Hey everyone!
I’ve been devastated to find my tomato and cabbage seedlings chopped off at the base overnight! After some research, I think cutworms are the culprits. These fat, grayish larvae are hiding in the soil by day and feasting on my plants by night. I tried sprinkling eggshells around the stems, but they’re still attacking!
Background:
- Seedlings are in raised beds with organic soil.
- I avoid chemical pesticides to protect bees and butterflies.
- Are there organic solutions that actually work?
Use cardboard collars! Cut toilet paper rolls into 2-inch rings, bury them 1 inch around seedlings. Cutworms can’t climb over. Also, sprinkle diatomaceous earth at the base, it shreds their bodies!
Handpick them at night with a flashlight, they glow under light! Drop them into soapy water. Gross but effective. @GardenNewbie123, have you tried neem oil spray? It disrupts their feeding.
Till the soil in early spring to expose pupae to birds. Plant sunflowers nearby, birds love perching there to hunt cutworms!
Sprinkle coffee grounds around plants! Cutworms hate the grit and caffeine.
Tried eggshells too, total fail. Switched to Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) spray. Killed larvae in 2 days! Safe for pollinators. @OrganicGardenerPro, how often should I reapply diatomaceous earth?
Cutworms curl into a C-shape when disturbed. Look for smooth, dull-colored larvae near stems. Unlike grubs, they’re active at night. Sticky traps help monitor adults (moths)!
Plant tansy or garlic! Cutworms avoid strong smells. Also, interplant with buckwheat, it attracts parasitic wasps that eat cutworm eggs!
Wrap seedlings with aluminum foil at the base. Cutworms can’t grip the slippery surface. Works better than eggshells!
Thanks all! Made cardboard collars and sprayed Bt. Found 3 larvae last night, so satisfying! Will add tansy this weekend. You guys rock!