Topic: Slug free gardening.

[Emagggie]

I am that woman  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Magnolia]

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr everything I put in the ground that isn't a decent size gets completely munched.  This week I've lost all peas, half my little gems (expect the rest to go tonight) and my climbing beans.  Everything in containers has survived.

I've managed to catch loads in beer traps but reckon they've feasted 1st before supping on the beer.  Coffee grounds do seem to work better and I didnt put as much down around the plants as I normally do as I was in a rush.

I declare war on the little &&&**@$.

[Deb P]

I use a lot of plastic bottles cut in rings, or for lettuces the top half of a bottle to protect small plants when they are first planted out, surrounded by the ferramol based pellets. This helps them survive until they are big enough to fight off the odd nibble. Namatodes help reduce the overall population too, but I only use it once at the beginning of the season as it is expensive! Sunflowers also get a thick smearing of Vic (or supermarket own brand stuff, cheaper) halfway up the stem, snails won't cross it!

[wetandcold]

I have also been finding that a torch and a pair of good secateurs can work wonders... ;D

[carolinej]

Eeuww!!

cj :)

[peasmad]

Copper is not a metal that will be laying around for very long..................it's value is too high as scrap.
But never fear there are answers...........................................
I have Ducks outside that eat them from the borders. I am the only person locally to grow delphiniums without slug damage.
But in the old PT and on the veg plot, where the ducks aren't allowed i use other means.
Here goes with my TOP SECRETS.
I sometimes use cut up pop bottle as rings, coated in vaseline and wrapped with copper thread. The Copper thread is an ordinary copper kitchen scourer, which can be unravelled like knitting and loosely wrapped around the rings. In all my grow bags (saddle bag style) i just leave a pile of unravelled copper scourer round the base of each plant. NO SLUGS............................................. But SSSSHHHH Don't tell everyone.

[carolinej]

Your secret's safe with me ;)

cj :)

[tonybloke]

We were speaking to a chap on our plot the other day and he said that his father had some copper tools Spade and fork and he never had problems with slugs. Don't know where these can be bought. I'm gonna look on the net and see if they are available. The amount of pellets we buy might just cover the cost in the next ten years.lol

The company is called 'Implementations' I got a bronze trowel made by them at the chelsea show, the best trowel I've  ever used.will take and post a pic.rgds, tony

[tonybloke]

here you are, my lovely new trowel. I also seem to have success with slugs by the use of seaweed, its got iodine in it, slugs hate it! ;)[attachment=1]

[Barnowl]

Anyone tried the wool pellets yet? Slug Gone or Slug Buggers (great name :))