This is what we will do with vegetables during these months.
- Look for tomato hornworms to be active in April. They attack
grapes as well as tomatoes. The adults, the sphinx moth, has been flying now for two weeks and laying her eggs which turn into the hornworm.
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| Found this sphinx moth lying on the sidewalk during a walk. This was two weeks ago. They are flying so horn worms will be a problem soon. Below is a hornworm, the larva of the above moth. I got this picture from the internet since I dont have a good pic. Sorry to whoever’s this was. I don’t have the reference anymore.  |
- New transplants, protect from cutworms with Bt or
spinosad. Spinosad is harder on bees but gets more different types of insects. More information on spinosad. Bt comes as Dipel or Thuricide. Spray on leaves and will leave a residual for a few days after you spray and then it is gone. Respray weekly for the next four weeks. The insect has to “eat” leaves that have the Bt on it. More information on Bt. They are both “organic”.
- Fertilize with a high nitrogen fertilizer once a month. This can be blood meal or a conventional nitrogen fertilizer such as ammonium sulfate (21-0-0).
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Aphids are out. They overwintered on your other plants and weeds in the yard. They are easy to control with insectidal soap, Neem or other products. But they will be on the UNDERSIDES of the leaves so make sure you spray on the undersides of leaves, not just the tops. Direct the spray up under the foliage when you spray.
