Grrrr....

I have some newly started squash plants and I noticed a couple wilting here and there. I did a closer inspection and noticed the stems (at or below soil level) were completely sawed in half. I have treated around the plants so I'm assuming whatever this is, is in the ground. Oddly enough when I stick the plant back in the ground and keep it damp they reroot. Can somebody tell me whats doing this?
Thanks

I've had this happen to some squash that I had grown from seed in 4" plastic pots this past spring. I had nice looking plants that just grew their 2nd set of leaves...then one day I walk out to our deck and find them cut-down, like someone snipped them at the base but just let them fall down. That happend to some pole beans as well. I never saw the culprit, but figured it was a rabbit or a squirrel.

This is below soil level but just a little.

Could it be snails or slugs? This is the first yr I've had them and I've been here for 16 yrs.

Do you think it might be a cutworm?

Dig around in the top inch of soil and see if you find one

This message was edited Oct 3, 2010 9:54 AM

Sounds like a cutworm is loose in the forest! "Release the Crackin!"

Whats funny is the plants reroot if I keep the soil damp, and are fine unless I turn around and step on them. : (. How do I get rid of cutworms and where did they come from?

John-Were yours in pots when that happened?

Yeah Lisa, my plants were still in nursery pots when they were cut down. They were cut at or above (less than an inch above) the soil. Had to be rabbits in my case since I had seen one in my backyard a few times, way in the back of the yard with the greens. Just never witnessed him eating my seedlings on the deck.

I'm not sure how to get rid of cutworms though if that is the case with you.

I never have any luck with squash, and I love squash and want to eat them all the time. mmmm. Life is hard.

Its not just the squash it happened to some cukes too. I just stick them back in and they reroot at ths cooler time of year. A small Okra plant competelty disappeared one night, and it happened to a few bean seedlings.
Prettymess-what gets your squash? We have SVBs do you have them in CA too?
GG-how do you treat for cutworms?

I think mine just doesn't get pollinated enough or they just don't fruit at all. I got one good squash this time around and the last time I only got one little teeny one with BER. I think maybe they need a lot more space than I am giving them. I tend to plant things pretty close, so I dunno.

Spacing is not my strong point either, I don't think squash get BER probably a pollination issue. I actually hand pollinate with a Qtip some of the time, but this year between the bugs and the mildew it wasn't even worth it, at least to me. Then when, I was out of town mites got my cucumber vines. I only planted them again, in a different location, because they were a complele bust before. I have white acorn squash and a white scallop squash that taste OK and are cool looking.