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.
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.