Something eating my greenhouse plants

elwowee 2/27/2014, 3:42 pm

We're 6-year square foot gardeners...have a great success every year..but have a new issue that "bugging" me. We built a homemade greenhouse and now, in our 3rd year of growing plants from seed, are finding a few plants eaten through at near-ground level. Happening on tomatoes and on a few pepper plants. Never had this happen before and am kinda stumped. If you have any suggestions, they're be most welcome!

Out in the SFG, taters are in the ground, enjoying the last of the cabbages and other greens, and onions are looking awesome! Thanks for your help....elwo Sad

southern gardener 2/27/2014, 3:48 pm

are the plants eaten or just chopped off? If eaten, might be slugs, caterpillars or snails, if chopped off could be sow bugs or earwigs, cut worms. Go out at night with a flash light and see if you can find what's going on.
We have had really good results with Sluggo PLUS on our plants.
Good luck!!

**camprn** 2/27/2014, 3:51 pm

Please post a photo.

Yardslave 2/27/2014, 5:57 pm

Any signs of trails or faint pathways on the ground? If so, it's voles- the're like a cross between a gopher and a field mouse. Usually hang out in burroughs, old gopher holes or under anything that looks like shelter. They can jump and climb practically anything. They'll eat anything they can chew on. Set a few mouse traps along the inside borders of your greenhouse and see if you get a few.

elwowee 2/27/2014, 6:19 pm

Thanks for the great info! I couldn't find Sluggo Plus in a store of any kind nearby so ordered some on Amazon. I'll try the mousetrap suggestion. The plants are cut....kinda like with a saw....evenly cut.....so far about 6 out of hundreds....just want to get 'em stopped....we've never had greenhouse pest problems so this is a new experience. Thanks to all who's responded....very kind. Come on spring....this winter has us suffering with cabin fever! elwo
thanks

littlejo 2/28/2014, 8:50 pm

It could be just cut worms if seedlings are cut. Just take some cheap wood toothpicks, lay on the soil, just touching the stems. Use maybe 3 per plant? Of course, if you have hundreds of plants!
Will Sluggo Plus take care of cut worms? This is the best stuff, gets rid of most bugs, and snails of course.
Jo

southern gardener 3/1/2014, 2:34 am

it appears it does work on cutworms!! yessssssss!! http://knowslugs.com/sluggo-plus/

elwowee 3/1/2014, 9:59 am

I don't think Voles would be the culprit. So, I'm pursuing the Sluggo Plus solution...hope it'll be here by mid-week. Just went to the greenhouse and the plants all look awesome.....or least most do....some have given crewcuts! Something eating my greenhouse plants Icon_smile

Green Lee 3/21/2015, 2:41 pm

I've had the same problem with seedlings in the past and have never found out exactly what were eating them. I don't like to put poisons of any kind onto my vegetables (or on to anything for that matter). What works for me is putting plastic wrap over my seed trays, also keeps in the moisture and keeps the trays a little warmer, as the seedlings grow to the height of the plastic I simply put the trays onto inverted plastic pots or cups, this seems to work for me.

Triciasgarden 3/21/2015, 6:03 pm

Welcome to the forum Green Lee!

CapeCoddess 3/21/2015, 6:39 pm

Sounds like cut worms to me also. I need to remember to put toothpicks around my transplanted seedlings this year. Some of my chard went down last year and I don't want that to happen again. Do we use whole toothpicks on those tiny seedlings or can we break them up a bit?

CC

**AtlantaMarie** 3/21/2015, 8:55 pm

Hi Green Lee. Welcome to the party from Atlanta, GA!

**sanderson** 3/22/2015, 3:46 am

Green Lee, Welcome to the Forum from Fresno! $glad you\'re here$

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Something eating my greenhouse plants

Something eating my greenhouse plants

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Great info.....

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Re: Something eating my greenhouse plants

can't find anything resembling a trail, so

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