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Location

Message

Date Posted

Glenn Springs S.C.

I sat some young pepper plants outside for the first time saturday and at night when I went to get them they looked like someone cut them down with scissors. The reason I post this is last year I started regular pumpkins and the same thing happened. I don't want this to happen when I start my AG seeds as I only have a few and it is annoying.Will sevin dust stop this?
Jeff

3/20/2001 9:52:30 PM

CT

Jeff,
sounds like cutworms to me. They come out at night and shear off young plants. The Victory garden on TV uses a segment of a plastic sodapop bottle about 2-3 inches high placed around the base of the plant. Push it in the ground about 1 inch and leave the other end above ground 1 inch. this should keep the cutworms from going over or under to get at your plants.

3/20/2001 10:21:42 PM

Long Island,New York

"Going out to get them and bring them in" would likely eliminate the cutworm as a culpret as this suggests they're in pots and not burried or planted. If it happened during the daytime I rather doubt that slugs are involved...although if at night they are a good suspect. Got rabbits or squirrels?.........Glenn A

3/21/2001 3:59:55 PM

Glenn Springs S.C.

I got the plants in late at night and the tops were still in the pots just severed. I bought some Dipel dust today I just want to prevent this from happening to my AG's.

3/21/2001 9:16:48 PM

walton n.y.

i think glenn is on the right track with an animal problem from what you said you didn't transplant them into your garden just set them out to harden them off

3/23/2001 9:56:12 AM

CT

I agree > I thought they where in the garden but since they are still in pots cutworms seem unlikely.

3/23/2001 7:13:35 PM