gift
Collection of 14 Permaculture/Homesteading Cheat-Sheets, Worksheets, and Guides
will be released to subscribers in: soon!
  • Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Nancy Reading
  • Carla Burke
  • John F Dean
  • Timothy Norton
  • r ransom
  • Jay Angler
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • Devaka Cooray
  • Leigh Tate
  • paul wheaton
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • M Ljin
  • thomas rubino
  • Megan Palmer

what is beheading my tomato seedlings each night?

 
Posts: 140
Location: montana
29
6
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I have about 270 tomato and tomatillo plants. Over the last week I have found 1-3 of my seedlings completely beheaded. At first I thought: mice, then possibly rabbits, but now possibly cutworm? I am just curious to find out if this has happened to others and what you have done about it? Thanks! Help me troubleshoot!
 
pollinator
Posts: 1791
Location: southern Illinois, USA
353
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I would start by getting out there with a flashlight at night and having a look. You might well find some cutworms in action. You can often catch them during the day, curled up asleep just under the soil surface near the plants they have munched the night before. Since tomatoes plants are, at least to some extent, poisonous, it would seem that rabbits or mice would pass them by in favor of other things. Insects and mammals vary greatly as to what is edible and not to them......
 
Emily Aiuppa
Posts: 140
Location: montana
29
6
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Yes, it was cutworms! Two nights ago we went out with headlamps and found a couple of them. So we surrounded the tomatoes with diatomaceous earth and have not had any more deaths in the last 2 nights. Horray!
 
I've been selected to go to the moon! All thanks to this tiny ad:
Free Seed Starting Webinar Weds Feb 4, 3PM PST / 6PM EST
https://ortakitchengarden.com/pages/permies-seed-class-landing
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic