Can anyone make a reasonable guess what is taking little nips out of the young plants? I know it's a bad photo.
It/they did the same thing to a bell pepper last week, then another one yesterday, and now this tomato. You can't quite see it in the photo, but nibbled just enough out of the stem about half an inch above the ground to topple the whole plant over. Doesn't seem to touch the leaves, or to eat the whole thing.
Thanks
Congratulations, Birdy!
You have a CUTWORM in your soil! Fells the plants faster than a logger in a virgin forest of giant redwood. That's all it does.
You can thwart him in several ways, all of which involve wrapping something around the stems of your young ums so the cutworm can't wrap itself around the stem and snap it off! Long as you put a barrier on or around the stem until your seedlings get large enough, you can beat him.
I've use plastic straws cut into little strips and sliced down the middle then slipped over the stems. Push them down a little ways under the soil, 'cause that's where he'll be hanging out.
Most people cut plastic cups in half and slip the ring down over the seedling -- not as close as the straw, but effective if you can create a perimeter before the worm sneaks in. He won't crawl over it or under it, if is pushed down just a bit under the soil.
Some people use a strip of aluminum foil wrapped around the seedling stem at planting out time, which is always the best time to put your barriers in place.
The other method is to go cutworm hunting in your soil. Chances are he'll be right under an 1" or 2" of dirt, looking ugly.
P.S. They're alien, and bleed green blood -- I wonder why!
Happy Hunting!
Linda
Cool.
So does anyone know how to say "cutworm" in spanglish?
My grandpa used to push a 10-penny nail in next to his plants so the cutworm couldn't cut.
EASY - I insert two tootpicks on each side of the stem when I transplant out my seedlings.
The cutworm cannot strangle the plant because of the toothpick.
I "never" had a cutworm killing my plants.
Walking outside and seeing all your newly planted seedlings lying down like someone ran a chainsaw straight across them is a very, very, very painful sight....
Looks like it's gusano cortador
???? Not sure I'm following you here. Are you trying to identify the cutworm in Spanish?
Gymgirl - try this link:
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/english_to_spanish/agriculture/3796439-corn_earworm.html
Not ME, Bee - Birdy!
I'm not saying it isn't a cutworm but thatswhat sow bugs do to my plants. Cutworms take the plant out at or below ground level, at least that's been my experience.
