How to Get Rid of Tomato Plant Pests
If you have a garden, you're going to have bugs. Unfortunately, that's just a fact of life. You will never be able to eliminate all of them. But believe it or not, having bugs around is a good thing. Even if they are wrecking your plants, having a pest problem can indicate that something is wrong with your soil or other conditions. You can control pests on your tomato plants, though, and you can do it without using any chemicals at all. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Tomato plant pests
- Jar
- Garden hose with spray nozzle
- Dish soap and water mixture
- Spray bottle
- Hot pepper sauce
- Horticultural oil
Instructions
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Controlling Tomato Plant Pests
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1
Pick any pests off with your hand. This is the most laborious method of getting rid of pests on your tomato plants, but it is one of the most effective. Large bugs like hornworms can simply be picked off the plants and placed into a jar of soapy water. If the idea of this is unappealing to you, try to find a couple of kids to do it and pay them 10 cents a bug.
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2
Spray smaller pests, like aphids, off your tomato plant foliage with a garden hose. Encourage beneficial insects like ladybugs in your garden to keep the smaller pests at bay.
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3
Mix ordinary dish soap (about a teaspoon) and water in an empty spray bottle. If there was something else in the bottle, make sure to clean the bottle thoroughly before using (run it through the dishwasher if you can). Spray the foliage of your tomato plants with this mixture. Smaller bugs will literally slide right off--or at least they won't be able to get a grip to begin with.
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4
Mix hot pepper sauce (any kind of your choosing) with water in a clean, empty spray bottle. Spray this concoction on the foliage of your tomato plants. This will repel almost any pest. It will repel the good ones, too, so use it judiciously. If you are using a hot pepper sauce that is very hot, be careful not to spray any soon-to-be ripe fruit; you could not only damage the fruit, but also hurt yourself when eating it. It could also alter any sauces or salsas you make from the tomatoes.
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5
Spray horticultural oil on your fruits. Horticultural oils are usually mineral-oil-based, but there are also vegetable-oil-based varieties. The oil, if a "summer" oil, only works when sprayed directly on pests. It suffocates them and also prevents their ability to reproduce. Pests are also unable to feed if sprayed, so they can starve to death as well. Oils do kill all bugs, however, so use them only when necessary.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep soil well aerated and healthy. Use compost and manure to enhance soil nutrients. The healthier the soil, the less attractive it will be to pests.
Using chemical pesticides on fruit-bearing plants can be dangerous to the humans who eat the fruit and detrimental to the soil and good bugs around the garden. Try to use organic or natural pest control methods when possible.
