Manduca sexta - Tobacco Hornworm

This year I have had a ton of Tobacco Hornworms (Manduca sexta) attack my tomato plants. These are very similar to the Tomato Hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata) and either variety will attack your tomato plants quickly and will leave them lifeless in a matter of days. They are easy to spot. They are big and the leave a trail of black pellets on the ground where they have been. You will also see bare stems with no leaves. They blend in well but if you just look you can find them. I hear you can easily see them in the dark with a black light but I haven't tried that and I really didn't need to as they were easy enough to spot. Fortunately there are some natural way of controlling them. Here are some of the preferred methods.

1. Physically remove them - When I first noticed the Hornworms on my plants my first inclination was to pull them off....not the best idea. These big boys don't like to be ripped their food source. When you do pull them off they often take part of the plant with them. What I ended up doing is, (Stop reading if you are squeamish cause it's about to get nasty) cut them in half with a pair of scissors. This preserves the plant and it really does remove the pest. 

2. Spray Bacillus thuringiensis - This naturally occuring bacteria attacks only chewing caterpillars  and leaves beneficial insects, wildlife and humans unharmed.

3.  Beneficial Insects - Ladybugs and lacewings will eat the young eggs so release them in your garden early in the spring and let them go to work. 

Using a combination of these methods will ensure that your tomatoes will make it to your dinner table. 

Bambusa lako – Timor Bamboo

Bamboo is one of those misunderstood plants that many people love but are often afraid to plant in their gardens. Granted, a running bamboo left to freely roam without the use of barriers can get out of control rather quickly, but many gardeners are unaware that the clumping varieties of bamboo don’t pose this threat. That being the case I don’t think there is a more dramatic clumping bamboo than the awe-inspiring Bambusa Lako. Native to the island of Timor, it can grow up to 70 feet tall (21 meters) with culms over 4 inches in diameter.  When mature the culms are glossy black with randomly placed green stripes. This is a rapid grower with short branches and big long leaves. Due to it’s size and it’s love for warm climates it is best suited for large tropical gardens but it won’t spread and take over a yard. If you find this rare plant for sale it likely won’t be cheap but it is well worth the investment.You’ll thank me later.

Bambusa Lako Quick Facts

Overall Shape – Tall vertical culms that droop slightly at the top

Height – 20’ to 70’
Spread – clumping
Growth Rate - rapid
Exposure  - full sum
Soil - Can tolerate most, Moist loamy soil preferred

Hardiness – to 25F

Prunus mume - Japanese flowering apricot

One of my favorite small trees is the Prunus mume or Japanese flowering apricot. This is one of the earliest flowering trees, budding out before leaves appear and sometimes while snow is still on the ground. The yellow to green 1 to 3 inch fruits resemble an apricot but are inedible unless pickled, made in to the traditional Chinese plum sauce or plum wine. The flowers are double, white, pink or red, are fragrant and can be used as a tea. The Japanese flowering apricot usually has a rounded to oval crown, and grows 10 to 20 feet with an equal spread. As they age, the branches and trunk take on a gnarled appearance. Prunus mume is an iconic tree in Japan and China but in the US they are rarely seen outside of Japanese gardens. There are a ton of cultivars, including my favorites, Prunus mume 'Contorta' which has wildly twisted branches and Prunus mume 'Kobai' which has really nice red semi-double flowers. If you have room in your garden for small tree that puts on an show early in spring you can’t go wrong with this great little tree.

Prunus mume quick facts

Overall Shape - rounded, dense, twiggy growth variable with cultivar
Height - 10-20'
Spread - equal
Growth Rate - rapid
Exposure  - sun to partial shade
Soil - sandy loam to some clay

Hardiness - zones 6-9
Flowers - single or double, white, pink or red; flowers in late winter early spring; fragrant and edible as a tea

Fruit - yellow to green, 1" to 3" fruit is edible if pickled