The other day when we were re-staking the tomatoes, Mike and I noticed some brown chunks on the leaves of the plants. After playing a fun round of "eggs or poop" (a common farming game, I'm sure), I consulted the internet and learned that these were tomato hornworm droppings. I've been dreading the tomato hornworms all summer, as other more experienced vegetable gardeners frequently bemoan these pests. After three days of fighting them, I have to agree. Tomato hornworms are incredibly hard to see, as they are green, blend in thoroughly with a tomato plant, and cling stubbornly to tomato leaves and stems. They are also supposed to be very destructive and can get up to 4-5 inches long, so I have an incentive to find and destroy them as quickly as possible. In addition to being well camouflaged, tomato hornworms are unpleasant to handpick. The big ones are very difficult to pull off, and once you manage to get the worm off the tomato plant, the worm makes this creepy clicking sound. Clearly, this task required much bravery on my part.
Today I was able to get about seven of them, and found the one upside to having tomato hornworms. The chickens absolutely love them. I gave the worms to the girls, and in a matter of seconds they were gone.
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| Tomato hornworms (with an extra potato bug) |
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| Chickens munching on tomato hornworms |
We are heading off on a family vacation to the Cape tomorrow, so in preparation I harvested a good amount of veggies. I think this is a particularly good looking selection, with carrots, eggplant, beets, summer squash, and zuccini. I also grabbed some chard, potatoes and bell peppers, which aren't pictured.
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| Siamese twin eggplant! |
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| Harvest for the Cape |
This vacation means I'll be leaving the farm in Mike's hands for the next week and a half. He told me that he's praying for rain, which I said is a terrible thing to ask for when your wife is going to the beach (although I do sympathize with him - it's nice not to have to water). I'm hoping to come back to ripe tomatoes and more eggplant.
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