All Natural Home Remedy for for Bugs on Tomato Plants

Bugs

• Some bugs, such as aphids and whiteflies, suck the juices from the plant, resulting in wilting and yellowing of the leaves. Others bore into the newly developing flowers and fruit, causing them to be deformed or even drop from the plant prematurely. Some of the latter type of bugs include the tomato fruitworm and budworm. Still others chew and nibble on the leaves. These include beetles and hornworms.

Home Remedies

• Brew up an insect tea. Add a cup of chopped yarrow leaves to 16 oz. of water and set it in a sunny location for 24 hours. Then, strain out the liquid and mix it with a gallon of water and 2 cups of strongly brewed coffee. Add 1/4 tsp. of castile soap. Spray this on your tomato plants every two weeks. Or, try a spicy horseradish mixture. Boil 3 qt. of water and then add 2 cups of chopped cayenne peppers, 2 cups of scented geranium leaves (optional) and a 1-inch piece of horseradish root, chopped up. Reduce the heat and let the ingredients soak for one hour on warm and then strain the liquid.

Considerations

• All natural home remedies may be more effective on some of these bugs than others. Effectiveness might also vary depending on the severity of the infestation. Yarrow tea, for example, works better on tomato insects that do not have a hard, protective outer shell, such as aphids. Spicy solutions such as the horseradish insecticide work well on a broader range of insects, according to GH Organics, including the beetles and worms that plague tomato plants. Repeated applications are necessary, however.

Other Options

• Some methods work just as well or even better than all natural sprays. The tomato hornworm, for example, is large enough to be picked off the plants by hand. Put on some gardening gloves, pluck the caterpillars off the plants and drop them in a bucket of water to drown them. Aphids and other insect pests can often be knocked off tomato plants with a strong stream of water. Or, place aluminum foil around the base of your plant. The sunlight will reflect onto the bottom of the foliage. This will not hurt the tomato plant, but it will greatly bother the insects that like to cling to the undersides of the leaves.