George,

I too have that kind of damage in two of the Tessy's landrace planted next to compost pit and another one in fence corner. It looks like an Aliens have climbed the tomato seedling and trimmed off the branches just above the stake and and ate all those trimmed branches on the ground.

I guess it could be the work of the cut worms, as I noticed two cutworms on the branches of the lambsquarters growing next to those damaged tomato seedlings. I assumed tat those two buggers are going to chop off lambsquarters after finishing tomatoes. I never thought cutworms will climb? or I may be wrong in identifying them as cutworms?

-Chandra

Climbing cutworms used to get my hostas. I would go out after dark with a flashlight and find them under the leaves. I had been blaming slugs but there was no slime. It is hard to say who did the damage though.

Climbing cutworms... hmmm... never before heard of them. I'm going to have to do some investigating. Thanks!

George

I agree that it likely is climbing cutworms if you do not have snails or slugs. They are found in southern parts of the USA. Even though I gardened for many years in Texas just 80 miles south of where I now live, I never saw climbing cutworms until we moved here. The normal cutworms I see in my soil are usually black, but the climbing ones are sort of a variegated tan, sometimes with a greenish tint. This year I have found 3 or 4 climbing cutworms in my carrots.

It also might be caterpillars of some other sort, so spraying with Bt might help. I have more moths and caterpillars here this year than in our entire previous 13 years here combined! It is almost like a horror movie.

Helen's suggestion to look for them at night with a flashlight is a very good one.

Since I started using Slug Go Plus (iron phosphate plus spinosad) for pill bugs and sow bugs, I haven't had cutworm issues much at all so the Slug-Go Plus must work on cutworms as well. I have seen some cutworms this year, but I haven't used any Slug-Go Plus so that's probably why.

More info about the climbing cutworms is linked below.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Cutworms

Well, well, well. All this time I thought I had a caterpillar problem. No wonder I could not readily identify the species of moth larvae. I was dealing with the variegated cut worm!! Now I actually do have a caterpillar problem. I found cabbage worms on my kale but not worried as they've already been destroyed.