For the past few years, tomatoes have been often eaten before harvest by larvae of tobacco moth, which dig a small hall on the surface and eat the content completely. Stink bugs are another pests for tomatoes, which aspirate the content through sharp mouth. The aspirated fruits are gradually degenerated and not edible. This kind of pest has been also a problem here.
A farmer who have been farming without chemicals after the method in Edo era told in an SNS that such insects would damage vegetables because of paucity of weeds in the farms. They would not damage vegetables if there are a lot of weeds for their lives around the farm. This is a kind of natural farming idea. They say the farms are a system of ecology including weeds and pests. With all of the weeds pulled away, there could be pests eating vegetables in stead. That natural farming farmer tells us to cut weeds at the height of a feet. Remainder of weeds would work as the environment for life for those insects.
I have been pulling weeds around the vegetables completely and use them for grass mulch and for the source of compost. I don't think keeping weeds at certain height would solve the problem completely. But it may help to reduce the damages by the insects. I may try it from now. And seeding vegetables at the best time for them is another solution for this issue. In suboptimal conditions for vegetables to grow, for example, too early or too late sowing, they could be damaged by insects easily, I know from my little experience in farming. Too much fertilizer also makes the vegetables liable to damage by the insects.
A lot of learning in the farm. Very interesting. Being intrigued so much, I would go on farming.
Another fresh salad dish. Tomatoes and okras are the product at my farm.
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