I know. They hit my favourite green leathery one when it started to unfurl. They are going to be moved into the gravel while I am away and I will again douse the slate in pellets whilst I am away!!
last night the slime trails on the raised bed was an eye opener! And the French beans in trug tubs had a hole in the leaf despite liberal pellets around the plants
Eat lots of Chinese takeaways, keep and dishwash the metal food trays then cut into strips and tack along the side of the raised bed planking. They won't cross these strips!
Went on holiday last week and on my return my lovely cabbage plants have been reduced to skeletal stalks! An old man at the GC says he swears by bird cage gravel. Organic (I have toddlers) and very sharp. Have put some around my spinach today. Fingers crossed.
Copper strips around raised bed. Paint raised bed with bitumen paint (they won't cross it).
Short term solution for while you are away, use the pet-friendly slug pellets, sharp grit and gravel around baby plants, and get hold of some guttering - if you can't wait, go out and get some from somewhere like B&Q, cut it into a few 1ft long lengths. Put it in the areas where the slugs like to congregate, upside-down, with pellets underneath. The slugs will head for this around sunrise, as they need somewhere dark and damp to hide so they don't get baked to death in the sunshine. The pellets should do the rest.
You can use the same trick when you're at home, just omit the pellets. Go out just before you go to work, and turn the guttering over to give the birds some breakfast, or have a bucket of saltwater or a weeding knife ready to despatch them.
Given you have a dog, I would seriously consider using nemaslug, as slugs carry lungworm which can be fatal for a dog - make sure all of the dog's toys are inside at night, as even the slime trails they leave behind can have the eggs in. Ask your vet if lungworm has reached your area yet when you go in for their annual checkup/boosters.
Somewhere on this forum there is a garlic solution; as far as I remember, you boil an entire head of garlic, slightly crushed, in a litre or so of water then when it is cool, add small amounts to the watering can.
Coffee. Make a strong brew, no decaff, use it to water the plot. Repeat for a few days. Caffeine kills slugs. More useful ideas here http://eartheasy.com/grow_nat_slug_cntrl.htm
Steep hill that's an interesting one I'll try. We like strong coffee at breakfast and I use the grinds around the edge of all my pots now and find that works better than anything else for me, but will try the watering now as well.
Posts
I know. They hit my favourite green leathery one when it started to unfurl. They are going to be moved into the gravel while I am away and I will again douse the slate in pellets whilst I am away!!
last night the slime trails on the raised bed was an eye opener! And the French beans in trug tubs had a hole in the leaf despite liberal pellets around the plants
Eat lots of Chinese takeaways, keep and dishwash the metal food trays then cut into strips and tack along the side of the raised bed planking. They won't cross these strips!
Jd
Licence to eat takeaway!!! Great idea. Wonder if you could put a circle around baby cabbages??
Went on holiday last week and on my return my lovely cabbage plants have been reduced to skeletal stalks! An old man at the GC says he swears by bird cage gravel. Organic (I have toddlers) and very sharp. Have put some around my spinach today. Fingers crossed.
Copper strips around raised bed. Paint raised bed with bitumen paint (they won't cross it).
Short term solution for while you are away, use the pet-friendly slug pellets, sharp grit and gravel around baby plants, and get hold of some guttering - if you can't wait, go out and get some from somewhere like B&Q, cut it into a few 1ft long lengths. Put it in the areas where the slugs like to congregate, upside-down, with pellets underneath. The slugs will head for this around sunrise, as they need somewhere dark and damp to hide so they don't get baked to death in the sunshine. The pellets should do the rest.
You can use the same trick when you're at home, just omit the pellets. Go out just before you go to work, and turn the guttering over to give the birds some breakfast, or have a bucket of saltwater or a weeding knife ready to despatch them.
Given you have a dog, I would seriously consider using nemaslug, as slugs carry lungworm which can be fatal for a dog - make sure all of the dog's toys are inside at night, as even the slime trails they leave behind can have the eggs in. Ask your vet if lungworm has reached your area yet when you go in for their annual checkup/boosters.
Somewhere on this forum there is a garlic solution; as far as I remember, you boil an entire head of garlic, slightly crushed, in a litre or so of water then when it is cool, add small amounts to the watering can.
Brill thanks! Won't have time tonight but will try
Coffee. Make a strong brew, no decaff, use it to water the plot. Repeat for a few days. Caffeine kills slugs. More useful ideas here http://eartheasy.com/grow_nat_slug_cntrl.htm
Steep hill that's an interesting one I'll try. We like strong coffee at breakfast and I use the grinds around the edge of all my pots now and find that works better than anything else for me, but will try the watering now as well.