How to safeguard your seedlings against cutworm damage

For gardeners who are growing seedlings, knowing how to eliminate cutworms is crucial for protecting their plants. Here’s how to effectively remove cutworms from your garden and safeguard your seedlings.

What are cutworms?

These are a type of caterpillars that vary in appearance, making them difficult to differentiate. Cutworms have smooth, hair-free bodies that can be striped, spotted, or coloured in shades of grey. They are nocturnal, feeding only at night and hiding during the day, which allows them to avoid detection while causing damage.

Be mindful that while some variations of cutworms may not cause much damage, a majority of other variations can wreak havoc on your seedlings. These cutworms are not selective in their diet and will consume any vegetable you attempt to grow in your garden.

As the name suggests, they cut right through tender plant stems and cause your plants to fall over. The root system of your growing plants might be destroyed if you don’t protect them from these pests.

Image Credit: Unsplash

How to prevent cutworms

Keeping these pests at bay can be a simple job.

Keep your garden tidy

“Cutworms may survive the winter in old plant debris. To prevent the buildup of these pests, it’s important to clean your garden in the autumn. Dispose of any infected plant leaves and fallen leaves by burning them or throwing them in the bin. It’s essential to ensure that your garden is clean before winter arrives.”

Handpick cutworms

The simplest way is to handpick these pests. Since they show up at night, you can head out in the evening with a flashlight and inspect your growing plants to check for cutworms. Check the soil as they may be curling up and getting ready to show up.

Using plant collars

Plant collars act like a barrier around seedling stems, shielding your young plants from cutworms that may be at work in the soil. Use toilet paper rollers or cardboard to prevent cutworms from moving through. You can remove them later in the season when cutworms are less active.

Till the soil

Tilling your garden soil in autumn exposes cutworms to the air and makes them easier for birds to spot. Be sure to till before winter so that you get a chance to stop the infestations of these pests.