn into hawk moths. The moths are so big they even have eye shine.
Pity you don't have chickens to enjoy such a tasty tidbit. |
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Contrary Wife
True Blue Farmgirl
2164 Posts
Teresa Sue
Tekoa
WA
USA
2164 Posts |
Posted - Sep 23 2008 : 04:37:25 AM
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The soapy water does work, but you have to reapply after rain or heavy dew, beats harsh chemicals every time.
Teresa Sue
Farmgirl Sister #316
"Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly." The Dalai Lama |
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Laura Marie
True Blue Farmgirl
419 Posts
Laura
Rancho Cordova
California
USA
419 Posts |
Posted - Sep 23 2008 : 10:53:05 AM
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Thanks Lisa! That's a lot of tomatoe plants. WOW! Hopefully some day I will be able to have room to have that many plants! I was just out there and pulled another one off! He was a bigger one...they keep getting bigger. But they are killing a lot of branches on my tomatoes so I am hoping that they haven't killed them all together, but there is green on the top so I have hope. I'm trying to spray around the plant instead of on the plant to kill them, prevent them from crawling up. I have all of my plants in containers, since I live in the city and have a small patio. We have dogs and don't want them to pee on the plants so containers work better especially when I need to move everything around when the sun starts to fall because of fall! I think they may have finished off my radishes, they don't look to hot though. My leaf lettuce I think is making a comeback! I'm going to go to one of the local nursuries and see what they say. But I'm still open for more advice! Thanks Ladies! |
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Garden Gate: Catepiliers on my Tomatoes |
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Catepiliers on my Tomatoes
