You've been there. Your Tomato plants look like the fountain of life one day, then the next are stripped bare to be just a skeleton of a plant. How disheartening! You put so much love and effort into your garden only to find that SOMETHING has destroyed your precious plant.
Hornworms In The Garden
This just happened to me. With one difference. It's July in Texas and my tomato plants are just about done. They are so tired, so dry and take way too much water to keep alive. I'm ready to take my tomato plants out of the garden.
They Are Doing Me A Favor
I figure these worms are just taking these finished tomato plants and turning them into something beautiful. Have you seen the Sphinx Moth? These beautiful moths are absolutely stunning. However, the best part is not that they are so pretty. They are also pollinators. Yes! They provide a valuable service to the farm and garden by helping to pollinate plants.
Even if my tomato plants weren't at the end of the season I will not kill these caterpillars. I will simply remove them as I find them and place them on a sacrificial plant. Perhaps I'll even grow a few extra plants in a separate area just for these beauties to have a place to eat, get strong and transform into the beautiful moth they were meant to be.
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