Too Much

The tomato hornworms are back in my garden. They're so well camouflaged that i haven't actually seen one yet, but i do see their handiwork--bare tomato stems.

The tomato hornworm eats tomato leaves. You have to admit that tomato leaves have a signature scent (and perhaps taste?) that smells good to us tomato-loving folk. On occasion, i've even bought tomato-leaf scented soap.

The best way for me to control the tomato hornworm is to have a very limited section of flowering tobacco (Nicotiana). This year i've let the Nicotiana pop up everywhere it wants. I have too much of it.

The tobacco hornworm is very closely related to the tomato hornworm, so my theory is that the flowering tobacco serves as an alternate host for the tomato hornworm.

Too much of anything leads to stress. Too much food (I should diet.), too many clothes (What am i going to wear today?), too much stuff around the house (I can't find.....). Too many tomato hornworms.

It's time to prune the clutter. And it's time to pull out the flowering tobacco in and around the vegetable garden.

Photo from articles.washingtonpost.com