My cabbage wilts. I pull up and it looks like it was cut with a knife?

[jantoo1]

Hi Everyone,

I go out to the garden and one by one a cabbage is wilted. Like one a day..

I pull it out of ground and it looks like it was cut with a knife below ground level.. What is it? What can I do WITHOUT using chemicals? I have a farm with critters (free ranging) and do not ever use poisons.. Is it still edible for critters or humans?

Thank you in advance..
Peace and blessings from Texas <><
Jan

 

[Debby]

Could that be cutworms? Put a paper cup, with the bottom cut off, around the stem at the soil level and push it down into the soil so the stem is protected by this cuff. These are usually put on when the plant is put in the ground. I'm not sure how big your plants are. You might have to cut the cup length wise and wrap it back into a circle around the stem.

Debby

 

[jantoo1]

Awesome Debby,


Good Idea, I bet you are right. I will try that .. So, it has to be in the ground as well as around the base? I will make sure to do that NEXT year at planting time. And I will give it a shot now.

I still have three nice cabbages left. And I sure would like to get to eat a few anyway..LOL.. Thanks Debby..

Peace and blessings,
Jan

 

[Catalina]

Sounds like cutworms. You can use toilet paper rolls cut in half or a piece of tin foil around the stem.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Catalina

I have never heard that about using tin foil. Is it because it's really easy to wrap round or because the metal does something extra special -- like putting copper tape round your raised beds because it gives slugs a mild shock ,so they stay away?

I just wish copper tape wasn't so expensive....!


:rose Hattie :rose

 

[Reinbeau]

The easiest thing to do is to push two toothpicks right next to the stem, one on either side. The cutworm needs to wrap itself around the stem to eat it, with the toothpicks in place it can't.

 

[seedcorn]

The easiest thing to do is to push two toothpicks right next to the stem, one on either side. The cutworm needs to wrap itself around the stem to eat it, with the toothpicks in place it can't.

Never knew that..........interesting

 

[jantoo1]

WOW that is the coolest thing I have heard yet and oh so simple. Thanks so much. I have had cabbage in my garden for years and have battled cabbage loopers, but never had problems with cut worms so this is a new one for me. Gardening in Niorth Texas is challenging to say the least.. With the summer heat and drought and then and fall and spring monsoons..LOL.. It makes it tough. So any tips are greatly appreciated. And I need my garden. I love to grow things but if I don`t garden we don`t eat. So it is more than a hobby for us..

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Reinbeau,

Thank you for the toothpicks advice -- great tip, AND SO CHEAP & SIMPLE to do. I love this site -- I learn so much every day!

Thank you again; you are a mine of information.

:rose Hattie :rose

 

[COgirl]

I am battleing cutworms also I'm going to try the toothpick suggestion. I had placed collars around my cabbage and when I checked on the plants today there was a cut worm crawling up the collar , thankyou reinbeau for a great idea. :happy_flower