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Mon, Sep 1, 14 at 15:20
| Planted 8 Bonnie broccoli plants one week ago in Knoxville, TN. All but one have been chewed back to ground level. Oddly enough, there is a rubber snake next to the one plant that is still standing. There is also lettuce and cabbage in the same area, unaffected at this time. Any thoughts? Would you lean more towards rabbit or some type of worm or caterpillar ? Would be glad to replant if I can ID the pest and respond. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by prairiemoon2 zone 6a/MA (My Page) on Mon, Sep 1, 14 at 15:25
| Had the same problem! Two escaped being eaten in another bed. One had some insect holes all over it just one day after planting. I also noticed one bitten tomato on the ground and a hole near a basil plant. Wondering if I have a chipmunk? Do they eat broccoli plants? Couldn't be a woodchuck he would have eaten a whole lot more. |
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| If it's WHOLE plants GONE, I'd say some type of mammal. Is that what's happening? Kevin |
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- Posted by greenthumbNOTme 6A (My Page) on Mon, Sep 1, 14 at 18:52
| Yeah, the whole plant is gone. Lettuce, cabbage and radish sprouts untouched.......SO FAR. |
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| Ok. The only insect I know that will take out a seedling in one fell swoop is a cutworm. And they don't even do that... they just snip at the base and leave the plant lying on the ground. Slugs will take out fresh sprouts, but not established seedlings completely gone. So, I'm guessing mammal. You might want to cover with row covers until you find the culprit and do night time recon to find it. Good luck. Kevin |
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| Rabbits did my broccoli in last year. With that many plants eaten, the rabbits should have left some droppings (poop) for you to be able to identify them. |
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| I couldn't see them, but I something was chewing my bok choi seedlings down to the nub last month. I finally did what I rarely do and got out the Sevin spray. Bok choi doing fine now. |
This post was edited by ltilton on Tue, Sep 2, 14 at 9:18
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| I have had a large grasshopper eat a normal sized transplant down to the ground, but not several at once... I think your most likely culprit is a bunny. They do like the young brassicas. |
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| I lost a bunch of my broccoli seedlings, leaves all eaten clean off the small plants, more than once, along with lettuce seedlings eaten to the ground, and carrot leaves eaten. I am spraying the seedlings with Sevin at this point, but it is probably too late for Broccoli. I have a fenced in garden and no one has left any signs of digging in, or eating anything bigger than a seedling. If I give fall gardening a try again next year, it will be with row covers for sure. There's too many pests to try and sprout seedlings in midsummer, especially ones that grow slow and weak due to the heat. |
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- Posted by little_minnie 4 (My Page) on Wed, Sep 3, 14 at 21:13
| Gophers cause my disappearing veggies. They will take out a 3 x3 section or so, leaving nothing there. They have so much to choose from they only eat their favorite plants. In spring I had to replant tons of peppers and broccoli. |
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