Trials and Tribulations

The original idea of getting a greenhouse was to decrease the aggravations associated with the short growing season... heavy rains breaking branches, rabbits and chipmunks eating the plants and vegetables, dirt bugs eating the roots, etc.  Well, come to find out, the greenhouse has its own set of annoyances.

This critter - I hesitate to say little, cause quite a bit of heartache this weekend.  It's a tomato hornworm caterpillar.  (Ick)

If we did not find him when we did, we would have woken up to NO tomato plants.  A few of the tomatoes themselves where HALF eaten. Not just a little bite like a chipmunk. They grow ridiculously fast, are hungry and are UGLY. When I first saw it I thought to myself, "man, I have to stop drinking," but quickly realized I HAD NOT HAD EVEN ONE DRINK. It looked like it came straight out of Alice in Wonderland (I looked around for a hookah pipe!). 

Apparently they are laid by moths on the leaves as very small, nearly undetectable larvae. 

I had seen a moth or two in there but thought nothing of it. THAT won't happen again!

I'm not completely sure if they are also the wormy things that ate my broccoli plants. There was no damage until the broccoli head started to show then BAM! Munch!  Still need to do more research on that one!

Stay tuned.