Carrot seedlings completely gone!

16 years ago

I am trying to grow carrots for the second time in 30 years! I put the seeds in a deep container, they sprouted and looked wonderful and now there is maybe one or two bits of green left.

The only thing I can think of is that snails got them although there is no sign of them. I do have bird netting on the top so doubt it was any large creature.

I will try again but need to be reminded what snail bait is safe for vegie gardens and I need encouragement I can stop this from happening again.

Thanks

Ginny

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Comments (8)

jonhughes
16 years ago
Hi Ginny,
Hopefully you are still good,since all of your carrot tops are already gone,go immediately to your local farmers market and get a few carrots with tops remaining. cut off the tops and put pieces of the tops in the same space that previously had tops showing in your garden,then go out in the dark and take a very bright flashlight,grab all of the "CUTWORMS" that hide during the day and squish them on the ground. Then most (probably all) of your carrots will grow their tops again. The very same thing happened to me,and after I killed all the Cutworms all of my carrots re sprouted their tops and it was a magnificent bounty.
ginjj
Original Author
16 years ago
WOW what wonderful advice. I will take your advice. I gather the fake tops on top will attract the cutworms?
Ginny
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jonhughes
16 years ago
Well....That would be the ruse anyway ;-)
They are still there..just sleeping during the day (and they won't move if disturbed...and since they are curled up when they sleep,you may not recognize them as opposed to being a dirt clod), that's their game,... but once the night comes and they make their way up to the top of the soil to grab some carrot top dinner... they are slow as molasses and you can grab them up and squish them into shoe compost...
anney
16 years ago
How would cutworms get into a container? Is it sitting on the earth or out in the garden? Just wondering.
jonhughes
16 years ago
The larvae or caterpillars of some moths are called cutworms

The moths fly in and drop their load ;-)

http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets/cutworms.html
anney
16 years ago
JH

I did some internet searching, not knowing that cutworms could decimate carrot fronds, and see that they can do in LOTS of veggies. I've known them to attack only tomatoes. :-)
ginjj
Original Author
16 years ago
The container is not sitting directly on the soil but has those "feet" holding it up an inch or so.

I just went out to look but didn't see anyone, but then again there are only two very tiny little bits of green showing. I will try to get the carrot tops within a day or two.

Ginny
milehighgirl
16 years ago
If you do a search for missing veggies you'll find a lot of posts. I found this post to be quite educational.

Here is a link that might be useful: Finally caught the culprits eating my peas!