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Category: Vegetable Gardening | Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 4:28 pm

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Saturday I was late arriving home. I had about a half-hour or so to try and get some planting done. I did as much as I could until it was dark and I couldn't see anymore and was being eaten by bugs. Most of it is done; just finished yesterday, but discovered that I have to plant more beans. I planted 4 in my shade bed about a month ago. Two are doing well, the third sprouted but appears to have been snipped somehow and died. The forth didn't sprout. I did plan to put more in the sun garden but I'm not sure I have the space for them anymore. I'll see what I can do about that.
I figure I can plant my potted celery in the shade garden, in the spots where those beans were supposed to be.
It is amazing that no matter how I draw it out, I can always fit much more in my drawing than I can in the actual garden. Why is that?
Anyway, I hope to get the beans in either today or tomorrow, and then I can relax. The most difficult part is over.



Last edited: Mon Jun 02, 2014 4:30 pm

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Sjoerd wrote on Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:07 am:

This is goed news. things are coming right along.
I worry about that plant that was bitten off or something. It might be a good idea to dig around in the ground surrounding that decapitated plant to see if you can find a cutworm.

Tja!--That difference between planning on paper and reality is a problem that we all have to one degree or another, I think.

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Beeker wrote on Tue Jun 03, 2014 1:48 pm:

Oh, thank you!
A cutworm.

I thought it could be the chipmunk, but that little guy would have gone after more than just one bean seedling. A cutworm definitely makes more sense. I will check today and report back.

Thank you again!

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Sjoerd wrote on Thu Jun 05, 2014 9:16 am:

Well, I surely hope that you do not have a cutworm there, but if you do then I hope that you can dig-around and find it and destroy it.

Otherwise it may work-off the whole row.

It sounds comical perhaps, but I assure you if one of those beasts is at work the results can be quite alarming...not to mention disappointing.

I shall be looking to see what results you have or have not had.

Fingers crossed for you, meid.

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Beeker wrote on Thu Jun 05, 2014 12:52 pm:

Sorry I haven't posted back yet. I haven't had the chance to check for the cutworm. I've been too busy to do anything more than quickly water the garden. I've been taking care of a family member's pets this week and haven't had much time for anything else. One benefit is that I was told to take as much wood and tools as I need for the garden! I just got a nice carload of stakes for tomatoes, wood for fencing, and a bunch of much needed garden tools I was getting close to spending money on. I'm thrilled to save the money and to have some nice, old fashioned tools!
It is raining today, but I will report back when I do my digging. Thankfully, there is no further damage to any other seedlings. It is a raised bed with screened topsoil, so I am surprised that a cutworm would have made it, but also certain that there can't be many in there. I must be dealing with one little pest and will find him soon enough.

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Sjoerd wrote on Fri Jun 06, 2014 6:47 am:

Well, I sure hope that it isn't, but those long-legged flies can lay their tiny eggs in the soil. The eggs are so minuscule, that they may have slipped through the sieve.
I sure hope not.
Was your plantlet cut at the soil line or in mid-shaft?

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Beeker wrote on Fri Jun 06, 2014 12:03 pm:

I would have to say it appeared to be cut at the soil line (there was a slight indentation where the seed was planted, so it was the top of the indentation) as soon as it began to sprout, but it grew about an inch before it died.

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Sjoerd wrote on Fri Jun 06, 2014 10:52 pm:

Uh-oh---That DOES sound cutworm-ish after all. Tch!

I hope that you have the time to dig around to see if you can find that worm (caterpillar).

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Beeker wrote on Mon Jun 09, 2014 2:00 pm:

I found two or three of them in my sun garden, where I planted the tomatoes last year, when I was tearing out some more sod to mend the fence a few weeks back. I didn't know what they were, but after reading your post, I did a search on cutworms and saw the picture. I'm glad I tossed them onto the pavement. Hopefully the birds got a good snack.
So far, I have been throwing all grubs, non-earth worms, and caterpillars onto the pavement as I find them when I am working in the soil.

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Beeker wrote on Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:03 pm:

No cutworm found in my shade bed so far.
How long does it take for it to become a moth? Could it be that it was there and is now gone? Perhaps a bird got it. There was only damage to that one bean seedling. The other didn't sprout at all. All the rest of my seedlings have been fine until now. I guess that little chipmunk or perhaps a rabbit or squirrel is starting to munch on the leaves of my broccoli and kohlrabi. I told my better half that we now have some real urgency to get the fence for the shade bed finished. Now, we can't decide whether it should be more of a cage than a fence or not. Squirrels can easily climb a fence. But, if we add a top the birds can't get in to eat any bad bugs or grubs. It is a difficult decision.

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