Oh, the sheer horror of planting and nurturing a batch of fresh seedlings in spring, only see them ravaged by unseen attackers! It’s a gardener’s nightmare.
If your plants are suddenly vanishing or sporting big, uneven holes, it’s time to suspect snails and slugs. These slimy critters love a good snack of spring seedlings. Try heading out at night with a flashlight for some snail and slug hunting – just pick and dispose of them. For extra protection, place upturned nursery pots over your seedlings overnight or sprinkle around some pet-safe snail baits.
But wait, if your seedlings are being mowed down at the soil line, the culprits might be cutworms. These sneaky, night-loving caterpillars chew through stems, toppling your plants.
To thwart their efforts, cut off the base of plastic drink bottles or containers and plunge them into the soil around the seedlings to create a physical barrier around them.
