SC - Transplanting Tips

[DeSevyngy at aol.com]

part of Phlip's forwarded tips....

>5. Protect against cutworms. This is especially important for
>tomatoes, peppers, and other veggies with tender stems.
>These ground-level pests can chew completely through thin
>stems. Cut strips of newspaper and wrap one around each
>stem so that it extends an inch or two above the soil surface
>to an inch or two below. The collars are easy to use and last
>long enough for the stems to grow thick enough to discourage
>cutworms. Avoid tight collars of plastic which can restrict the
>stem growth.

One thing that I learned in my last totally organic, totally cool, totally 
susceptable to cutworms AND slugs garden was the wonders of copper.  A 
marvelous technique to not kill the little buggers, but still prevent them 
from eating your culinary vegetables, is to use copper cuffs.  We went down 
to the local craft store and purchased a few tubes of copper foil.  Unlike 
aluminum foil, this is a very hefty foil, more like thin flexible sheet 
metal.  Do be sure that it is real copper and not dyed or anodized aluminum.  
Cut this into 3" X 12" sheets, and then cut both ends (about 1" in from end) 
halfway through (top to middle of one end and bottom to middle of other).  
This way you can roll the strip into a tube and slide the two ends together 
to lock.  Bury the tubes in the soil 1" deep (leaving 2" above ground) and 
place your seedlings one in each sleeve.  Now, the cutworms cannot climb over 
the cuff, the slugs are repelled (effectively) by the inherent electrical 
current in the copper, and the metal sleeves do not disintegrate weather.  I 
have had great success using this technique and now plant ALL my seedings 
this way.  I leave the sleeves in place through the growing season, the 
cutworm threat does die off when the plants are larger, but slugs do damage 
the entire season.  The best part is at the end of the summer, I unlock and 
flatten each sleeve.  Totally reusable for years!

Back to the garden (all in pots this year, might be moving this summer) ....

Isabeau

Isabeau deSevyngy
Squired to Sir Sakura kita no Maikeru
Shire of Gryphons Lair
Artemisia