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So disheartened - slugs/snails

SonnieBSonnieB Posts: 114
in Plants
Aghhhhh, planted a very pretty Dhalia a couple of days ago.  Checked this morning and it has more or less been destroyed to the extent that slugs/snails have eaten through entire stems.  It looks like someone 
has been using secateurs and hacked it to death.  Sorry just needed to vent. 

Posts

  • aureliecelerieraureliecelerier Posts: 157
    How big was your Dalhia when you planted it out? I had the same problem than you and had to cover the young plants with large cloches at night so they would not get eaten... 
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,305
    I can feel your pain :)
    I have a dahlia bed where I grow Bishops Children. Usually I plant about 25.
    A few years ago I planted them all out and the next day there was almost nothing left.
    Yesterday I planted out 25 and I could hear the slugs/snails getting their cutlery ready! so I laid some pellets.
    Once they're underway I'm not bothered by a few nibbles, but to loose the lot on day one is too much to bear ;)

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • SonnieBSonnieB Posts: 114
    @aureliecelerier It wasn't that big only in a small pot, one flower and a few buds.  Incidlently planted one a week ago and the same thing happend, not as severe though.  I removed it and put it in a pot. I will bear that in mind in the future about the cloches.  Thank you. 

    @Pete8 I can't imagine losing that many plants, I almost cried and it was only one..  I haven't used the pellets before but may have to. 

    Thanks for your responses guys. 

    Sonia
  • aureliecelerieraureliecelerier Posts: 157
    Just one thing about the cloches, make sure you don't trap any snail in there! I know this is a rather stupid advice but it happened to me once, needless to say my plant did not survive...! 
  • SonnieBSonnieB Posts: 114
    @aureliecelerier not stupid advice st all


  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 11,182
    Try putting a good ring of sharp grit about 6" wide at least around each plant. Slugs and snails don't like crawling over it I find. It seem to work for me.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • bookmonsterbookmonster Posts: 399
    my best defence against slugs and snails, though it does make your garden smell abit like a farmyard, is sheep wool pellet  mulch. Four sunflowers planted out yesterday in the same bed, forgot the mulch on one, and it was gone by morning.

  • SonnieBSonnieB Posts: 114
    Thank you @bookmonster, I will try that method also
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,053
    I planted a dahlia in the ground and it was growing well, then the snails arrived and chomped a good third, I put a generous ring of sharp gravel around, ok the first night, the second, a stem from a nearby salvia had mysteriously bridged the gravel and one was crawling over it - I just got there in time on my now nightly snail patrols. A cloche is a good idea, I have some large metal mesh domes used to keep flies off plates, that might fit the bill...
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,953
    I used to make barrier rings from a 2L bottle.  Cut off top and bottom, then cut in half so you have two tall clear rings of plastic.  Trim the top of each with pinking shears to make a sharp toothed edge.  I then cut two parallel slits on each side, to slide old chopsticks through on the inside as stakes to hold it in place in a wind.  It didn't work 100%, but greatly reduced damage.  It could be used in combination with grit or wool pellets for better effect.  
    Utah, USA.
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