How to Keep Worms Off Your Tomato Vines
Tomato plants, favorites of home gardeners, are popular with certain worms as well. Both the plants and the fruit can fall prey to the tomato hornworm, tomato fruitworm, cabbage loopers, tomato pinworms and species of armyworms. Some of these worms destroy the plant, while others damage or destroy the fruit, defacing it or making it inedible. Control these worms before they become well established to protect tomato vines and fruit. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Hand Picking
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1
Check to see if the worms on your tomato vines are tomato hornworms. Although all types of tomato worms can be controlled with pesticides, if you have tomato hornworms, you can control them by hand, which is the preferred method for smaller home gardens and organic growers. Hornworms are large, up to 4 1/2 inches long and green with series of white stripes running diagonally up their sides. They also have a large horn sticking upwards at the rear of their bodies.
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Go to your garden early in the morning, when it is cool, or after the heat of the day has passed. The worms are most active at these times.
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Check the tomato vines carefully for hornworms. They are almost the same color as tomato stems and leaves, so you may have to look closely to find them.
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Pick off any that you see, and drop them in a bucket of soapy water. This kills them quickly, without the need to use poison. Repeat this process as often as necessary to remove existing worms and prevent them from becoming adults and reproducing.
Spray
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Inspect your tomato plants for signs of worm eggs or damage. The appearance of the eggs varies greatly with the type of pest, but look for clusters of eggs on the undersides of leaves or on the stems of the plants.
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Spray the tomato plants with a pesticide that is recommended for use against multiple types of tomato worms. Check with your county extension agent for specific recommendations for your area. Spraying before the eggs hatch kills any existing worms and prevents others from appearing.
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Apply the spray as directed on the label. Some types of pesticides are applied before the fruit appears, while other types are applied after the fruit has set or ripened. Reapply the pesticide as indicated on the label.
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Tips & Warnings
Select insecticides such as abamectin, permethrin, esfenvalerate and acetamiprid for best results against a variety of worm pests.
Insecticides can be harmful if used incorrectly. Follow all label instructions and wear gloves when handling chemicals. To avoid accidents never put insecticides in containers originally intended for other products.
References
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images
