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Foxgloves, snails and age

elderberryelderberry Posts: 118
in Problem solving
The snails here devour my foxgloves as they grow, but when they reach a certain maturity, they seem OK. Has anyone here had actual experience with snails eating their foxgloves? I don't need to hear that snails don't eat foxgloves, because my snails have a taste for them. What I'm trying to gauge is when I might be safe to plant them out this year, and bearing in mind that they are in their first year, what can I do to avoid a repeat problem next spring before they even get to flower. I have a couple of dozen, so I can't keep them all safely in pots out of the way of the gastropods.

Posts

  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    I wait till mine are a good size before planting out. I grew them last autumn,I saw on the forum recently slugs and snails don't eat them because they are poisonous, maybe they all have heart conditions,haha
  • elderberryelderberry Posts: 118
    Nanny Beach said:
    I wait till mine are a good size before planting out.



    How big is that please?
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    Yes I forgot to rotate! 4 to 6 inches high,this one is in a damp shady bed,no signs of scoffing
  • cornellycornelly Posts: 970
    We planted ours many years ago, and as far as I am aware never had any problems with slugs, mind they are in the wild area of the garden and have self seeded in places they weren't originally planted, its a joy to see where they are going to appear next.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    At some point you have to accept they need to get on with it themselves. Waiting until they're a good size, as already said, makes them less vulnerable, and a plant that's filling a 6 inch pot will stand a better chance of fending off attacks from pests.
    However, once planted and established, they will seed around and you'll get more plants.
    They produce massive amounts of seed, so there's always likely to be plenty of plants, although they often cross so you won't always get exact replicas of the parent plant. A self sown seedling is much tougher too.
    I've never had a problem with slug/snail damage either, and we certainly aren't short of slugs here.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • ElferElfer Posts: 329
    My first experience with foxglove, they are in bloom so I guess they will self see at some stage this year. How long would it be before I see baby foxgloves coming up on their own in my garden?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    You should see seedlings next spring.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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