Cutworm collars?

[RickRS]

I used plastic cups with the bottoms cut out as collars to avoid cutworm damage to my recently planted tomato seedlings. Should I remove these at some point when the plants are larger?

[RickRS]

Pretty good idea that, cardboard tubes. I was looking for paper cups at the store and all they had in volume was plastic or foam.

[applestar]

Good tip Marlingardener.

I found three cutworms in a 3 sqft area while weeding yesterday. Maybe the mild winter we had means more cutworms this spring. I normally don't have to protect my transplants but maybe I will this year.

[dustyrivergardens]

The cutworms don't seem to bother my tomatoes that bad but I really have to collar my peppers they seem to like them the best. I also use toilet paper tubes for that.

[Tonio]

I've tried the toilet paper roll core trick a few times, and seems to work on the larger plants.

Elsewhere I've read that cutworms actually need to wrap around the stem to hold on while it eats away at the stem. Any truth to this? If it were, wouldn't a few tooth picks close to the stem stop the worms against grasping for leverage?

T

[applestar]

That's what they say. I use the toothpick trick on stemless plants like lettuce. Another reason to use toothpicks instead of a collar is this way there is no place for slugs and snails to congregate.