Topic: slugs

[martin godliman]

After checking my recently emerged seedling of cavalo nero and chard I notice they have been devastated by slugs. I'm no organic gardener and I have put down pellets but clearly either not renewed them often enough or it's bumper year for slugs.
I just hope their are enough seedling survivors to transplant back into the gaps with the thinnings when I come to do that job.

It's a war out there !

[goodlife]

Code: [Select]

It's a war out there !
It certainly is... ::)

Usually my crops don't struggle much with slugs..but this year, now that its been so wet last couple of weeks..some stuff has been been nibbled by the 'bleeders'.
I let my brassica plants grow good size in pots before planting outside and that usually helps that they avoid slug attacks..it is the small seedlings in grown level that gets most of the attention.
Luckily my brassicas are still in GH so hopefully in next week or so weather and ground dry out that bit more so sluggies are not as active.
I rarely loose much for slugs..so I don't need to use pellets...or should I say, I choose not to use them. I've got plenty of birds, frogs and other creatures around now so my plots have quite good natural balance between predators and 'food'. Its taken some years to achieve but well worth in long run.. ;) ;D

[Crystalmoon]

Could you lay some damp cardboard down away from your young plants ? This is a great way to catch slugs as they hide under the damp card during the day especially if its dry/sunny. Yesterday I found over 50 slugs under my card trap, the very wet weather we've had for a month seems to have caused a slug explosion.

I use garden scissors to cut the slugs in half where they are just sitting on the card then  I leave the dead slug covered surface up to the light & let the birds have a feast  ;D

Doing this has also encouraged loads of toads to live on my plot too & its much nicer than having blue pellets everywhere  ;)

[goodlife]

Yes..damp cardboard is good trick..same trick works with wet newspaper or lettuce leaf.. ;)

[rokerman1973]

OMG how could you cut them in half with scissors? They are so slimy I could not handle them!!!!

[Crystalmoon]

 :P Rokerman I couldn't pick them up either, they make me shudder!!!! They just stick to the damp card when you turn it over & its really easy to just snip them in half where they are, gruesome as it sounds I dont actually get my fingers near to them at all  ;) xjane

[goodlife]

OMG how could you cut them in half with scissors? They are so slimy I could not handle them!!!!

You can sprinkle some salt on them and that will sort them out very quickly..and if they are on card or paper..there is no 'hands on' involved neither. Just  dispose the card and job done.. ;)
Just don't go and sprinkle salt around the plants..plants or the soil won't like it.

[strawberry1]

cut them!!!   yuk   everything in my allotment is organic except slug bait and I`ll keep on using the blue pellets sparingly. Its the slugs or our food, no contest

[rokerman1973]

Crystalmon thank goodness for that. I was beginning to think of slugs on toast and other things xx

[martin godliman]

Thanks for the replies everyone, blue pellets for me just as an expediency if I had time I might adopt some of the other suggestions not checking on them often has been my problem.
I think I've got just about enough left to thin them out and fill the gaps.

I don't mind handling them as an angler I've used them as bait fishing for chub who love them snot and all, they exude especially when you put them on the hook. ;)

[star]

'Orrid things! Usually bran works a treat.....not this year. No. My dwarf kale is suffering badly  >:( >:( >:(

I cut the b%gg%rs in half as well, then maybe the frogs will finish them off. Frogs are slow this year or the slugs are extra quick!!

[martinburo]

I sprinkle ash from my woodstove around seedlings. Works very well, though it needs refreshing after several bouts of rain. I also find this is a good slug and snail year, I've even had to put circles of ash around potato seedlings.

[Coastie]

Thanks martinburo, I wondered what I could do with the ash from my woodburner.