Say Goodbye To Tomato Hornworms For Good With This Game Changing Trick

At least 55% of homes in America have their own gardens. Gardening not only produces fresh ingredients you can trace back to their source, but there's also a sense of accomplishment from having grown your own — and saving a couple of bucks on groceries definitely doesn't hurt. However, pests are something to worry about. With tomatoes, hornworms can damage the plant. And it doesn't matter whether you're trying to grow the easiest tomato variety for beginners. Once they're in the garden, these pests can really sabotage your efforts. 

Here's where Deanna Talerico comes to the rescue. When Chowhound exclusively spoke with the creator of Homestead and Chill, she gave us a useful tip, saying, "Practicing crop rotation is one of the best natural ways to prevent tomato hornworms. Hornworm larvae overwinter in the soil, emerge in spring, and then crawl up the plants to start feasting." Rotation eliminates the chances of planting the crops right where they might be hiding from last season.   

Reaching up to 5 inches long, these caterpillars can be easily overlooked because the color of their exoskeleton is the same shade as leaves. You'd usually have to rely on clues to find out whether there's an infestation, like spotting holes in your tomato plant, seeing a significant loss of leaves, or chewed-up parts on the tomato. Hornworm droppings are a tell-tale sign, which look like circular shapes grouped together, kind of like a much smaller and darker sweetsop.

Ignoring the infestation can completely hinder your plant from setting fruit, which is why it's important to get rid of it sooner rather than later. Practicing crop rotation is one thing, but once the crops have settled in, actually finding the hornworms is what poses a challenge. If you see signs of an infestation, Talerico further advises that shining a blacklight on them is best — since they glow in the dark — and taking them off yourself. However, she also shares an easier alternative: "You can also use organic Bt (bacillus thuringiensis) spray, but it's most effective against small hornworms and must be re-applied weekly." However, this option could harm garden-friendly insects, so if you can, it's always better to just pluck them off the plant.

Setting up your home garden has its fair share of challenges. It might even be tempting to just find the best places to buy fruit and vegetable plants online and call it a day, but if you apply the easy hacks to getting rid of garden pests, you could still show off your green thumb without any worry.