I live in Southern New Jersey and I planted my corn about 2 weeks ago and the plants are now about 2 inches high. I then noticed that something was eating them at the stems and leaving the leaves behind. There is also a round hole (usually about 1/2" in diameter) around where the stem use to be. Someone mentioned that it could be cut worms. Has anyone ever seen this?

-- Joan Nolan (jarandjoan@msn.com), April 27, 2002

Answers

Might look at the pictures on this web site and see if they resemble what you are experiencing: Cutworm, http://plymouth.ces.state.nc.us/pubs/ent/crcutworm.html

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), April 27, 2002.

I'm guessing cutworms. Two tricks to help with cutworms . . . .

Take a toothpick or a nail and put it in the ground about 1/4" away from the stem (1/2 of the nail/toothpick in the ground, the other half sticking up). The obstacle makes it difficult for the cutworm to get around the seedling to cut it off.

The other trick is to make little collars to protect seedlings--a toilet paper cardboard roll, paper towel cardboard roll or even the lip of a plastic soda bottle can be placed over the seedling at ground level (stuck a little bit into the dirt) to help prevent cutworm damage.

Good luck.

-- Julie in NC (jwoessner@rtmx.net), April 27, 2002.

Big packs of small paper cups work well also. Just tear out the bottom. Not styrofoam, paper. Put them on upside down as soon as the little plant comes up.

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@msn.com), April 27, 2002.

Your problem could be crows.They will pull young plant out of ground to get to the seed that is at the bottom of the plant.All thats left is plant & the hole it came out of.Get some chicken wire & make litte round cages about 10in tall. put them over plant as soon as it comes thru ground.Dont know how them crows know that seed is down there but they do.

-- Dave Coyner (dkoiner@webtv.net), April 27, 2002.

I vote with Dave. Last year, my corn was 3-5" tall when I started to notice just what Dave described. I watched closely and saw #@!!?@ starlings pulling up the corn to eat the seed. Since it was a fairly small plot, I used some floating row cover then made "scare starlings" with poles and pieces of the row cover that would flap in the slightest breeze. The corn did fine after that until a bad thunderstorm lodged every bit of it. If it isn't one thing, it's another.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), April 28, 2002.

Lay some old belts on the ground in a patch you want to keep birds out of. Move them around every day or two. The birds think they are snakes. :o)

-- kim in CO (kimk61252@hotmail.com), April 28, 2002.

Yes, the belts are an excellent idea. We have used old pieces of garden hose before and it seemed to help.

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), April 28, 2002.