Tomato hornworms are the larvae of a large sphinx moth that is about the size of a hummingbird. In spring the moth lays eggs on the underside of tomato leaves, and the hornworm is quite small when it first emerges. However, they are big eaters (of tomato leaves) and grow up quickly. Usually, you won’t even discover this fellow until it is large–about 2 inches long and fat! They are quite distinctive, actually handsome with their diagonal white stripes and horns on the rear.

Don’t be afraid of the hornworms. They look more frightening than they are. They don’t bite or sting, just try to look big and ferocious. You can easily handpick to remove from your tomato plant and just throw them away. When they are younger, smaller, use Bt (bacillus thuringiensis) as an effective management technique.

Some gardeners have a different approach to the tomato hornworm. While handpicking a hornworm, look to see if you find little white cocoons attached to its back. If you do see this, that cocoon is a pupating braconid wasp, which is a garden friend predator. Capture the hornworm and keep it or all of them in a container, feeding them tomato leaves. You are creating a nursery for the braconid wasps that can be released into your garden! These wasps will also control the hornworm population.

Other natural predators are birds and the larvae of the green lacewing. Plant your gardens to create an inviting habitat for all of these natural predators, and you’ll control this voracious eater of your tomato leaves. Luckily, they don’t eat the tomato!

Leaf miners – tiny fly larvae – hang out on foliage. They are actually crawling around underneath the cuticle of the leaf or, more simply, in between the layers of the leaf, leaving trails like a lost hiker all over the leaf. This is a very distinctive – and ugly - look. The good news to all gardeners - this damage is unattractive but does not cause harm to your plants.

The most effective management of leaf miners is simply to remove the infected leaves and throw them away. These larvae eat until full and then fall into the soil beneath the foliage to grow up. If you don’t want their life cycle to go that far, throwing out the leaves is best. If you miss a leaf or two, chances are birds or other natural predators will probably eat the pupae in the soil.

For the citrus leaf miner, a minute moth (not a fly larva) which does do serious damage, we recommend spraying with Spinosad.

Throughout history, herbs have played a major role in the health and well being of mankind. Every society on the planet, past or present, has discovered the value of herbs for culinary and medicinal purposes. Especially now in the 21 st century of "designer" pharmaceutical preservatives and artificial flavor enhancements, we see a strong trend toward the natural flavoring and medicinal purposes of herbs. No matter how small or large your gardening space, you have room for an herb garden. Start with a sunny spot in the ground; add a good organic soil amendment like Gardner & Bloome Harvest Supreme, —or plant in pots, using a good potting mix such as Gardner & Bloome Organic Potting Soil.

Be sure to provide adequate water, and fertilize as necessary. Now comes the fun part. Start with a good selection of culinary herbs such as basil, thyme, mint, rosemary, oregano, sage, dill, coriander, fennel, marjoram and parsley. Use your culinary herbs to flavor fish, meat, chicken, soups and salads.

Your medicinal collection should include chamomile, lavender, aloe, echinacea and lemon balm. Medicinal herbs are great in teas to help ease headaches, toothaches, tension and stomach pain. Always check with your doctor first to be sure herbal remedies are all right for you.

Herbs also provide a great way to scent and decorate your home in dried arrangements, potpourris and sachets. Some great herbs for this are: sweet basil, lemon verbena, sweet marjoram, lemon balm, scented geranium, rosemary, thyme and mint. For use in sachets and potpourri, dry the herbs first, by tying sprigs together with a string and hanging in a warm, dry place. Place the dried herbs in a fabric bag, tie with a string or ribbon, and hang them in your closet or tuck them in a drawer.

And there's nothing like an herbal bath with fresh herbs. Lavender is traditionally for relaxation, and rosemary to soothe aching muscles and joints; try mint or a mixture of oregano, sage, and thyme to boost your energy. Simply put about a half of a cup of fresh herbs in a muslin bag (pantyhose will also work), tie tightly, and hang it directly under the faucet as you are running the bath. You can also use the bag as a 'scrub bag' to scent your skin.

In your garden, herbs can be planted in beautiful patterns of color, texture and size, or combine them in containers with roses, fruit trees and perennials. Come in and we'll show you how. The world of herbs opens up a world of possibilities...discover them today!

Herbal Recipe – Pesto Genovese

Here is an excellent sauce for potatoes, rice or pasta:

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 spinach leaves
• 1/3 cup grated Pecorino cheese
• 1 tsp. fresh marjoram
• 1 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp. fresh parsley
• 1 cup pignoli or other nuts (optional)
• 3 garlic cloves

Blend to a smooth paste. Yield: ~1-1/2 cups

My husband asks me every year, “If it’s called squash, why isn’t it flat?” I don’t have an answer for him. Not yet.

Growing squash is fun to do. There are many different varieties to choose from: zucchini, yellow squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, and so on. One thing that you must keep in mind, these plants take up a lot of horizontal space in your garden. That is, unless you grow them vertically, and there are structures that you can build to do just that.

Create a compost/soil mound and plant seeds (or start small seedlings) on this hill. The ultimate plant number per hill should be three. Make sure that you have left enough room, as this plant family, like zucchini, sprawls as it grows. Alternatively, build a teepee or trellis for the plant to grow on. This is space saving, but you will have to tie up the vine and offer support for the squash once the plant fruits.
For those veggie growers who never found success with growing squash, there is a simple explanation and it does not start with the phrase, “You have a brown thumb.”

Did you know that there are two different flowers on squash? This type of plant is called monoecious, a species having both sexes on the same plant, but in separate imperfect flowers. In other words, there is a male flower and there is a female flower. When the squash plant is young, frequently only the male flowers begin to bloom, prior to getting any female flowers. This is probably a good result, as the plant needs to mature to a greater size before producing a fruit anyway.

If you have ever watched a young squash developing, only to be disappointed because it shriveled up and dried out, don't be dismayed. You did not kill the squash, and the plant does not have a disease. The "fruit" simply was not properly fertilized. So, what does that have to do with you?

Go out to your garden. Early in the morning is the best time, because as the day progresses, the flowers slowly close. Each morning, go view your squash plants. Are there flowers blooming? If so, are they the male or the female flowers, or hopefully, both. The female flowers have an enlarged ovary behind the flower. This is the early squash. The male flowers are borne on a stem and you will notice no ovary behind the flower.

How to fertilize? (the "squash sex" part of this article) Cut or pinch off a male flower from the plant. Remove the bright yellow petals from the male flower. You will be left with the stamen full of pollen. Take that stamen and insert it into the female flower, touching the structure down inside the center of the petals called the pistil. This will fertilize the ovary, which is the early squash. Now watch and you will discover that the squash will come to its full size (the size, of course, being your choice before you remove it from the plant) without shriveling up.

Try this simple procedure this season and you'll be amazed at the results. You may not have a large enough harvest to feed the neighborhood, but you'll find a satisfying increase in production.

A little historical tidbit: The history of squash is tied to corn and beans. “In Iroquois mythology, corn, beans and squash were represented as three inseparable sisters."*

They planted into one mound seeds of maize, later beans and finally squash, because all three were eaten together.
Oh yes, and think of this. Pumpkins are squash too. Start a pumpkin plant now and have your very own pumpkins by Halloween. Have fun!

*Much Depends on Dinner by Margaret Visser