I wonder why the variance of results so far. Is it that some gardens have burrowing slug species and others don't have any? Are root veg growers more likely to see evidence, deep damage and keep a keen eye out? I'm intrigued. I've never seen a slug deep down - and I do look for them, as I'm interested.
I think it was Bill Oddie who said that it is brown slugs that eat roots, and black slugs that eat leaves. He jokingly commented (then retracted and said to humanely get rid of them) that "If it's brown grind it down but if it's black you can put it back". Urgh... creepy slimy thugs run rampage over my garden - even the hedgehogs are afraid of them, they're so huge. I suffer molluscophobia and get physically sick if I see them. (((shudders))) And also, I don't grow root veg in my garden... though I used to and didn't have too much of a problem with slugs eating the produce.
So far I have not had issues with slugs at the allotment in fact they seem very scarce on top and underground, they are there as i do find them occasionally under things at the edge of the plot. I wonder if the fact that I have a piece of wast ground next to my plot covered in bramble's, nettles and the like that they prefer to live in there than cross my cultivated and at the moment dry soil. Having said all this I will probably get there this morning and find my lettuces decimated by them over night
"You don't stop gardening because you get old, you get old because you stop gardening." - The Hampshire Hog
I certainly have found small grey slugs down amongst roots on the veg patch 🙄 we treated the veg patch with nematodes a few years ago and certainly see fewer of them now.
The big black and red Arion slugs and the leopard slugs all appear above ground around the compost heap and in areas of long grass ... they seem to do very little damage.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Whenever I have found a 'deep' slug it has been on the roots of a plant I'm moving, or else on potatoes. It seems to be any type of slug.
I moved a leucanthemum last autumn/winter and it had several large slugs on the roots. I wasn't sure whether to rebury them or not and can't remember what I did...slugs only cause superficial damage in my garden so I leave them to it.
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Urgh... creepy slimy thugs run rampage over my garden - even the hedgehogs are afraid of them, they're so huge. I suffer molluscophobia and get physically sick if I see them. (((shudders)))
And also, I don't grow root veg in my garden... though I used to and didn't have too much of a problem with slugs eating the produce.
I wonder if the fact that I have a piece of wast ground next to my plot covered in bramble's, nettles and the like that they prefer to live in there than cross my cultivated and at the moment dry soil.
Having said all this I will probably get there this morning and find my lettuces decimated by them over night
"You don't stop gardening because you get old, you get old because you stop gardening." - The Hampshire Hog
amongst roots on the veg patch 🙄 we treated the veg patch with nematodes a few years ago and certainly see fewer of them now.
The big black and red Arion slugs and the leopard slugs all appear above ground around the compost heap and in areas of long grass ... they seem to do very little damage.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I moved a leucanthemum last autumn/winter and it had several large slugs on the roots. I wasn't sure whether to rebury them or not and can't remember what I did...slugs only cause superficial damage in my garden so I leave them to it.