First, love your turmeric plants. I just started because of the gorgeous leaves, roots and flowers are a bonus to me.

Second, Crazy looking pest!! Never heard of before but see its common on corn, blade-leafed plants, plum, basswood, chestnut, cherry, oak and other trees and shrubs. So can be everywhere?

Don't know if they are in my zone, will have to do research and look out for them since I started growing turmeric, corn, plum, cherry, chestnut, hakone and lots of oak trees in my neighborhood. Soon I'll need a suit of armour just to garden.

Saw someone said use duct tape to remove spines if you get stung.

The name is Saddleback caterpillar, Acharia stimulea. Use that common name for plenty of information.

It's an equal opportunity feeder, but rarely in large hoards. I had to close down my wholesale nursery for a couple of days when I had an outbreak in my broadleaf evergreens, especially hollies.

The sting is horrendous! I almost had a total employee strike when the first stings occurred.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. As I expand my collection with native and non native fruits and grasses I can be on the look out since I'm now zone 7a. Seeing the distribution map on the website surprised me

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/medical/saddleback_caterpillar.htm

Glad to know the precautions to take since I have a problem with insect bites. Scary critter.I hope I never see it but at last I know what to do if its there.

I grew turmeric for the first time this past summer, here in zone 6b. Both turmeric and ginger were exceedingly slow to start--the turmeric rhizomes came from a health food store--and I wonder if they were treated with something to discourage growth?

My first-year turmeric will no doubt be indoors under lights more than it is outdoors. Is it an exercise in futility to try to get it to bloom under artificial light? Has anyone here succeeded in getting it to flower, especially under lights?

Thanks,

Rick in CT

I never find the saddlebacks on my gingers because they would much rather eat my roses lol. They do sting something fierce. It hurts so bad. I got stung a bunch of times this summer. Vinegar helps a little. I don't spray anything here and the chickens don't want anything to do with the saddlebacks so I just have to watch where I put my hands lol. I spray them with the hose sprayer and they will fall off and I can step on them. I guess if I was more ambitious, I could get a spoon and scoop them into a cup of soapy water. NEEM would probably work good on them too.

What are you fertilizing your turmeric with? They look awesome!

~SJN