Oukay,

I raise my seedling inside under lights and twice in the past 4 years I have had the same thing happen. The seedlings get 3/4 to an inch tall with just their seed leaves and overnight they are cut off right under the leaves leaving nothing but the stem. I have never figured out what is doing it....and wonder if it is something that comes with the starting soil I buy. I see no bugs of any sort ever in that room, nothing, it is a bit of a mystery.

On the positive side I had a small flat of seedlings this spring that were beheaded and figured they were done but to my surprise they did after a couple days push out another set of leaves and developed normally. I had always been under the impression that when a seedling with just it's seed leaves is cut off that the plant is done....it was a happy surprise.

Might be cut worms. :o)

The Green Reaper

It might've been those flat little roaches that like to burrow in the soil - I've caught them munching my tomato sprouts in the past... I think it's called 'Surinam'(?)

I was pondering this after BR said the same thing happened to him one year and I was wondering about cockroaches too. Lets face it, even with a monthly pest control service although I never see live cockroaches we do find dead and dying ones shortly after the spraying, and other than spiders what else is likely to be in your house? So, I Googled the dietary habits of cockroaches and it does appear they will eat plants, so that would be my guess as well. Think about it, if your starving enough and have the digestive capability you'll eat just about anything you can find, at least in a survival mode....

Tom

Great....now I may have brought the wee little beasties into the house. Ah, the pleasures of living in Florida. Seriously though, thanks for the ideas.

...now I may have brought the wee little beasties into the house.

Even if I knew this was the case it would not stop me from starting my own tomato seed indoors, nothing beats the taste of the varieties we choose over what's usually available commercially....

Tom, I won't let it stop me. I love the flavor of homegrown tomatoes too much to stop. I am starting 16 varieties this year - some old friends, and some new and exciting-sounding varieties.
Kay

Kay,

Look out, you'll need rehab soon...just when I say I won't buy any new seeds the zombie kicks in chanting "must buy seeds" :-0

Tom