Is it an Alien or what?

Even after all the craziness- weather and otherwise, my Organic Veggie Garden Box is growing well.
I have been harvesting the goodies and enjoying lettuce, cherry tomatoes, kale, cucumber and zucchini. I try and water in the morning unless we are having a dangerous thunder storm. The weeding has been minimal.

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The sugar snap peas have been amazing and we have been eating our fair share of them.

Since Peas are typically a cool weather crop they had really run their course and needed to be put to rest. I was more than a little excited, because there seemed to be a volunteer tomato plant growing amongst the vines. I would be very careful not to disturb that wonderful surprise.

After I pulled all the crotchety pea plants I stood back to admire the providential plant. That's when I was surprised, disgusted and scared all at the same time.



You can believe me when I tell you I am new to veggie gardening. Those of you who have grown veggies for years would know what this is but I did not.
Any guesses?



Its a tomato Hornworm. They can get big munching on your carefully cared for plants. They especially like tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and peppers. They will quickly defoliate your plants if you don't catch them. The best way to get rid of them is to pull them off. Sometimes you will need a pliers since they do not go peacefully. Birds may eat them, which is another reason to attract birds with trees and shrubs that bear fruit.

Nothing nice about them!


Now here is something reassuring(eeuw): If you find them looking like this with all the little white things on the back, don't touch them. When those things hatch they will become a moth that will actually parasitize other Hornworms. Nice to know and look forward to.


More super interesting info (school has begun early):
There has been a very strange wasp/hummingbird looking thing flying around our neighborhood. I am pretty certain that it is the Hummingbird moth and it's larvae is the Hornworm.



Start Lion King music...Circle of Life!