I am growing stocks and hollyhocks for the first time and they are doing well in the greenhouse at the moment. Are they attractive to slug and snails? I would hate to plant them out and loose them over night. Thanks to anyone who can inform me of the risk.
Maggie I planted some hollyhocks out today (first time for me) so if I look in the morning and they have been chewed to the ground I will shout ;D
I think you will be ok with the hollyhocks, they have self seeded on my plot and seem to survive slugs but have got other little holes in the leaves.
Good luck with them.
save your crushed eggshells and surround your most vunerable plants, the little sods hate going over them. Gravel and sand can work, but it has to be a bit on the sharp side.
If you have a pond try to encourage toads or if you are lucky hedgehogs are good.
You can actually eat the snails, mixed with garlic butter and 3 bottles of wine to give you enough dutch courage to put them in your mouth.
Also there is nothing nicer than hearing a bird bashing them to bits on a stone. So make the garden bird friendly.
Don't throw them next door, they have a homing instinct.
I always plant in 5s and 3s but always put in a lettucefor the pests without any protection, then pull it out later when the plants are a bit tougher to eat.
Everything is vulnerable when it is small! If you can stomach it beer traps are really effective, put one out a week before, empty it a couple of Days before and refill, give the site a good soaking first to get any survivors moving!
;D