I use beneficial nematodes for cutworm control. They are available at some nurseries and also online.

Apply beneficial nematodes when the cutworms first appear in the spring. Nematodes attack the cutworms by laying eggs inside the caterpillar. Ravenous hatchlings consume the cutworm before it can pupate into an adult moth.

It's obviously too late to do that this year, but I highly recommend beneficial nematodes for cutworm control as well as a control for grubs. Apply in early spring, then again 3 - 4 weeks later. Nematodes might seem expensive, but they do work and are completely non toxic, which is worth it to me.

I am not advocating the link below, just did a quick search and found a site that gives some info on the different types of beneficial nematodes. I get mine from a local place.

Here is a link that might be useful: clicky

Thanks, Weed. Learned something! Never heard of this method and always thought nematodes were a bad thing because they're discussed here as a negative for hosta. Apparently they leave marks on the leaf. Is this some other non-beneficial type or the same critter? I assume these guys will not get 'into' the plant cells?

Westy

sevin works ... i think it is even listed for such on the label ...

i think they go to ground at night.. so a BIT where the petioles meet the crown is all you need... NOT A 5 POUND BAG PER PLANT ... think pizza/italian food shop Parmesan cheese shaker for dispersal ..

i ignore them.. much safer .. they do turn into something else.. and usually.. by the time you see the damage.. they have moved on in life.. and are flying around ... ergo.. the chems are just pollution and a waste of money ...

i have no objection to bT, but for the extreme up front cost ...

ken

Hi Carole ... Your garden was just gorgeous, I don't even remember seeing the cutworm damage. I know we all talked about it on one plant or was that one leaf? All I can remember was that beautiful gorgeous garden! Stop worrying, I'm with Ken, by now they are probably gone. Be glad you don't have slugs! OH NO, next week you will really see damage. Tuesday was so much fun and everyone was so very nice, I enjoyed it and was so glad that I joined Carol on the walk. It was a great day. I especially loved your art work, you are soooooo talented!!! Remember a bucket for the ferns.

You're right Ken....I always forget all damage is temporary. I can't even hurt a bunny so I let them eat and they're gone in a flash and new leaves show up a few weeks later. But I didn't realize cutworms end up as a 'Myth' as Peter Sellers would say. (MOTH) I ain't gonna get the 'stuff'.

And thanks for all the kind words, Nancy! It was a blast and I can't wait until next week for the second half of the Connie-Inspired-GardenWalk. And I definitely will bring buckets for ferns.

BTW, I'm sure I don't have slugs because of the pine needles. I tend to rake them into piles around the base of every hosta and since I started doing it a few years ago, I haven't had a slug!!! I absolutely hate picking up thousands of pinecones every day but there's a downside to everything I guess.

See you next week.

Westy (Carole)

Those beneficial nematodes do their thing in the soil, not the plants. I've used them very successfully for grubs. BT (the expensive stuff) is Bacillus Thurigiensis, which gets caterpillars eating the leaves of anything. It needs to be sprayed directly on the critters and only lasts for 24 hours, so that wouldn't work on cutworms that hide just under the top layer of soil...unless you sprayed the stuff directly on them, which is silly because if you see the cut worm, just pull it off your plant and squish it.

We used BT on our tomatoes (three sprayings, 3 days in a row to be sure we got all those little green caterpillars). It worked very well. My tomato leaves were looking like lace.

Both products are safe to use.

-Babka