Corn ear worms are a annoying pest to the Houston vegetable gardener. It is not that they eat so much of the corn, they just make it look bad. Having members of the carrot/parsley in bloom is supposed to attract a wasp that attacks the moths. I always try to have something blooming in the garden to attract beneficials. At the time the corn is vulnerable, cilantro is blooming everywhere. I usually have more problems with ear worms in the fall than in the spring.
This year I also tried an organic remedy recommended by U. Mass. It involves squirting a small amount of vegetable oil with BT added to it onto the roots of the silks a few days after they appear. I tried it and so far I have not had any ear worms.
The corn did not fill out the ears very well. I don’t think the ear worm treatment is responsible, but I guess it could be. Probably the corn was planted too close together and the leaves interfered with pollination. Often I hand pollinate, but this year I did not.
The first round of beans is finished. The Derby beans are blooming again; the Maxibel are dying off. The next picking will be smaller and of poorer quality but still a picking.
Tomatoes are being picked daily. As usual Sweet Chelsea and Sun Gold are producing massive amounts. The slicers produced very good quality this year but a small yield. Champion made only 3 tomatoes. Merced was better than Bush Celebrity, but unfortunately no more seed are available for it.
Tomorrow we are off the Montana to start a spring garden there. I planted black eye and purple hull peas as a cover crop. Hopefully, some relative will pick some of them, but most people are too busy or too lazy to shell peas these days.