These past few years I’ve gotten really into the gardening. Fun but quite overwhelming. Now think of these seedlings—you plant them, and every day you look after them. Then in the morning, you wake up and find them gone or removed. That could be the handiwork of cutworms. If you’re wondering how to get rid of cutworms, you are in the right place. I really hate them, they ruined some of my favorite seedlings.
Let me tell you about the first time I met them. It was one of those sun-drenched late spring days, and I had just been planting lettuce and tomatoes. I was so full, dreaming of the salads and sauce I would be making. But the next day, when I came out to look at them, in my row of seedlings, half were gone! It was a garden crime scene. My kids were so disappointed too. They love gardening. This is our favorite activity.
Cutworms are the larvae of some species of night-flying moths. Don’t be mistaken—these are not worms, they’re caterpillars that burrow into the soil during the day and come out at night to feed on your plants. They are partial to young spring greens and will chomp off the seedlings at ground level (they are called cutworms for a reason).
How do I know if I have cutworms?
Finding cutworms can be, well, quite difficult because they feed at night and hide during the day. Sneaky! Here are some things to watch for:
- Seedlings Disappear: If you find your delicate new seedlings dying or cut off at the base of the stem, cutworms may be behind the damage.
- Wilting Plants: Sometimes a cutworm will fail to entirely cut through the plant, leaving the plant damaged and wilted.
- Holes in the Leaves: As a general rule, though cutworms are most interested in the stem, they will eat leaves too, but will make ragged holes.
- Underground Soil: Search for the small, smooth tunnels at the bottom of your plants. These are the mattresses of cutworms.
Sure, cutworms—which aren’t all worms (the term is applied to caterpillars and to the larvae of beetles)—are a problem, but you can dig them out of there and protect your plants. Once you determine what the issue is, address the issue. And let me tell you, I would have done anything to save my plants.
Handpicking
Yes, it’s as dull as it sounds, but it gets the job done. Take a flashlight and walk out to your garden at night. Check the base of your plants for cutworms and pluck them. Toss them in some soapy water to make sure they don’t return.
Toilet Paper Rolls
Your bathroom comes in here. Don’t throw away those empty toilet paper rolls; a barrier created from them around the seeds can be a garden helper. Cut the rolls into two-inch pieces and stick them in the soil, sinking to the middle of the roll around each plant. And bonus part is, it keeps them away from the stems.
Eggshell Barriers
Crushed eggshells sprinkled around the plants work, too, to keep the bugs away. The rough edges are sufficient to repel those annoying cutworms, who are gorging on your seedlings! Fortunately, we eat lots of eggs in our house and I started saving all eggshells for this reason. My kids and husband have a strict rule from me not to throw them out. Ha! Also, eggshells contribute a bit of calcium to the soil, and that is really beneficial.
Diatomaceous Earth
It’s one of the best ways. Imagine a kind of dust made from the leftover stuff of one-celled plants, fossilized. Just scatter it around your plants, and it acts like tiny shards of glass, slicing and drying out the cutworms as they crawl over. It’s nontoxic to your plants or pets, but lethal to the pests.
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) is a natural bacteria that is poisonous to all sorts of insect larvae like cutworms. It is sold as a powder or a liquid in garden centers. Sprinkle the soil or the plants with it; the cutworms that partake of this dust cannot go on eating and will starve as they die.
Coffee Grounds
Being a huge lover of coffee, I was thrilled to come across this method. The grounds may be scattered around your plants. Cutworms can’t stand the rough surface, and the caffeine is deadly to them. Besides, it’s a nice way to dispose of your used coffee and give back to the earth in an organic way.
Neem Oil
A second home remedy is neem oil. You dilute it with water, then spray it on your plants. It serves as an insecticide as well as an insect growth regulator, not allowing the cutworms to grow into adults and lay eggs.
Beneficial Nematodes
These worms are the enemies of cutworms. They are predators that hunt down cutworms, and when they catch them, they inject bacteria into them, which ultimately kills the cutworms. Can you imagine it? Lifesavers. Superheroes truly.
Crop Rotation and Tillage
To minimize future infestations, rotate crops and plow the soil at the end of the growing season. The cutworms will be eaten by predators or killed by the elements.
Companion Planting
Marigolds and other plants can keep cutworms away. You might want to help lure good insects to your plants by planting them next to your plants so they are protected from pests.
It’s pain to deal with cutworms. With these strategies, your plants will be safe and your garden will thrive.
