Way back I believe soot was used to fend off pests when planting potatoes, what method was used please , do I put some in the hole ? round the ridge ? and when .....
I don't use it now because I worry about what nasty aromatic chemicals are in the soot, though I imagine my fear is misplaced, but when I used it I dug the planting trench, put dung at the bottom, and then a good sprinkling of soot on the dung. I got great potatoes like that with none of the common scab I get on them now, and they were slug-free, but I grow Kestrel which are always slug-free.
The Victorians used to sprinkle it round lettuces etc to keep the slugs at bay. I've no idea whether it worked.
Thanks I will give it a try on one row ....
Personaly i would not use soot unless it has been weathered for at least a year. The soot you get these day will be from man made solid fuel full of chemicals and not natural mined coal that was used in the past
When i used it it went between the rows it is good for stopping slugs as the slug being slimy the soot sticks to it and it becomes bogged down and dies
Thanks Davy The soot is from my son's chimney he burns logs and a little coal so should be ok..
Hi Picman,
I'm sure you plant the soot around the seed/plant to keep the slugs and snails off as the moisture is sucked from their 'foot' as the cross the soot.
I'm sure I read something a while ago that suggesting using soot around your onions.
Cheers
Richard
Coal soot will be just as full of chemicals. For that matter, wood soot will have plenty - it's made of chemicals after all - but at least wood smoke isn't obviously noxious.