|
Post by naturegal on Apr 14, 2015 17:39:54 GMT -5
I have pinworms that are eating holes in my tomato leaves. I had them last year too but kept on top of them picking and squishing them. I'm fixing to be gone for almost 2 weeks and while I can ask my neighbor to water my garden there's no way she would have time to squish those worms. I am hoping someone can help me out with some suggestions. I'll be sick if I lose my tomatoes while gone.
|
|
|
Post by ahntjudy on Apr 14, 2015 18:55:18 GMT -5
A couple years ago I also was plagued with tiny caterpillars on my tomatoes (not horned tomato worm) and attempted to control them with the pick and squish method as well. This was only slightly effective as there were many of them and as the tomato plants grew larger there was simply too much foliage to find them all...and it was too time consuming. I did notice that they often tended to 'hide' in the tips of leaves which were then brown and curled up around them...making them a little easier to sometimes find. I believe a BT product would probably be an effective control of them...I just never tried it on my tomatoes. Garden's Alive sells something for caterpillar control which I used several ago for caterpillars on geraniums... It works but it needs reapplying, including after rain. I imagine other companies sell similar products. Here's Garden's Alive's... www.gardensalive.com/product/green-step-ii-caterpillar-control/insect-controlGood luck!
|
|
|
Post by lilolpeapicker on Apr 14, 2015 19:54:02 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by naturegal on Apr 14, 2015 20:57:48 GMT -5
Thanks for the suggestions. I would like to try the BT but I won't have a chance to get any before heading out. I might just try a kelp spray and keep my fingers crossed. I have a jar of jalapeno's in the fridge. I wonder if a spray of that with garlic/onions might help the worms to move on.
|
|
|
Post by tbird on Apr 14, 2015 21:59:37 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by ahntjudy on Apr 15, 2015 5:43:57 GMT -5
Not making fun of you, naturegal... Honest!But tbird's reaction...I thought the same thing! ;) I don't know about the spray concoction...just wouldn't use jalapenos if in vinegar.
|
|
|
Post by naturegal on Apr 15, 2015 6:16:48 GMT -5
lol. It's funny how you can type something in and not realize how it looks until someone else notices it. Glad you mentioned the jalapenos in vinegar. I was panicking and not even thinking about what those jalapenos are canned in.
My tomato plants are so big and beautiful and even have a few small tomatoes and now I'm dreading going on vacation just worrying about them.
|
|
|
Post by ahntjudy on Apr 15, 2015 6:26:14 GMT -5
Hopefully someone else here will have a 'quick fix spray' for you til you get back. I know what you mean about going away and worrying about the garden. No one tends to our beloved plants like us, their 'parents'.
What a difference in our zones! I don't start from seed... My tomato plants are still at the store!!!
|
|
|
Post by claude on Apr 15, 2015 6:53:53 GMT -5
What kind of worms are they? Can you take a picture? Are they leaf rollers? You will be more effective if you can Id your pest.
|
|
|
Post by naturegal on Apr 15, 2015 11:14:06 GMT -5
I'll try to get a good picture and try to post my first pic here. I did find a worm on a garden site that looks identical to mine and they identified it as a tomato pinworm.
|
|
|
Post by johng44 on Apr 15, 2015 11:42:12 GMT -5
Several things you a do/try. Neem oil spray, dipel dust, sprinkle corn meal around each plant, 1 cup ivory soap to gal. water, Murphy's oil 1-2 cups to gal. of water. Or do a combo of dust and spray.
Pantry recipe o 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil o 1 Tablespoon Baking Soda o 3 Tablespoons Tabasco Sauce o 6 Drops of non-detergent dishwashing Soap o Add enough Water to make 1 quart of spray Mix it thoroughly and agitate it often during application. Spray it on all foliage surfaces once a week or as necessary.
I have had success with using these things.
|
|
|
Post by OregonRed on Apr 15, 2015 12:33:16 GMT -5
I second John's formula, the baking soda and oil also repells powdery mildew
|
|
|
Post by claude on Apr 15, 2015 12:43:42 GMT -5
From the information you have given me..you have a whitefly? Larvae. The adult looks like an oversized fly..kinda whiteish. They caterpillar leaves a tiny pile of scat on top of the soil as it burrows to morph into the adult. So look for eggs...yellowish, webs inside leaf folds and underneath. They will infect eggplant, tomatoes,tomatillos too. The university of fla recommends a nicotine systemic(which we now know kills bees)...so get some neem oil. It too is a systemic. Do not use when bees are flying. The plant must dry before the bees are out. If wet and bees come in contact, it will kill them.
|
|
|
Post by GardenGirl on Apr 15, 2015 13:04:31 GMT -5
I aiso use a lemon soap dish detergent. 1 tablespoon per quart water. Spray late afternoon
|
|
|
Post by brownrexx on Apr 15, 2015 18:47:11 GMT -5
I would spray with bt. You can buy it by Bonide in most local stores. It is called Thuricide and works well. I used it to keep cabbage moth caterpillars off of my Brussels sprouts last year.
I never heard of tomato pinworms so I Googled it. Here is an article on organic control. It says that bt works. I would not spray all of that other stuff.
I sure hope that we don't get them here.
organicgardeningnewsandinfo.wordpress.com/2013/10/17/organic-control-of-tomato-pinworms/
|
|