Will my pepper plants recover?

R

Ralistin

So I found that I have a cutworm problem. Assuming they will do no further damage I am wondering if a few of my pepper plants will recover.
 
Some of them were not cut down but the base of the stem has been chewed fairly deep on all sides, like a finished corn on the cobb. All the leaves are still looking good, no wilting yet.
 
Should I mound soil around these wounds to promote roots to grow?
 
Depending upon the actual damage and your ability to eradicate the cutworms, you might be able to salvage the plants. Think about your own circulatory system - you have major veins and arteries and you have tiny capillaries. Cut a capillary and no big deal. Cut a major vein and it's a big deal. Plants are similar and, unfortunately, the major thruways are in the main stem. However, if at least a few are ok, the plants might make it. Start by digging up the plants and wrap the cut areas with sterile tape. Then repot the plants but plant them deeper, so much more of the stem is under the surface of the soil - this is to help support what's up top. Then give it time and see what happens. However, you are going to have to eradicate the cutworms else they'll just start gnawing at the newest area of the stem.
 
One more thought ... have you actually seen cutworms in the soil? It could be a soil fungus is the problem, if not. Damage from verticillium wilt, for example, starts at the soil line and may initially look like cutworm damage. If you haven't actually seen cutworms, take a flashlight at night and shine it on the soil around the base of the plants. The larvae only come out at night to feed.
 
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