How to Kill Worms on Tomato Plants

Handpick worms before using poison.

As garden invaders, worms not only destroy tomato plants, but your piece of mind. Get rid of worms the natural way before using dangerous pesticides. Prevent them by planting beneficial companion plants and eliminate worms by picking them off. Use biological remedies such as garlic and hot pepper instead of toxic insecticides.

Things You'll Need

• Hot pepper or garlic
• Companion plants
• BT biological control
• Rotenone insecticide
• Small paper cup
• Aluminum foil

Instructions

1. Identify the worm by searching an insect encyclopedia in book form or online. Applying random insecticides is not recommended and may not eliminate the particular worm on the tomato plants.

2. Handpick worms in small garden areas. Drown the worm in water with a drop of dish detergent. Empty the water anywhere outdoors. Beside the "ashes to ashes" theory, dish detergent is beneficial to soil and will deter other insects.

3. Dust the plant with hot pepper, or make a pepper or garlic spray by adding them to water. This makes the leaves unpalatable. If handpicking, along with dusting or spraying is not enough, follow the directions for elimination in Step 4.

4. Use bacillus thuringiensis (BT) as a dust or in pellet form as a bait against tobacco and tomato hornworms. A bacterial pathogen that controls pest larvae, BT is safe for humans, other vertebrates and plants. Use rotenone as a dust or spray for tomato fruitworms. Rotenone, an insecticide derived from plants and harmless to warm-blooded animals, will kill some beneficial insects and fish, but its residual effects are minimal because it offers short protection for up to a week. Use rotenone with caution.

5. Prevent many worm problems before they start. Use companion plantings of borage, marigolds and opal basil between the plants to ward off insects and worms. If the garden is large, use tansy, which grows profusely and can become invasive.

6. Before planting companion plants, create a collar to prevent cut worm attacks. Wrap the base of the stem with aluminum foil, then cut a collar out of a small paper cup. Put the collar loosely around the foil. Plant the stem deeply, leaving the foil and collar at ground level, halfway in the soil.

References

• "The Encyclopedia of Natural Insect & Disease Control;" Roger B. Yepsen, Jr.;1984

Resources

• Essential Garden Guide: Tomato Hornworms