Expert: C.L. Fornari - 6/16/2008

Question
Why are all my impatients breaking off at the bottom? I keep re-planting new
ones, and eventually  they do same thing. It looks like they are torn off at
bottom, or stepped on..they look broken off..No person walks on or through my
garden. HELP??????

Answer
Melanee,
Dig around the area where some have broken off and see if you come up with a green or whitish larvae/worm.  This sounds like the work of a cutworm!  These hole up just under the surface of the soil and eat around the base of plants at night, causing them to topple over like trees cut with a chain saw.  Sometimes they eat people's tomato or sunflower seedlings, but they can also eat impatiens.  The best control is to dig around and find them and squash them.  Since they feed at night you could also go out a few times after dark with a flashlight and squash any that you see.  You can read more about them and see a photo here: http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets/cutworms.html

I hope this helps!
C.L.