What is eating the base of my stem?

11 years ago

What is chewing the bottom of my tomato stem or is it stem rot? It is also happening to the cucumbers in the same bed and to one tomato plant on the opposite side of the garden.

I looked at photos, and thought maybe a cucumber beetle, but I don't have those in my garden. I have seen the following insects: aphids, black flies, red mites, leaf miners, leaf hopper, slugs, and a worm from the white moths that fly around.

http://s1049.photobucket.com/albums/s400/jdolan29/Plants/

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

jean001a
11 years ago
In a pot or the ground?

If pots/containers, what did you fill them with?

The growing media looks sopping wet. Is it?
acdacd
Original Author
11 years ago
It was just watered prior to the photo. They are in raised beds and in the ground. It is filled with yard compost (leaves, grass clippings,branches), manure, and topsoil.
Related Professionals
Carlisle Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Birmingham Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Forest Park Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Wakefield Landscape Contractors · Woburn Landscape Contractors · Amesbury Landscape Contractors · Cerritos Landscape Contractors · Columbine Landscape Contractors · Duarte Landscape Contractors · Lyndhurst Landscape Contractors · Medford Landscape Contractors · Rochester Landscape Contractors · Tinton Falls Landscape Contractors · Eastlake Landscape Contractors · Bull Run Specialty Contractors
calliope
11 years ago
Google cutworm damage.
acdacd
Original Author
11 years ago
I don't think it is a cut worm. I have only seen two very young cut worms (about half and inch long) in my entire garden, and I have about sixy plants. Yesterday, I killed a keeled treehopper that appeared to be chewing the stem of one of the damaged plants...fairly certain this was the culprit.
calliope
11 years ago
Keeled treehoppers can't chew anything. They have sucking mouthparts. That type of 'scarred' stem damage is caused by a chewing mouthpart.
ahscards
11 years ago
How large are the stems? Have you seen pillbugs (rolly pollies)? I am batteling pillbugs right now, they not only kill seedlings, but have also been gnawing on the larger stems of cucumber, pumpkin, cantaloup, potato, and musk melon. Took me awhile to figure out my potato problem, until I removed the mulch and found hundreds of pillbugs with strips of stem eaten off. Caught them red-handed,, so to all you naysayers, PILLBUGS DO EAT LARGE LIVE PLANTS!
wyonan
11 years ago
PILLBUGS, eh? I've been having the same problem and have been thinking that it was earwigs! So how do you get rid of them?? I know we have lots of those pill bugs!