[Marcella]

“Tomatoes are growing great, no losses to cutworms this year because I remembered to use aluminum foil around the stalks.”

Tell me about using aluminum foil around stalks. Where exactly did you put the foil? I don’t have tomatoes in the ground but I need to know about this when I do have them in the ground.

Can you do this with other plants to stop bugs from getting on the plants and eating? I know nothing, either, about using chemicals on plants for anything. What should I know?

[JRandomFreeper]

I just wrap aluminum foil around the stalk about one inch below where it will go in the ground, and one inch above. Every year, I'll forget to do a few, and every year, I wind up with cutworms leaving me with dead plants. They cut them off at the ground.

I don't use commercial chemicals or even natural chemicals that can kill soil bacteria or fungi. If the soil is healthy, plants can fight off most diseases. Macroscopic fauna like cutworms and vine borer pests, I either treat mechanically, as with the AL foil, or with special bacteria or beneficial nematodes.

Healthy soil stops lots of problems from ever happening.

/johnny