And chickens love eating them! My Mom said one of her favorite childhood chores was picking hornworms off their tomato plants and tossing them to the chickens, watching them squabble over and run off with the fat green pests.
Hornworms were a big problem when I lived in SoCal but I haven't seen a single one up here on the damp, cool north coast. (Instead I'm battling fungus and whiteflies, bleah.) None of my best-growing tomato varieties from down there are happy at all here, especially outdoors; I'm having to learn from other local gardeners, nursery people and the botanical garden staff what tomatoes can actually ripen AND taste good here. So far, Sungold and Chocolate Sprinkles cherry types, Dark Star and Stupice slicers. Haven't tried the classic canning varieties yet though I see lots of starts for them in the nurseries.
Good time of year to research and plan next year's gardens while hunkered down indoors, warm & cozy while winter starts doing its thing!
