Jenna - even though you'll be growing in a raised bed, cutworm control will still be necessary. Each individual plant will need protection....

EG

Here is a link that might be useful: My square foot gardening blog

I had my first cutworm infestion just past Christmas in a 4x12, lost nearly all the mustard spinach and the bok choi was eaten down to the stalks in just three days time (approx 16 sqft). I suspect I will be using DE for the winter garden this year.
My solution to removal was to take off the plastic and hoops and place 3 chickens in the bed.
If anyone has any suggestions as to how fight them, please let me know.

Thanks for the info! That's what I thought, but I had this weird idea running around in my head...

...now to locate compost...

Yup I get them in my raised beds.

I place 1-2 toothpicks right up against each plant stem. It's a pain but not as bad as losing my harvest.

Jo

Jo -

Toothpicks? How do those help against cutworms? I've never heard of this technique before...

Thanks!

-----Jenna

A cutworm has to curl its body around the base of a plant at soil level to munch. The toothpicks prevent this from happening. Two or three give extra insurance, but even one should do the trick.

HTH!

Jo

I lost a bunch of broccoli seedlings to cutworms in a raised bed last year. If you do find a plant cut down, make sure that you dig around the base of the stem and find and kill that nasty cutworm, or it will just move to the next plant the next night!

The little cardboard sleeves that you put around coffee cups make great cutworm collars.

How deep to cutworms go? When feeding on veggies that is!

collars only restrict damage.
what really need to do is kill the cutworms.
1/4- 1/2 cup of corn meal sprinkled 6 in around plants should kill cut worms.