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Not sure whether to post this under Pests or this forum. We're having a bad slug season, partly due to my mulching everything, but that is the best way to conserve water in our heat. Next year I'd like to grow more flowers that disinterest slugs. I notice that (so far) the lilies aren't being attacked, nor roses, iris, angelonia, penstemon, snapdragons, wild daisies, and weeds. Unfortunately they're loving the dahlias and zinnias, even marigolds.  Have you found any they usually don't attack?

They usually don't like hairy plants or smelly plants so stachys lanata and lavander are usually safe.  They also don't eat aquilegia as they have some nasty tasting chemical in them. 

There's a list of plants here that you could try - http://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/features/flowers/slug-proof-plants/1115.html

they don't attack the ones with blue slug pellets scattered around the base of plants !!

I have a huge snail problem in my flower border, but these perennials are never attacked; phlox, knapweed, scabious, acanthus, crocosmia, japanese anemone, lysimachia - they just go on and on, and for biennials they don't attack sweet william, wallflower or evening primrose - I suppose slugs and snails eat the same thing? Don't bother trying hostas or lupins!

Quote from: Obbelix on May 31, 2013, 16:42:06
They usually don't like hairy plants or smelly plants so stachys lanata and lavander are usually safe.  They also don't eat aquilegia as they have some nasty tasting chemical in them. 

There's a list of plants here that you could try - http://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/features/flowers/slug-proof-plants/1115.html

Thank you for the helpful list! That gives some good ideas for next year.

Quote from: jimtheworzel on May 31, 2013, 17:35:37
they don't attack the ones with blue slug pellets scattered around the base of plants !!

I read that the little slugs can't eat the pellets. I've tried two types of pellets and perhaps some slugs dined and died off in a corner, but the little ones keep marching along and eating tiny holes in my tenderly raised seedlings. In desperation I've been getting up early with a spray bottle of ammonia:water  a 1:4 mixture. A fine spray of that curls the slugs right up and doesn't hurt the plants. But it means lifting leaves individually to find the critters which takes FOREVER!

G A don't use the organic
slug pellets they don't work use only the blue ones
place a pile under an empty butter container to keep off rain and birds from pecking make a hole in container side so slugs can get in and DIE!!

jim   

Quote from: jimtheworzel on May 31, 2013, 19:51:46
G A don't use the organic
slug pellets they don't work use only the blue ones
place a pile under an empty butter container to keep off rain and birds from pecking make a hole in container side so slugs can get in and DIE!!

jim   

Do you know by any chance what the active ingredient is?

Quote from: small on May 31, 2013, 17:48:25
I have a huge snail problem in my flower border, but these perennials are never attacked; phlox, knapweed, scabious, acanthus, crocosmia, japanese anemone, lysimachia - they just go on and on, and for biennials they don't attack sweet william, wallflower or evening primrose - I suppose slugs and snails eat the same thing? Don't bother trying hostas or lupins!

:BangHead:yes already tried hostas. The leaf surfaces each have at least one slug in the AM although they seem to survive the attacks every year, just don't look well cared for. Your mentioning crocosmia and lysimachia reminds me those were two I was going to try growing this year but never bought. Next year definitely! I started some wallflowers from seed and am looking forward to seeing them bloom in 2014 should they happen to survive the winter.

Aquilegias, I have loads and the slugs don't bother them. Our garden is full of snails having an old stone wall all around. Slugs and snails eat everything else.

Quote from: macmac on June 01, 2013, 14:58:29
Aquilegias, I have loads and the slugs don't bother them. Our garden is full of snails having an old stone wall all around. Slugs and snails eat everything else.

What do you grow after the Aquilegias are finished in spring? Ours last such a short time.

G A  its called  , mixed with bran to form pellets

jimtheworzel

sorry last post went all wrong
its called   metaldehyde

My slugs seem to like irises and have often nibbled the flowering stalks until they keel over before the blooms open.   

I buy a melon, cut it in half, scoop out the flesh and eat it.  I put the two skin halves is the flower bed with the rounded area uppermost, then check underneath them periodically to remove the slugs.  It gets rid of a few of them. 

Quote from: Paulines7 on June 01, 2013, 17:27:11
My slugs seem to like irises and have often nibbled the flowering stalks until they keel over before the blooms open.   

I buy a melon, cut it in half, scoop out the flesh and eat it.  I put the two skin halves is the flower bed with the rounded area uppermost, then check underneath them periodically to remove the slugs.  It gets rid of a few of them. 

That would call all the groundhogs in the area in for dinner. <sigh> They love melons. It makes a good bait to trap them in a Have-a-heart trap. Having slugs is the lesser of two evils since they only eat a plant slowly whereas the groundhogs eat them down to the ground overnight while knocking others over. 

all the 'hard' perennial herbs like rosemary, sage, thyme and there's the perennial geraniums as well.

I find the organic slug pellets work very well for me.   Follow the instructions, apply thinly but regularly and start at the beginning of the season to get the perishers as they emerge from hibernation and before they've had time to feed or breed.

Quote from: jimtheworzel on June 01, 2013, 17:22:15
sorry last post went all wrong
its called   metaldehyde

the one I've been using is organic, not supposed to hurt birds. I've been wondering if the birds have been eating it! It seems to disappear quickly. We have native slugs and now some huge striped Asian ones, truly nasty beasts, turn my stomach.

gherkins on toast

Metaldehyde is harmful to anything that eats slugs and snails so amphibians, thrushes, hedgehogs....... as well as any pets or children who find and eat them.

The wildlife friendly ones are based on a ferrous compound which is harmful only to slugs and snails and any surplus breaks down easily in the soil.