Cutworms (there are many kinds) may not be a garden problem for years. Then chomp, (in my case) 20 toms, 40 peppers felled over a 3-day period. Your roaming birds might work the night/early morning shift and stop the worms as they surface to feast. If not, it is easy to use a barrier (such aluminum foil or a used toilet paper cardboard c…
Cutworms (there are many kinds) may not be a garden problem for years. Then chomp, (in my case) 20 toms, 40 peppers felled over a 3-day period. Your roaming birds might work the night/early morning shift and stop the worms as they surface to feast. If not, it is easy to use a barrier (such aluminum foil or a used toilet paper cardboard core (1/2 inch into soil, 3 inches tall. popsicle-stick or the like to keep the spiral circle closed) until, say late-May/early June when cutworms have molted and moved to the sky.
No need to cut the roll if you are planting smaller plants ... plant them inside the roll section.
If you want to collar established plants cut the roll straight from end to end, place around plant stem, then hold the roll maybe with a twisty or un-spiral the roll, spiral the roll around plant stem and place in around a plant, and jam a popsicle stick (or the like) to hold the roll shut.
Thank you for following up Scott. I will definitely do that with cups or water bottles. The worms REALLY like my tobacco plants. It's incredible how much one worm can devour in a night! The ones that got away are probably going through nicotine withdraw and going to 12 step meetings.
If you are planting toms and peppers, you may not want to water them from above. Even so, cardboard is pretty resilient and protective for the few weeks that cutworms are (seem to be) active. You can also go on offense. Plant. Wait a day or so (for the cutworms to be attracted). Hand sift soil down to 3 or 4 inches around plants several times before roots spread out. I have captured more than a few cutworms (especially where they have just completed their deed) and fed them to attentive robins or smooshed 'em with a boot.
Cutworms (there are many kinds) may not be a garden problem for years. Then chomp, (in my case) 20 toms, 40 peppers felled over a 3-day period. Your roaming birds might work the night/early morning shift and stop the worms as they surface to feast. If not, it is easy to use a barrier (such aluminum foil or a used toilet paper cardboard core (1/2 inch into soil, 3 inches tall. popsicle-stick or the like to keep the spiral circle closed) until, say late-May/early June when cutworms have molted and moved to the sky.
I don't understand the spiral circle part but am very interested. Are there any photos or details that you can hook me up with?
"My" newly found cutworms seem active overnight/early morning for about 2 weeks, but they will chainsaw stems and kill every tomato or pepper plant.
Collars will keep them away.
Cutworm collar options: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMe73lC2eZM
No need to cut the roll if you are planting smaller plants ... plant them inside the roll section.
If you want to collar established plants cut the roll straight from end to end, place around plant stem, then hold the roll maybe with a twisty or un-spiral the roll, spiral the roll around plant stem and place in around a plant, and jam a popsicle stick (or the like) to hold the roll shut.
Thank you for following up Scott. I will definitely do that with cups or water bottles. The worms REALLY like my tobacco plants. It's incredible how much one worm can devour in a night! The ones that got away are probably going through nicotine withdraw and going to 12 step meetings.
thank you all for these tips ! I am keeping this post in my Handyman tips !
Scott, Doesn't watering the plants cause the cardboard to disintegrate?
If you are planting toms and peppers, you may not want to water them from above. Even so, cardboard is pretty resilient and protective for the few weeks that cutworms are (seem to be) active. You can also go on offense. Plant. Wait a day or so (for the cutworms to be attracted). Hand sift soil down to 3 or 4 inches around plants several times before roots spread out. I have captured more than a few cutworms (especially where they have just completed their deed) and fed them to attentive robins or smooshed 'em with a boot.
Absolutely not water from above the plants - I use soaker hoses, but hard to avoid cardboard in contact with the soil.