Polk County Master Gardeners
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Cutworms
I like to tell myself that I believe all God’s creatures have a right to live
and to have space to do it in. Snakes, spiders, even skunks don’t dissuade me.
But I will have to admit that tomato cutworms undermine my confidence more than
a little.
The first inkling I usually have is when I find my garden littered with stubs
of plants where yesterday there were flourishing peas, peppers, and tomatoes.
They don’t even seem to eat much of the plant - just nip it off and scatter leaves
and stems about.
There are chemicals you can use to combat them, but I find that I can usually
keep the damage within reasonable bounds with collars. After I realize the worms
are there, of course.
Almost any stiff material will work, but some are better than others. The
main thing is to surround each stem with some protection. Your collar should
sink into the ground about an inch and extend above it for about two inches. Be
sure to leave at least half an inch between stem and collar for the plant to
grow.
The easiest way I have found is to use the little half-pound tubs that soft
margarine comes in. It is surprising how many of those you can accumulate
between one spring and the next! Cut the bottom off each tub and you have a
neat, ready-made collar.
Take your supply of collars out to the garden and slip each one over a plant
and sink it into the ground firmly. Try not to disturb the soil around the roots
any more than you have to. When the plant is 8 or 10 inches high, it is strong
enough to resist the worms on its own, and you can remove the collar. You will
probably have to cut it because the plant will be too large to pull the collar
off. You can just leave it in place if you check now and then to be sure the
collar is not constricting plant growth.
If you don’t have margarine containers, you can buy inexpensive plastic
glasses, cut the bottoms out, and use them the same way. Or you can make collars
from aluminum foil. Be sure to use a “drug-store fold” (bring the ends together,
fold over twice, crease firmly, and then open to form a ring) to fasten the ends
together securely. I’ve heard that you can use cardboard, but I’ve not tried
that as I think it would probably fall apart in the rain.
But the most important thing is to inspect your baby plants daily so that you
catch the villains before they wipe everything out.
By Barbara M. Tobias
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