The angular chunks/bites suggest birds. Aha; fresh greens!

Protect w/ floating row cover or chicken wire screening elevated above the seedlings.

Is this photo an example of the worst damage you have incurred? If so then it is nothing major and poses no real threats to the plants. The condition of the soil surrounding the plants as it appears in the photo poses more of a threat to them in the long run - poor color and tilth, compacted, invasive weeds, no mulch etc.

I would agree with Jean that the appearance of the damage indicates birds and if so then row covers is the organic solution and as the plants grow the damage will stop.

But even if it is earwigs or slugs (which are also active in daylight) or anyone of a dozen other possibilities. the only way you will ever know for sure what is doing the damage is by careful observation with your own eyes. Once you see the culprit then you will know what to do about it. Barring that your only option is to plant and cover.

This sort of damage is part of gardening, one we all learn to live with and accept. And one of the big side effects of gardening organically is that one must develop a high degree of tolerance for "less than perfection" in appearance. The alternative is to big out the big pesticide guns like the commercial growers do.

Dave

Thanks for the replies! The damage pictured is definitely not the extent of damage that has occurred - I completely lost my radish, eggplant, and carrot sprouts a week ago, and whatever pest is at it had much eradicated all the leaves on my pea sprouts as well. Up until yesterday, the pest hadn't yet touched the squash, cucumbers, and beans in the same bed, but it did a number on my squash and bean leaves yesterday and ate all the leaves from my cucumbers (pictured here). I put up a row cover today and replanted my eggplant, peas, and cukes, so I guess I'll see how they do and hope the gnawing stops. At what point is it safe to remove the row cover? Is this just common in the spring?

Regarding the soil - we prepped the bed about three weeks ago when we planted our seeds by tilling it and turning in compost, but the area where the veggie bed is located is a bit sandy. I'm a poor graduate student trying to make do with what I have, so although the bed not be in the ideal state, I'm hoping it suffices! As far as weeds go, I'm trying to stay on top of that - we just have invasive crab grass that likes to creep in!! Thanks again for the replies, and wish me luck on the row covers working!!!

Looks like rabbits.

Agree with ltilton - that looks like rabbits. They leave the stalks and eat off the leaves.

It is strange to see cukes planted that way, that close together. If you just take a hoe and mound the soil up around the stalks some of them may recover. Otherwise with rabbits fencing is the only thing that works IME.

Dave

Yeah, my fiance planted the seeds too closely together, we were going to thin then when they grew, but I've removed them and replanted given the leaf damage.

Here's another pic from the damage I found yesterday (this is of the beans, while the first was of the squash). These also just have nibbles out of them (although it's worth noting that my radish and eggplant sprouts were completely demolished last week, not just nibbled).

I'm 99.999% sure it's not rabbits, as we rent and our backyard is enclosed with wooden fencing. I do trust they could find a way in; however, we've lived here for 2 years and I've NEVER seen a rabbit. Furthermore, I planted veggies last year and I didn't have this problem. Not sure if this info is useful, but last year we planted much later in the season, and while we did have a bird feeder, the resident bird count has increased SIGNIFICANTLY! Also, the bed is right next to a large bush where the birds live, so perhaps they feel it's encroaching on their territory and trying to prove a point! :) Anyway, I've put up the row covers, so I guess we'll see.

One more thing...does this look at all like it could be the work of a grasshopper? I saw a very large one in my yard last week (although not anywhere near the veggie garden), and I had trouble last year with hoppers eating my basil. If it is him, I'm a bit surprised because I have two small potted basil plants i on a fence shelf right now, and they are untouched.

Thanks all so much for the continued feedback! I'm a newbie constantly running into issues - it's so great to have people to go to for info!

Laura

Looks like ground hog raided your garden.In my garden I have seen them burrowing under the fence and also climbing over the chain link fence.

Wouldn't there be holes somewhere if it were a groundhog issue? Our backyard isn't all that large, so it seems like I would have noticed something like that. Also, the damage has occurred intermittently over the span of a couple weeks, making me even more sure I would have spotted something as out of place as a groundhog!