Found this article and thought you might like this recipe. It really is good.
I have the recipe for hornworm relief
Early summer is a trying time for gardeners who fancy themselves organic.
About this time of year, we begin to feel an overwhelming desire to do something drastic to our tomato plants. The leaves are dark green and healthy, the fruits are beginning to turn a perfect pink. Something is wrong, terribly wrong. Aren't we supposed to be spraying or something?
As if in answer to our question, the hideous, Godforsaken tomato hornworm makes its appearance on our leaves fat and green but for the little white racing stripes on its side, and the prominent, flametipped horn arising from its posterior extremity.
At last, a big, ugly Satanic bug. Where's the spray?
It doesn't matter that tomato hornworms rarely attack in large numbers. It doesn't matter that once the hornworm is big enough to see, it's already done most of the damage and is all but immune to pesticides. It doesn't matter that we're going to have to risk life and limb on Airport Boulevard to buy a $10 bag of Sevin dust.
Like Ahab, we're going to obliterate that worm if it's the last thing we do.
Now I get just as excited by big green worms as the next guy, but I'll confess: I'm just too lazy to get out on Airport Boulevard and pay $10 for a bag of white powder.
Nonetheless, I've been growing tomatoes in the South for years and have never had any serious problems with tomato hornworms and inevitably end up with more tomatoes than I can possibly eat.
Here's my secret:
Bill Finch's Household Formula for Effective Tomato Hornworm Control
6 lemons
1 quart water
1/2 cup household sugar
The active ingredient here is a powerful concentration of citric acid.
Squeeze the lemons and pour the liquid into a widemouth jar, being careful to strain the seeds. (Some pulp won't hurt, and may even improve the formula's effectiveness).
Add the water and stir in the sugar. Sugar tends to react synergistically with the lemon.
Mix vigorously in the quart jar, and immediately lower temperature to between 3-7 degrees Centigrade, or approximately 35-45 degrees Farenheit.
Move the jar to the garden, being careful not to spill any on the lawn.
When you come in contact with the tomato plant, locate the large, conspicuous tomato hornworms (they can usually be found near conglomerations of their large, conspicuous feces.)
Once you've spotted the worms, knock them to the ground, step on them, and take a sip of the citric acid. If it seems too sour, return to the kitchen and add more sugar.
Repeat until hornworms have been eliminated from the tomato plants.
NOTE: If a little white powder on your leaves makes you feel more like a real gardener, I highly recommend cornstarch. Apply it after knocking the hornworms from the plant. It looks remarkably like Sevin dust, and in the long run is about as effective.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This column originally appeared in 1994. Mr. Finch will return next week with new and refreshing columns. As always, he's delighted to answer your gardening questions. He directly responds to almost all reasonable questions addressed to gardens@press-register.com (be sure to include a phone number with your question). In a pinch, you may be able to catch him by phone, at 251-219-5630, but may not be able to return all phone messages.
This is a link to the article: Press-Register
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