Cutworms!

AlittleSalt · April 18, 2015

Yesterday, I noticed an Early Girl tomato plant had been chewed down by a cutworm. Today, my only Blue Ambrosia plant is down. In years past, I used TP tubes at the bottom of the plants. Years past, I only grew a few tomato plants. This year, there are 100+ tomato plants and I don't have 100+tp tubes laying around the house

My brother asked about wrapping fabric around the base? I have an old garden hose that I could cut up...hmm

What would you use to protect so many tomato plants that are planted in a regular garden (Not a raised one, or in a greenhouse, etc.)?

Worth1 · April 18, 2015

A little too late for you now but starting now for next year save every can you get from the store that has the bottom the same as the top.
You know, the ones you can use a can opener on at both ends.
When you plant your plants plant them inside these cans.

Take the plant out of the container put the root ball through the can and plant it.
Then stick the can in the soil, it becomes your cutworm guard.

We did this every year.
Also the lights people have up in there yards draw the moth that produces the cut worm.
Now about the best you can do is put some foil around each stem.

Worth

Dutch · April 18, 2015

DE mounded around the stem seems to deter the bad nematodes and cutworms from tomato and pepper plants for me. Move a little soil away from the stem and mound some DE around the stem like the picture below.
Dutch

AlittleSalt · April 18, 2015

I like all three ideas.

The foil idea is what I'm going to try because we bought the wrong kind of foil. We buy heavy duty foil, but picked up a box of Great Value regular foil. Protect the plants and use up the tissue thin foil...win-win

b54red · April 18, 2015

A very simple and effective method of protecting young plants is to push a round toothpick into the soil next to the stem on each side of the stem. I try pushing the toothpicks about an inch into the soil, leaving about an inch and a half sticking up above the soil. I try to put the toothpicks as near to the stem as possible but they don't actually have to be touching it. Since I started dong this Years ago I haven't lost a single plant to cutworms. I do this with every type of seedling i set out immediately after planting.

Bill

kath · April 18, 2015

I use a couple of toothpicks around the stem, half above and half below the soil line. Keeps the stem from being girdled but they still seem to be able to climb up and chew on the leaves.

I killed 3 today that were after brassicas and spinach.

Worth1 · April 18, 2015

I forgot about the stick method.

Worth

AlittleSalt · April 18, 2015

Okay, sticks and foil it is. I have a bunch of wooden skewers to use up.

Worth1 · April 18, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

Okay, sticks and foil it is. I have a bunch of wooden skewers to use up.

I knew you did.

Worth

kath · April 18, 2015

I used to use toilet paper rolls/paper towel rolls, cut up and wrapped around the stem; as with the sticks, leave at least 1" in the soil and 1" above. More tedious and time-consuming to use at plant out, but I never lost anything to cutworms when I used that method either. Now I only use toothpicks because it's faster, even though the cardboard rolls are free and I have to buy toothpicks now & then at the $ store.

TomNJ · April 19, 2015

I use shower curtain rod liners. These are flexible plastic tubes, about five feet long and maybe one inch in diameter with a split lengthwise down the tube. They are used to change the color of shower curtain rods by slipping them around the rod at the split, and are available at many home stores (like Bed, Bath & Beyond) for just a few dollars. Just cut the tubes with scissors into 1.5" lengths, open them at the split and slip them around the tomato plant stems, and sink half into the soil. Fast, effective and easy. You can get 40 of these collars from a single tube, and they are reusable each year. They even come in green!

TomNJ/VA

AlittleSalt · April 19, 2015

Tom, that's a great idea. I have one on our shower curtain rod. They last a long time ...I bought that one in 1999. Wow 16 years ago, time sure flies by quickly.

pauldavid · April 21, 2015

I have good luck using small twigs or toothpicks beside stem stuck about an inch into the ground. I didn't do this year and I lost an Indian Stripe and a cayenne already.

**carolyn137** · April 21, 2015

Just seeing this thread for the first time/

And no, using any kind of tubes or foil wraps next to the stem does not work since the cutworms can come up from the soil inside them.

Someone above mentioned girdling the stem and that's the key point since it's known that cutworms MUST first girdle, aka wrap themselves around the stem before they can start chewing away.

Some would use nails next to the stem to make it wider but that's not a brilliant idea. What I used to use was thick stems from dead golden rod plants that were always around and handy.

Fact is that cutworms usually attack only the weakest plants and when plants raised that already have thick stems when planted out are used there are usually no problems. And that was so very true for my farmer friend Charlie whose plants were always sturdy and his plants at our farm were almost never bothered. Charlie was the one who prepared my tomato field for me each year where I grew many hundreds of plants and varieties each summer.

Carolyn

4season · April 21, 2015

I have been using two small sticks alongside the stems for 4 or 5 years or more. They have worked very well, but toothpicks would be more uniform and easier. The aluminum foil should work just as well and I might try it.

April 18, 2015	#1
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Cutworms! Yesterday, I noticed an Early Girl tomato plant had been chewed down by a cutworm. Today, my only Blue Ambrosia plant is down. In years past, I used TP tubes at the bottom of the plants. Years past, I only grew a few tomato plants. This year, there are 100+ tomato plants and I don't have 100+tp tubes laying around the house My brother asked about wrapping fabric around the base? I have an old garden hose that I could cut up...hmm What would you use to protect so many tomato plants that are planted in a regular garden (Not a raised one, or in a greenhouse, etc.)?

April 21, 2015	#14
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Just seeing this thread for the first time/ And no, using any kind of tubes or foil wraps next to the stem does not work since the cutworms can come up from the soil inside them. Someone above mentioned girdling the stem and that's the key point since it's known that cutworms MUST first girdle, aka wrap themselves around the stem before they can start chewing away. Some would use nails next to the stem to make it wider but that's not a brilliant idea. What I used to use was thick stems from dead golden rod plants that were always around and handy. Fact is that cutworms usually attack only the weakest plants and when plants raised that already have thick stems when planted out are used there are usually no problems. And that was so very true for my farmer friend Charlie whose plants were always sturdy and his plants at our farm were almost never bothered. Charlie was the one who prepared my tomato field for me each year where I grew many hundreds of plants and varieties each summer. Carolyn __________________ Carolyn

April 18, 2015	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	A little too late for you now but starting now for next year save every can you get from the store that has the bottom the same as the top. You know, the ones you can use a can opener on at both ends. When you plant your plants plant them inside these cans. Take the plant out of the container put the root ball through the can and plant it. Then stick the can in the soil, it becomes your cutworm guard. We did this every year. Also the lights people have up in there yards draw the moth that produces the cut worm. Now about the best you can do is put some foil around each stem. Worth

April 18, 2015	#5
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	A very simple and effective method of protecting young plants is to push a round toothpick into the soil next to the stem on each side of the stem. I try pushing the toothpicks about an inch into the soil, leaving about an inch and a half sticking up above the soil. I try to put the toothpicks as near to the stem as possible but they don't actually have to be touching it. Since I started dong this Years ago I haven't lost a single plant to cutworms. I do this with every type of seedling i set out immediately after planting. Bill

April 18, 2015	#6
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	I use a couple of toothpicks around the stem, half above and half below the soil line. Keeps the stem from being girdled but they still seem to be able to climb up and chew on the leaves. I killed 3 today that were after brassicas and spinach.

April 19, 2015	#11
TomNJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Floyd VA Posts: 767	I use shower curtain rod liners. These are flexible plastic tubes, about five feet long and maybe one inch in diameter with a split lengthwise down the tube. They are used to change the color of shower curtain rods by slipping them around the rod at the split, and are available at many home stores (like Bed, Bath & Beyond) for just a few dollars. Just cut the tubes with scissors into 1.5" lengths, open them at the split and slip them around the tomato plant stems, and sink half into the soil. Fast, effective and easy. You can get 40 of these collars from a single tube, and they are reusable each year. They even come in green! TomNJ/VA

April 21, 2015	#13
pauldavid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: NE Louisiana, Zone 8A Posts: 1,179	I have good luck using small twigs or toothpicks beside stem stuck about an inch into the ground. I didn't do this year and I lost an Indian Stripe and a cayenne already.

April 21, 2015	#15
4season Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: albuquerque Posts: 308	I have been using two small sticks alongside the stems for 4 or 5 years or more. They have worked very well, but toothpicks would be more uniform and easier. The aluminum foil should work just as well and I might try it.