Hah😀 thanks for the tip Ju1i3 but I still don’t think I could even do it that way I think it will have to be nematodes / the green recycle bin or get a duck!
Here is a tip for Basil lovers - "everlasting basil" .
Buy a supermarket basil, get a larger pot with no waterhole. Add a little good garden compost or similar - put the basil in the pot and water well (basil is a bog plant). Now the secret is, when you want basil nip of leaves with finger tips, don't cut the plant stems. If you keep doing this the plant grows new leaves and will last a long while, you wont need basil for months. Keep in the light and keep moist
Water retentive crystals are a real risk for gardeners and pets and wildlife:-
"Some gardeners are concerned with the safety of PAM hydrogels. As the name suggests, polyacrylamides consist of many linked acrylamide subunits. Acrylamide is a known neurotoxin in humans and is suspected to be carcinogenic as well. During the manufacture of PAM gels, residual acrylamide is present as a contaminant and strictly regulated in the United States to levels no more than 0.05% or 500 ppm for agricultural use. However, an international study recommended that polyacrylamide gels used in cosmetics contain a residual monomer level of only 0.1 to 0.5 ppm. Therefore, the PAM hydrogels manufactured for agricultural and garden use can contain much greater concentrations of (1,000 to 5,000 times) toxic acrylamide than that found in personal products causing concern among some users.
Additional health issues can be presented by exposure to the more or less intact polyacrylamide gel where toxic effects have documented. Health risks associated with the breakdown products of PAM hydrogels are entirely unknown, but exposure risk could be great to gardeners and green industry workers that are exposed over time."
Just imagine how much more toxic for smaller organisms in the soil and environment.
Slugs can be dealt with by nematodes, beer traps, hand-picking then tossing in the road to be splatted by traffic if you can't face cutting them in two and plants can be protected by copper rings, sharp grit and growing in pots with copper bands or vaseline round the rim and the drainage holes.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
If beer traps,copper,grit or Vaseline really worked this thread would never be talked about. But it comes up every month. Nematodes are quite a new thing so who is to say in 20 years they will have been found to kill wanted species. At one time tea and coffee grounds were recommended as deterrents but now are thought toxic. Slug pellets have been used for years but less now. Not one of these things are banned if toxicity levels are proven they are banned. People make their own choices which is a good thing for if everyone did the same thing and it proved bad the damage could be considerable.
Nothing beats organic gardening. Working WITH nature is always the best way. I don't worry about the creatures that now live in my garden nor the weeds that pop up. Things find a balance - I leave some lawn unmown. This attracts many different little critters which in turn has attracted hedgehogs and varities of birds. These gobble up many of the slugs! Patience and time lets the garden find its own balance leaving very little for me to do. I spend the time making pretty pots of annuals!!!! (and just sitting and enjoying it all) .🌻🌼🌸
But there is a natural level for most organisms and we don't know what upsetting that level will do long term that was my point. Anything in hindsight might be harmful to a delicate balance or certain species but until there is enough research done on a specific subject then it is wrong to stop people making there own mind up. Like on here on another feed they are talking about using teabags, but do they know that tea and coffee in the soil changes the ph which might be harmful to soil organism in their area and that both if ingested by cats are harmful. It's a can of worms to start telling folk you must not do that.
Apologies if you felt I was telling you what to do. I just wanted to share what works for me. I find I have to do alot less work as I accept how my more 'wild' garden works on its own. Gardening should be a relaxing and enjoyable hobby tbat we all get pleasure from, not something for us to get worried about 🌞
Posts
Buy a supermarket basil, get a larger pot with no waterhole. Add a little good garden compost or similar - put the basil in the pot and water well (basil is a bog plant).
Now the secret is, when you want basil nip of leaves with finger tips, don't cut the plant stems. If you keep doing this the plant grows new leaves and will last a long while, you wont need basil for months. Keep in the light and keep moist
"Some gardeners are concerned with the safety of PAM hydrogels. As the name suggests, polyacrylamides consist of many linked acrylamide subunits. Acrylamide is a known neurotoxin in humans and is suspected to be carcinogenic as well. During the manufacture of PAM gels, residual acrylamide is present as a contaminant and strictly regulated in the United States to levels no more than 0.05% or 500 ppm for agricultural use. However, an international study recommended that polyacrylamide gels used in cosmetics contain a residual monomer level of only 0.1 to 0.5 ppm. Therefore, the PAM hydrogels manufactured for agricultural and garden use can contain much greater concentrations of (1,000 to 5,000 times) toxic acrylamide than that found in personal products causing concern among some users.
Additional health issues can be presented by exposure to the more or less intact polyacrylamide gel where toxic effects have documented. Health risks associated with the breakdown products of PAM hydrogels are entirely unknown, but exposure risk could be great to gardeners and green industry workers that are exposed over time."
Just imagine how much more toxic for smaller organisms in the soil and environment.
Slugs can be dealt with by nematodes, beer traps, hand-picking then tossing in the road to be splatted by traffic if you can't face cutting them in two and plants can be protected by copper rings, sharp grit and growing in pots with copper bands or vaseline round the rim and the drainage holes.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.