Cutworms!

[b54red]

Toothpicks. So cheap and so effective. Why go to the time, trouble, or expense of using something else.

Carolyn is right about thick sturdy plants being less susceptible. The longer they are hardened off the thicker and tougher the main stem will be. Still down here they are still vulnerable for a while just not as much. My friend lost his only yellow bell pepper 4 days after setting it out with a collar and the plant was very thick, very well hardened off, a foot tall and blooming. He finally went and got some toothpicks before planting his next bed of tomatoes and peppers. I also lost some pretty large plants before I started using the toothpicks.

When I set out young tender seedlings I will sometimes even put three or more toothpicks around them just to be sure since they are so vulnerable.

Bill

[AlittleSalt]

A use for the worn out sushi mat

[Starlight]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

Tom, that's a great idea. I have one on our shower curtain rod. They last a long time ...I bought that one in 1999. Wow 16 years ago, time sure flies by quickly.

I'll have to remember the curtain rod. I use PVC pipe. Some I just let be and others I put a bit of foil around , helps to keep foil off of the plant.

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

Yesterday, I noticed an Early Girl tomato plant had been chewed down by a cutworm. Today, my only Blue Ambrosia plant is down. In years past, I used TP tubes at the bottom of the plants. Years past, I only grew a few tomato plants. This year, there are 100+ tomato plants and I don't have 100+tp tubes laying around the house

My brother asked about wrapping fabric around the base? I have an old garden hose that I could cut up...hmm

What would you use to protect so many tomato plants that are planted in a regular garden (Not a raised one, or in a greenhouse, etc.)?

Do you have lots of organic matter in your soil (particularly any that isn't decomposed, yet)? That seems to attract cutworms or perhaps something else that does the same sort of damage.

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by shule1

Do you have lots of organic matter in your soil (particularly any that isn't decomposed, yet)? That seems to attract cutworms or perhaps something else that does the same sort of damage.

That is my soil 100% in the garden. There is always oak leaf matter in different stages of decomposition going on in our gardens. This year, there is green manure in the form of Elbon cereal rye decomposing as well.

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

That is my soil 100% in the garden. There is always oak leaf matter in different stages of decomposition going on in our gardens. This year, there is green manure in the form of Elbon cereal rye decomposing as well.

Hmm. I wonder how long the cutworms stick around before they all turn into moths.

One thing that might help is removing leaves and stuff a certain distance from your plants, until the threat has passed. I'm not sure how far it would need to be. I don't know if you want to do that, though.