Cutworm Prevention

Actually, you should rotate where you plant tomatoes in your garden, especially if you have had past issues with mold, mildew or other tomato related diseases.

If you haven't had any in 20 years, you're one lucky gardener if planting in the same bed.

I've never had an issue with cutworms, but have dealt with tomato horn worms several times and they are quick to destroy a plant if not caught early. For them, I just pluck them off the plant and kill them immediately.

This reminds me of the great army worm outbreak of 2013 that we had. If me and Pops hadn't been out and about that morning the entire garden would have been gone.

We were out working around the garden, but not in it. I forget what we were doing. Anyway, I was walking back toward the shop building when I looked down and noticed the entire ground/grass moving......like a wave. I knelt down and looked. What I saw was what had to be millions of army worms headed toward the garden. I walked to the other side of the garden......more army worms. We were surrounded on all sides and tens of millions of enemy army worms were closing in fast.

I forget what we mixed, but we had it in two different pump sprayers. I had a two gallon and Pops had a small one gallon. A backpack or battery powered would have been better, but we didn't have them in the arsenal. For what seemed like two hours we hosed down the perimeter, wiping out wave after wave of the advancing horde. When the poison would hit the little arseholes would wriggle like frying bacon, but the next wave would continue to advance. After an eternity of battle, the enemy was thinned to but a few stragglers that were sure to be mopped up by the residual spray.

If not for us being in the right place at the right time there's no telling the damage that could have been done.

Tune in next time for my recollection of the story "The Mystery of the Vanishing Seedlings", about the time an entire 40ish foot wide row of cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower seedlings vanished overnight, the very night after they were first planted. Every single one gone without even the least sign of any intruder.

As Louis Miller used to say, the best solution is to press them between show and ground or between two fingers. I agree. Most good gardeners are in their garden daily paying attention. I also have used slug and snail bait for tender shoots from seed.