The green worms on plants are the larvae of Lepidopteran insects which include butterflies and moths. In the first stage of its life cycle, the butterfly or moth lays eggs on the plant, and a few days later the worm or caterpillar is born, which is characterized by an appetite that requires constant feeding to develop into a new butterfly. It is this voracious and aggressive appetite which causes one of the most common problems encountered in plants and crops, and in the event of a plague it can wreak such havoc as to determine the total loss of the harvest.
In this article we are going to tell you which are the perfect remedies to learn how to eliminate green worms in plants.
Contents
green worms on plants
There are a large number of chemicals used to protect plantations. However, these substances can be toxic to humans and have harmful effects on our health.
Detecting the presence of green worms in plants in an orchard or garden is relatively simple, first because of their size and color, and second because of the conspicuousness and obviousness of the symptoms they produce in plants. Some of the most visible symptoms of caterpillars on plants are:
- galleries
- dead leaves
- Holes
- Superficial leaf punctures
Although they can also attack and feed on shoots and fruits. Also, you will see lots of little black dots on the leaves that it’s actually caterpillar droppings. If your plants are showing these signs, keep watching them closely, as you can easily end up seeing green caterpillars on them, whether they are small or more colorful and larger.
How to Get Rid of Green Worms in Plants
Garlic
Garlic is a natural insect repellent. This natural remedy to eliminate green worms is easy to prepare. Crush a head of garlic with a few glasses of water and let stand to obtain an effective insecticidal paste.
If it is true that it must be mixed again to facilitate its application, once soaked in 3 liters of water, we have a liquid product that is easy to apply. Depending on how much water we add, we will be left with more or less solid pesticides whether we mix it or let it sit later.
Tomato
The following home remedies to get rid of green worms in plants are also simple. The tomato plant produces molecules called alkaloids during its metabolism, which are excellent repellents, repelling aphids, green worms and caterpillars.
Preparation of pesticides includes:
- Crush or chop the leaves of this plant.
- Mix them with water.
- Leave the mixture to rest: As with garlic, the mixture should be diluted again to make it easier to work with.
Coriander
Coriander, also known as Chinese coriander, is a plant native to Asia with various properties that can be used for digestive problems, infections caused by fungi and bacteria, certain pains, and of course, to fend them off.
To get rid of green worms on cilantro plants, we need to prepare the plants as follows:
- Cook the coriander for about 10 minutes.
- Strain the mixture when it has boiled,
- Put the result in a spray and spray on our affected plants.
Nettle
Nettle is a plant that is considered a “weed” because it grows easily in fields and gardens and can cause itching and skin irritation upon contact due to the release of acidic substances in its feverish hairs. However, it is also known for its medicinal properties and an excellent insecticide, so mix 100 grams of nettle with 10 liters of water and leave to standyou will have a perfect insecticide that will make it a hotbed to eliminate green worms.
Tobacco to eliminate green worms in plants
Even though it may seem crazy at first, tobacco can be one of the home remedies to learn how to get rid of green worms from plants. The tobacco plant contains an alkaloid called nicotine which acts as an insect repellent, Therefore, mix about 60 grams of natural tobacco with 1 liter of water and you will get an excellent insecticide.
egg shells
Eggshells, in addition to being the perfect repellent, they have several benefits for plants as a fertilizer rich in calcium carbonate. Its applications include crushing the pods and spreading them on the bottom of the plants to kill green worms on the plants.
aromatic plants
Another option is to grow aromatic plants such as basil or mint. This last plant is also a good repellent of ants, slugs and fleas. In this case, we do not need to create mixtures, but the presence of these plants already drives away green worms. In addition to attracting wasps that feed on caterpillars, the smell of basil and mint can be used as a home remedy for these critters.
dishwasher soap
Although it may not look like it, another home remedy to kill plant caterpillars is to mix water with the soap we use to wash dishes. Remember that the amount of soap we will use is very small or we may cause other damage to plants. Once you have this mixture, spray it once a day to get rid of green worms on your plants.
peppers
Getting rid of plant worms is also easy with peppers. This home remedy for green caterpillars is based on cutting and grinding small pieces of chili peppers: they can be cayenne peppers, jalapeños or cayenne peppers. Once we have it, we will have to distribute this result in the factory compound every two weeks. If it rains, repeat this process more often to flush the green worms off the plants.
ecological scale
Another effective, natural and respectful approach to the environment and our plantations in particular consists in favoring the biodiversity of species and their balance, by planting related crops or by favoring the presence of certain natural enemies, it is possible to combat the appearance of plants harmful to green worms.
To do this and to get green worms out of your garden, a home remedy is to build birdhouses. By attracting these caterpillar-eating animals, we can ensure that they control caterpillar populations.
Hopefully with this information you can learn more about how to eliminate green worms in plants.