I use nematodes when it gets bad. The rest of time I lob them onto the shed roof where there is usually a small huddle of blackbirds and a thrush waiting
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
If it's in a pot invest in some copper rings I put 2 round my young plants,one inside the other with a small gap. Make sure there is no overhanging vegetation otherwise they climb up that and abseil in!
I hate to hurt anything .So when I find slugs (which is often) . I dispatch them by stamping on them and then wiping the soles of my gardening shoes on the grass.I am sure they didn’t feel I thing ,I do it so quickly and very hard .I do use slug pellets occasionally ,but I prefer not to .
I agree with @debs64 .... nematodes have worked really well here.
We live in a valley in Scotland so it can be v. damp at times. Before using nematodes I could collect 400+ without even trying. I decided that life is too short and tried the nematodes. Haven't looked back since ... if I do go out "collecting" I now only get less then ten, and these are from areas like the lawns that haven't ever been treated. My garden is almost 2 acres ... so I only treat the flower/ veg beds. Nowadays I just buy a 40 sq m pack four times a year. I dilute it to 2 twice the amount in the instructions so I can make it go further and just give a "top up" to the residual population of nematodes in the ground. Seems to be working. Bee x
Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
Sink a plastic cup or clean yogurt pot into the soil so the lip is about 1 inch above the surface and fill with beer
The slugs are attracted and fall in and die but are happy. !!
It works but be careful when you try to withdraw the cup from the soil as I did it to strongly and flung the smelly contents all over my hair and I needed to go home for a shower IMMEDIATELY as I stank
Nematodes are brilliant
Everyone is just trying to be Happy.....So lets help Them.
Hi ! Its Caro again. Thanks for all your slug-zapping suggestions..Ive put down some dried rosemary (lots) all over my potted plant soils and guess what...NO SLUGS ...only 3 days tho, so we shall see. They seem to avoid my lovely Balloon plants too...👍💖
I had to do some after dark planting tonight. Not seen a slug all day, then five of the buggers racing across the path to my gladioli, nasturtiums and grapevine.
The biggest haul I got this year was on two piles of 'loose' fox poo deposited on my lawn. High yuk factor. Killing things is yukky. Scissors is instant as opposed to the slow death from most other methods and birds etc eat them. They're gone by morning. With beer traps, you still have to dispose of the bodies and that's really yuk.
Posts
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
We live in a valley in Scotland so it can be v. damp at times. Before using nematodes I could collect 400+ without even trying.
I decided that life is too short and tried the nematodes.
Haven't looked back since ... if I do go out "collecting" I now only get less then ten, and these are from areas like the lawns that haven't ever been treated.
My garden is almost 2 acres ... so I only treat the flower/ veg beds. Nowadays I just buy a 40 sq m pack four times a year. I dilute it to 2 twice the amount in the instructions so I can make it go further and just give a "top up" to the residual population of nematodes in the ground. Seems to be working.
Bee x
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
The slugs are attracted and fall in and die but are happy. !!
It works but be careful when you try to withdraw the cup from the soil as I did it to strongly and flung the smelly contents all over my hair and I needed to go home for a shower IMMEDIATELY as I stank
Nematodes are brilliant
They seem to avoid my lovely Balloon plants too...👍💖
'You must have some bread with it me duck!'
What makes a salt barrier impractical?
Leakage into the soil?
Killing things is yukky. Scissors is instant as opposed to the slow death from most other methods and birds etc eat them. They're gone by morning. With beer traps, you still have to dispose of the bodies and that's really yuk.