Posted on 06/19/2015 12:32:09 PM PDT by greeneyes
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I appear to be raising a bumper crop of sphinx moth caterpillars- I wonder if they taste better than the tomatoes they’re eating? The chickens seem to think so, but they also like tomatoes so I can’t let the chickens do the job of hunting for them.
Up north the wasps always kept the sphinx moth caterpillars in check by parasitizing the caterpillars but not so here- I have yet to find a single one with wasp eggs on it.
That’s interesting info. Thanks.
I will keep the thread informed whenever Kathy in Alaska pings me with an update.
I’ll be darned... tomato hornworms ARE edible... here’s a recipe at the link:
http://www.eattheweeds.com/manduca-cuisine-eating-green-gluttons-2/
TIK, I would love to but don’t know how to post pics.. Sigh!
You should be able to find pics on the web.
Perilla is quite popular in Asian cuisines. It’s really popular in both Japan and Korea. I make Korean perilla kimchi/pickles, mostly.
Check my web-friend Emily’s video. I use her recipes, actually.
http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/kkaennip-kimchi
The raw taste is kinda cross between basal and mint. Some 30+ years ago I really didn’t care for it. But as I’ve gotten older I’ve taken a “shine” to it.. You know, as you get older you lose sensors on your taste buds.. Maybe that’s it.. :-)
Re: Netting. - Yeah; we’ve used netting; but we have *good* snakes that have gotten themselves tangled up in the netting. Husband cut one snake out of the netting; but two more were just hopelessly tangled up & died. (The one he managed to cut out was terribly tangled up; twisted around his arm & squeezed very, very hard.) - He’s used the beer; but his parents raised him so hung up about *any* form of alcohol that he seems guilty even for using it in gardening. I’m sure he knows it’s silly; but he just hasn’t been able to shake that guilt & he’s 71 now. I doubt he ever will get over that guilt trip. I call it “mental constipation”, and it’s a shame.
Thank you Marcella.
You are welcome. I hope it helps.
LOL! sounds yummy!!
I think the recipe for feeding them sounds better than the worm recipe! I’d be eating both if I was starving!
That’s it! eat both and you’ve come up with a NEW DIET!!
THE TOMATO HORN WORM STARVATION DIET! LOSE POUNDS!
Thanks for the information on Perilla , previously totally unknown to me .
Is there a flavor variation when it is cooked ? steamed ?
Sounds interesting - are seeds avaialble in this country ? Source ?
Maybe a 'perilla -julip' instead of a 'mint-julip' for a cool drink at Kentucky Derby time ? :-)
Sphinx moth caterpillars (A/K/A : Tomatoe Hornworm/ Tobacco Hornworm) can be controlled both naturally and organicly .
Sphinx moth caterpillars are preyed upon by many creatures, including mantids, assassin bugs, birds, and spiders.
Some sphinx caterpillars are partially defended by chemicals that they received from their food plants.
For instance, the tobacco hornworm caterpillar gets nicotine, which is a poison to most animals, from tobacco.
Also , since they are a member of the family Lepodoptera (moth/butterfly), they can be controlled naturally through biological controls.
A biological control organism that is also highly effective and sold commonly is Bacillus thuringiensis (e.g., Dipel, Thuricide).
Hornworm larvae can also be hand-picked although they are surprisingly difficult to detect because of their camo coloration.
Larvae tend to feed on the exterior parts of plants during shadier periods, near dusk and dawn,
when they may also be more readily observed and destroyed.
Bacillus thuringiensis gives the insect lepodoptera a terminal flu, and is naturally occurring control .
Since the pupae overwinter in the soil , fall clean up is essential in its control . Don't compost infected plants in the fall season !
Praise the Lord, I got an email from Johnny. He says he is okay and his emails have not been going through to me (and I think he meant others as well). So, if he was usually sending some of you emails, that is why you haven’t heard from him.
Marcella
Thank you! Praise the Lord indeed! I’ve been watching his posting history to see when he gets back online. Johnny - wishing you a blessed father’s day tomorrow.
Praise be! Thank the Lord! So glad to read this. Thanks Marcella.
Thanks for the information!
I am rather desperate to lose lbs. but not THAT desperate yet. LOL
been real busy expanding our aquaculture set up. have tomatoes, eggplant, bush beans and a pepper being watered / fertilized from our small fish pond. so far so good. wife busy planting other summer crops. Finally our fruit trees have gone bonkers and we are dealing with a bumper crop of plums, peaches, apricots and nectarines. this is way too early - all because of the early heat here in california.
I have some critters that LOVE my Swiss chard. It is growing well, but the big beautiful leaves are pockmarked with holes.
And my bean plants have reddish bugs hanging out on them, making webs of many of the leaves.
I’ve sprayed with a fruit and vegetable spray from Wal mart, but it doesn’t seem to help at all.
Anyone have any ideas?
Other than that, things are growing well. I’m amazed the bunnies and deer haven’t found my beautiful romaine and butter lettuce yet.
Bummer the tomatoes and cucumbers aren’t ripe yet - my salads are boring with just lettuce and radishes!
I am eating lettuce and radishes and green onions at almost ever meal! Radishes are good for the liver. Nothing ever bothers my lettuce. We are in the woods but have at least one cat out all the time so we just watch for the deer.
Does anyone have experience with those lightweight wrinkled up collapsible garden hoses??? It’s getting harder to lug my heavy hoses around and I am looking at getting one of these to try out.
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