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Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard

Tomato hornworms grow to near-gigantic size in a matter of a week from the time they hatch.

Your vision of harvesting and enjoying fresh produce straight from your back yard is just a few ripe tomatoes away. Don’t let a pest infestation turn that dream into a nightmare. Help keep your vegetable garden – and other planting beds – healthy and free from serious pest attack. Here’s a look at some common symptoms you may notice on your plants, as well as possible causes and remedies.

Symptom: Leaves are curled and twisted, often with a black, sooty appearance. Deformed or stunted blooms on new growth.
Cause: Aphids – found on many plants, and frequently found in combination with ants. Look for round, soft-bodied insects that are black, gray, green or yellow, measuring 1⁄16-1⁄4 an inch long.
Remedies: Wash off light infestations with a strong stream of water. If that’s ineffective, spray with insecticidal soap or horticulture oils. (Only spray with botanical neem or pyrethrin as a last resort.)

Symptom: Green parts of leaves are chewed, removed or left in place but stripped to veins. Later, leaves become dry and skeletonized.
Cause: Beetles, including Colorado potato beetles, Japanese beetles and beetle larvae. (Hard-shelled beetles are most active in the heat of the day.)
Remedies: Handpick beetles after shaking plant in early morning, while the pests are inactive. Apply milky spore (Bacillus popilliae) for Japanese beetle grubs and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) for Colorado potato beetles. (Only spray with neem or pyrethrin as a last resort.)

Symptom: Seedlings cut off at ground level.
Cause: Cutworms. Look for smooth, gray-brown, wormlike moth larvae under plant debris or just below soil surface.
Remedies: Install cardboard collars (e.g., toilet paper rolls) or plastic cups around plant stems, and sink 2 inches into the soil.

Symptom: Foliage is eaten and stems are scored or eaten. Black or brown droppings, 1⁄20 of an inch wide, are left on foliage. Moths and butterflies are seen resting on plants.
Cause: Various larvae and caterpillars, white cabbage moth, tomato hornworm, wormlike larvae, and/or loopers. Look at undersides of leaves and along stems for pests during midday.
Remedies: Handpick caterpillars from the center leaves of plant. Release parasitic wasps and flies, natural predators of these pests. Spray with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Apply horticultural oil in summer.