PS - Strangely, whereas I normally get slug damage when my seedlings are small, this year has been particularly dry and I've had none. To assist the crops that need water more than others, including beans, we've taken to emptying washing up water on the garden instead of letting it go down the drain as normal. The standard thickening agent for things like washing up liquid is salt, I'm told, so maybe the slugs' natural aversion to salt is keeping them off my veg. Bit of a coincidence?
I have started digging a pit where I plan to plant my runner beans. I make it around 2ft deep and put all of my kitchen veg. waste and some farmyard manure in, up until planting time when I cover it with soil and then plant the beans around the perimeter of the pit. It helps to keep the deeper soil moist and cuts down on watering.
The illustration contained 24 plants in a metre diameter circle which, as a slug deterrent, makes it more compact and easier to treat with mini-pellets. By centring the whole thing on a 'pit' about a foot deep, I find it helps concentrate water retention and keeps all the compost 'feed' in one place. My 'sticks' are each made from 2.5 drainage rods suspended from a central wheel on a post, two plants per stick and now in their tenth year. If you or Joyce Goldenlily need full details, nickatipixnetdotcom.
This year I've planted all my brassica close to the wildlife pond. they have been out there 3 weeks untouched as my guard frogs have everything in hand! I don't kill pests I just feed predators 👍
Posts