Need a DIY recipe for vegetable garden insects
 

We have planted a few things in 5 gal. buckets this year (tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, green beans, etc). Today I noticed very, very small worms on my tomato plants & they were eating the leaves. What is a good DIY recipe that I can make that will not harm my plants but will deter the insects from eating my plants? It needs to be a simple recipe with little ingredients & is easy to make & that actually works. Thanks!

Soapy water plus cayenne, sprayed on the plants, is the only DIY remedy I know of, but if you really want to get rid of tomato worms, use Bacillus thuringiensis... product name is Thuricide. It's a natural organic non-insecticide that causes worms' stomaches to rupture. Just mix it with water and spray it on the leaves every few days.

So, what is your formula for the soapy water/cayenne mixture? Have you tried it? Does it work?

My stepfather always put a handful of Epsom Salts in each tomato hole before he planted the tomatoes. He said this kept the worms away

We used Epsom salts when we planted them but that didn't keep the worms away. These worms are so very, very small that I can't even identify them yet.

I use diatomaceous earth -- sprinkle it on the leaves and on the dirt. May need to repeat it a few times as water/rain will wash it off. It is safe for vegetables. Here is a link if you want to know more. I raise tomatoes in buckets, also, and have found this works very well.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/pla...ct-control.htm