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Best way to keep veg

LewisiumLewisium Posts: 122
in Problem solving
I've got some veg that's ready to take out of the module trays and putting somewhere to grow on, whats the best method that's relatively slug proof? Would In fairly shallow troughs on a conservatory windowsill  (like a foot) be a good idea? What are your ideas?
 I'm new to the maintaining of lettuce.

Posts

  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    If you're anti-pellets (Dof mini-pellets my be a lesser evil) then any ruse for raising the plants well above ground level will help, but slugs are ingenious so regular monitoring will be advisable.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    If they're ready to move on @Lewisium , just pot them up - little clumps are fine, if you can't be bothered pricking them all out. Or is that just me!
    I do some lettuce early on inside, and I just split the clumps and pot them into bigger pots. They get used as a cut and come again crop. I then sow more, and those can get put outside, weather permitting, when big enough. That makes them a bit less vulnerable to molluscs. Some might be planted individually, but most are still done as clumps, and I just keep sowing every so often to keep a supply.
    Mine are all potted though, rather than in the ground as it's easier to keep them slug free. If I have a decent clump, and a gap somewhere, I plant them, but that's usually later - into summer. 
    Just be careful of the temps for lettuce in a conservatory though. My indoor lettuce are all in the NW facing window sill. The back windows are too hot for them. Lettuce grows well with cooler temps.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • LewisiumLewisium Posts: 122
    Appreciate the answers, I've read up on Mizuna and I've discovered they want to be about 15cm apart to allow for medium sized leaves. But that's huge isn't it? 

    Could I put them in 1 litre pots (about 15cm diameter) and group them together in the cold frame in the back garden that gets the morning sun and space them out accordingly if they get too big?
  • ErinKeeganErinKeegan Posts: 4
    These are effective for a while when spread in a barrier ring around precious plants. If you live by the coast, near a sandy beach with bivalves you may have access to seashells. If using eggshells you will need to eat a lot of eggs to keep the average plot slug free.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    If you want the seedlings to grow into individual plants, then they need pricked out and potted separately, and like most lettuce, they would need around 6 inches distance for them to reach their full size, but they're very vulnerable to slug damage at that tiny stage/size, and that's where it's tricky. You have to accept there'll be some casualties.

    You can certainly pot up clumps and put them in a cold frame, for a cut and come again crop, but keep good ventilation with it, and you'll have to be vigilant re the slugs/snails. Some people have had success with the copper tape etc, but you can also get wildlife friendly pellets now which some are finding good     :)
    Shells of any kind don't stop slugs. Sorry. They're under the soil as well as appearing on top.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited May 2022
    ErinKeegan said:
    These are effective for a while when spread in a barrier ring around precious plants. If you live by the coast, near a sandy beach with bivalves you may have access to seashells. If using eggshells you will need to eat a lot of eggs to keep the average plot slug free.
    As on other threads this morning @ErinKeegan has cut and pasted the above from section 3 on here 
    https://www.learningwithexperts.com/gardening/blog/organic-slugs-snails-control … with no acknowledgement … contrary to this site’s terms and conditions. 😡  it doesn’t even make sense as she doesn’t say what she’s talking about. I expect adverts or live links to a website shortly …

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • LewisiumLewisium Posts: 122
    I'm not far from Harrogate so I'm well inland. I'll see how they do in individual pots in the coldframe, seems to be ok there now with a little gap for air flow.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I had a feeling she was suspect @Dovefromabove :)
    I think that could be fine @Lewisium. Some people have good results with putting their pots on a brick, and siting that in a tray of water. Slugs don't like crossing the water, but the only problem is that, if they're already in the pot, you're trapping them - with their dinner  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I had a feeling she was suspect @Dovefromabove. All the hallmarks  ;)

    That should be fine @Lewisium. Some people also have success with putting the pots on a brick and siting it in a tray of water. Slugs don't like crossing water, but the only problem is - if they're already in the pot, they're trapped - with their dinner  ;)
    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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