I only have a few things I protect from cutworms: tomatoes and peppers. I start the calendula inside and it's good size by the time I plant it. The cutworms have never bothered it. Come to think of it, they've never bothered the dozens of volunteers that come up in the garden each year.

One thing that makes plants attractive to pests is too high nitrogen in the soil. You do need some, but too much weakens plants and the pests attack. Another reason could be your soil is too un-balanced and that will weaken plants also.

I've found balancing the soil to be the very best thing I've done for pests and disease control. Each year there's less and less as my soil works its way to being in balance.

I am a firm proponent to fixing the problem, not applying a bandaid to it.