Oh yeah, if it was something like a hornworm it would eat all of the leaves overnight and leave the branches sticking up like a dead tree. That definitely looks like damage from something much, much bigger. One picture seems to show a fairly thick stem with a ragged edge like it has been chewed on. My first thought was deer, but you say you're in the 'burbs, so probably not deer. Next culprit on my list would be dogs or cats. Don't know many dogs that would eat oregano, but cats will definitely eat it (I have to grow catnip and sweetgrass specifically for mine to keep it out of my peppers and houseplants). The good news is that pepper plants are virtually impossible to kill by pruning (or in this case chewing), they'll redouble their growth and be right back to where they were in a week or two. Probably better in the long run because they'll bush out more, make the plant more stable and wider so it sets more fruit. Might be a blessing in disguise for you.

I plant that many in each container so that i get at least one per container. I decided to skip the small peat starter kit method. I went straight to the 3" starter pots. Then after a while (probably another week or so or when they start getting true leaves) I will decide which is the strongest looking in each container and I will cull the rest. I will end up with one per container and I will keep 20-30% more containers of plants than I plan to end up with in case a couple die along the way. I can always give away the the extras. I built in "unpreventable loss" all along the growing process. But I am not going to have much loss at the sprouting stage this year. Last year I planted 4 or 5 bhut seeds in a single 4" container and didn't have the heart to just keep one so when three popped up, I carefully dug out two and moved them to seperate containers. I would suggest doing this early like around the time they are getting their first true leaves. If you wait, the roots get too big and inter-twined. But this year, I wont be transferring any. I planted at least three containers of each variety I want to grow. Of those, I will probably wind up with just one or maybe two. The others I will give away if they make it. I basically planted three times the number of containers that I want to wind up with for each variety. For example, I want about 4 Sweet Banana pepper plants so I planted 12. Bruce

hello fellow newbie i am also new here i just discovered this forum through shear dumb luck i have never been too much of an internet person really but have been eating super spicy foods since i was a kid and am addicted to chile peppers this is my first year growing chile peppers and i have some in the ground and some in pots, most i bought as seedlings from nurseries mostly boring stuff, jalapeno anaheim cayenne banana pimento, but i also have started habaneros tobascos thai fresno a bhut jolokia and a medusa from seeds i started this year w/ 18 and now im up to 67 a little ambitious for my first year probably, but as most of u here know chiles are an obsession. to all out there that post thanks for all the tips and advice i have enjoyed reading ur posts

I do need night vision! My garden is in SF Bay Area. I would place my bets on a squirrel. I've never seen a rabbit here. I'm going to get my fence around my garden this week. I'll be really ticked if everything gets eaten as soon as it's ripe!