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French bean seedlings being eaten

Sue PartridgeSue Partridge Posts: 79
in Problem solving
My French bean seedlings were munched big time by ?what-snail or slugs perhaps. I have now bought some good healthy plants about 4 inches high. Any ideas please to stop them becoming someone's lunch!

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Slugs probably. Small, young plants are very attractive to them - all that nice soft, luscious green material...
    Keep them potted until they're a good size before planting out. Then - well it can often be luck, depending on how bad the slug problem is, and how you feel about deterring them. 
    I never put that type of plant in the ground. They just disappear overnight because of slugs. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Put slug pubs out and see how many drown themselves in beer.
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    I've used 5-litre clear plastic water bottles.  Cut them off at the bottom and below the neck to create a tube.  Slit them lengthwise.  Apply a dusting of mini slug pellets round the plants, then slip the tubes over them.  Any already there will disappear and no more can get in?
  • Sue PartridgeSue Partridge Posts: 79
    Thank you for all suggestions.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    nick615 said:
    I've used 5-litre clear plastic water bottles.  Cut them off at the bottom and below the neck to create a tube.  Slit them lengthwise.  Apply a dusting of mini slug pellets round the plants, then slip the tubes over them.  Any already there will disappear and no more can get in?

    How deep do you have to push it into the soil to stop slugs coming in underneath it? They seem to live underground and come out at night to eat.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I agree @JennyJ. They live underground a lot of the time, so it won't make a huge difference to them getting in underneath a barrier of any kind. 
    We tried to explain to someone else on the forum a while ago that putting a cloche over a plant wouldn't stop slugs eating it because of that. She wasn't convinced   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    We don't plant them in the ground until they are well established, and the leaves are less tasty to slugs/snails.  We also net the the young plants, but only to about 1 metre high.  Any growth above that is not netted.

    FYI Our dog loves the young pea/bean leaves, so if you have a dog, keep them well away too!
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