In an earlier post, I mentioned because of my wall rebuild I didn't have a veggie garden planted. I forgot, however, I do have two tomato plants. One is the parent plant. I pinched a sucker off the plant six to eight weeks ago, rooted it and stuck it in the ground. These two plants are troopers because the irrigation has been off for forever. I have handwatered but these two are doing great.
That is dust on the leaves from all of the trenching and excavating being done nearby.
The garden remodel has opened up some areas for different uses. This area is now home to tomato plant and composter. Both seem to be doing very well in their new locations. As you can see, fruit is already setting on the tomato plant (full sun, warm soil!). The composter is rocking. No joke, when I opened it up today, my glasses got steamed up from the heat from the decomposing plant material.
Fee! Fi! Fo! Fum! Who is that eating all the leaves from my tomato plant?
Why it is none other than the tomato hornworm.* The tomato plant was being depleted of its leaves down to the stem. Lucky for me I spied this ravenous creature as I went to photograph some newly developing veggies. Even though they are the size of an index finger, they are so clever in their coloration and markings, they are hard to see. And yuck, it presented me with green goo when I tried to remove it from the stem on which it was napping. I repeat...YUCK!
The hornworm caterpillar is named after the magenta colored "horn" which is at the posterior end of this lovely creature. *I misidentified this little fellow in my original post. Observant readers of my blog have indicated my error in their comments. I stand corrected and state that this little guy is actually a tabacco hornworm. Thank you faithful readers! :)
Watch this video with still photos and action video of the hornworm caterpillar.
