My Malabar Spinach and Marigolds are being chewed right at the base and the plants are collapsing. Any idea what is doing this?
That’s not a fruiting plant is it?
Looks like a flower or succulent.
It’s a Malabar Spinach. FWIW, I’ve seen some other seedlings (Okra, New Zealand Spinach, Safflower) just disappear overnight. Could it be earwigs? I have a healthy earwig population hiding in my Giant Japanese Mustard nearby.
Have you grown this before? I’m trying it for the first time this year. Pretty excited about it. Here I’m the northeast I’m not having any pest issues with it so far.
First time for me too. I got this red stemmed variety from @californicus and another green stemmed from Baker Creek.
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Likely cutworms. Spinosad–or a spinosad-containing bait, such as Sluggo Plus–has helped with my cutworm problems. Supposed to kill earwigs, too.
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I do see some chewing of the leaves on mine but not on the stems. I’d try a beer trap before sluggo plus
My first reaction to that watermelon photo is tooth Or claw marks from a rodent, etc
Could it be a squirrel? Or is it too big? That fruit is pea sized.
Hmm that’s pretty small, so maybe not. Hard to say. Sorry!
In my limited experience I’ve never known ants to be harmful, at least in this manner.
looks like mice damage. is it really hot there right now? maybe munching on vegetation for moisture.
pill bugs and ear wigs. They do this to all my seedlings other than tomato. Malabar spinach is especially tender even when it gets bigger, they love that stuff. I put taller used plastic bottles till they are hardened enough to be unattractive for them.
It is hot right now. I did catch a mouse a couple years ago in my squirrel trap. I’ll set up a trap.
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