I've got a bit of a mystery on my hands with my sweet corn plants, which are about 2-3 weeks old and have their first full leaves. Every day when I come home from work, I find a few stalks with their leaves dragged into the dirt, almost like something is pulling them down. I thought maybe I was accidentally covering them with dirt while watering, but I've been super careful not to do that. The leaves are buried so deep that they're bending the stalks, and when I pull them out, they seem dried up without any clear signs of chewing or damage. I'm really stumped here and could use some advice on what might be causing this!
2 Answers
This might be a bizarre situation, but I've seen something like it before! It could also be a bug that’s causing the leaves to wilt and get dragged down. Sometimes, they'll suck the moisture from the leaves without leaving obvious chew marks. Try checking the underside of the leaves for any pests hiding there. A good insecticidal soap or neem oil might help if that's the case!
Sounds like you might be dealing with some pesky little critters! It could be gophers or ground squirrels that are getting into your corn. If it's happening to younger plants, it’s definitely possible that something small is causing the trouble. Keep an eye out for any signs of tunnels or little digging spots around your garden. Good luck!
Thanks for the suggestions! I’ll look for signs of those animals. Just seems so weird for them to go after such young plants!
I’ll definitely check under the leaves. Thanks for pointing that out! I really hope it’s not an insect problem.