For people who want to grow more food with less work. 🌱 This is my weekly newsletter loved by 38,000+ subscribers—here's what one of them had to say: "These are not the regular run-of-the-mill garden-based emails. You actually touch on more unusual tidbits that encourage me to keep growing and learning."
the flashlight trick for getting rid of hornworms 🐛
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If you grow tomatoes (or any plant in the nightshade family), you've probably come across these big fat juicy caterpillars happily munching on the leaves. The first time is kind of terrifying. I remember finding my first hornworm a few years ago and it was easily 4 inches long! (I've read they can sometimes grow to 5 inches. 😳) And at that size, hornworms can do a lot of damage to tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, and other nightshades in just a few days. Once they finish off all the leaves, they sometimes even move on to the fruit! They're definitely one of the more destructive caterpillars in a summer garden, and unfortunately, they're hard to spot since they blend in with the leaves. One of my best tricks for finding tomato and tobacco hornworms (and yes, there is a difference) involves this $12 flashlight and a little evening adventure (which the kids love to take part in). It makes it SO easy to pick off hornworms and feed them to my chickens (or throw in soapy water to drown them). If you don't like touching them (and I get it, they're pretty squishy), there are other ways to get rid of hornworms from your garden without resorting to chemical sprays. Here's what you can do to save your plants from hornworms. Seasonal tipsIt may be summer, but it's time to think about fall...Yeah, I know. It's pushing 90°F yet we already have to plan for the cooler season ahead. If you haven't started your fall garden yet, it's time to get those seeds in the soil! You can still grow a bounty of fall vegetables before the first frost (and even use that drop in temperature to your advantage and grow better tasting vegetables). Here's what I like to grow midsummer (all from seed). P.S. If hornworms are devastating your tomatoes and other nightshade crops, here are 4 easy ways to control and get rid of them (for good!) |
Garden Betty
For people who want to grow more food with less work. 🌱 This is my weekly newsletter loved by 38,000+ subscribers—here's what one of them had to say: "These are not the regular run-of-the-mill garden-based emails. You actually touch on more unusual tidbits that encourage me to keep growing and learning."