Pencils And Used-Up Pens Jessica WalliserĪnother easy way to prevent cutworm damage is to insert an old pencil or pen on either side of the seedling, making sure it’s tight against the stem. The toothpicks keep the cutworm away from the stem.ģ. Insert three to five toothpicks vertically around each transplant, keeping them snugly against the stems and spacing them at an equal distance. To fully girdle or sever a seedling, the cutworm caterpillar must have access to the entire circumference of the seedling’s stem. Cutworms travel just below the soil surface, so this prevents the cutworm from accessing the plant stalk. Slip a tube section around each transplant, making sure the bottom of the tube is nestled into the soil by an inch or so. To prepare the paper tube, cut it into 3-inch sections and split it open lengthwise. If cutworms have plagued your garden in the past, protect your transplants with one of these five household items.Īs soon as you settle tomato, pepper, sunflower and other transplants into the soil, surround each of them with a 3-inch-tall piece of cardboard tube from a toilet paper or paper towel roll. Though these insects can wreak havoc on a newly planted vegetable or flower garden, there’s an easy way to prevent cutworm damage without having to resort to chemical soil drenches. When disturbed, the caterpillars curl into a “C” shape. Gardeners will occasionally dig up a 1- to 2-inch-long, green or brown caterpillar when working in the garden. Thankfully, with a few tricks, it’s easy to prevent cutworm damage in the garden.Ĭutworm caterpillars feed primarily at night, and young, newly transplanted seedlings are the most vulnerable.
You’ll know they’re in your garden when you come out in the morning only to discover severed or girdled and wilted seedlings. They feed on the tender seedling stalks of many different plants, including lots of vegetables and flowers. Cutworms are the soil-dwelling larvae of several different species of moth.
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