In my subtropical food garden, grasshopper control starts in my sweetpotato. Grasshoppers lay their eggs in my sweetpotato during the warm seasons and use it as their nursery. As the grasshoppers grow, they leave my sweetpotato to feed on other plants.
Caterpillar damage usually occurs in bursts following good rain, and attack can occur at any time of the year. Favourite host plants include gac, Momordica cochinchinensis, and all kinds of hibiscus, from Hibiscus acetosella to Abelmoschus esculentus.
To help the molasses to adhere to the leaf surface, you can add one of the many different kinds of spraying oils sold in every garden centre and hardware store countrywide. Follow the instructions on the label.
If money is no object, buy human food grade molasses from a supermarket.
If you prefer combining successful organic pest control with thrift, buy a general grade of molasses sold at a produce store or a pet store.
Jerry Coleby-Williams
Director, Seed Savers’ Network Inc.
21st February 2020