Growing Pains: Lessons from the Garden #2

If your biggest problem is a cutworm (or a couple of them), then be thankful.  There are worse things in life.  It could be much, much worse. 

My strawberry patch has not been the most maintenance-free.  A few weeks ago, I discovered that aphids partied on the stems of my growing strawberry plants.  Since, I have tried the very sophisticated water hose blast method and it seemed to work.  I followed up with a foliar application of insect frass, but it rained that evening, so there goes that.  I just have to do a repeat this weekend. 

Anyway, before leaving for a camping trip, I noticed some new damage on leaves of a few plants that look like pacman munch bites.  There has been some major snackage.  It's not the signature of aphids and it can't possibly be slugs because it's too dry here. 

With a headlamp and The Dutch within a shrieking distance, I went out and sleuthed.  I found the culprit!  Big, fat cutworms.  The best way of getting rid of them is picking them and eliminating them to your discretion.  They are nocturnes so hunt for them at night, as late as possible.

I am not completely convinced that we have controlled the cutworms altogether.  But before I get consumed by it all, I remind myself to keep things in perspective.  Nothing, I mean, NOTHING, is worth any bad vibes.  Life is way too short for that. 

Gardening, as with anything in life, is not in a sealed vacuum.  Things are bound to go wrong just as they are bound to go right.  It will be utter foolishness to think it could only be the former without the latter.   

And on we go.