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Lupins
I bought some bare root lupins recently. Never had any luck with them before as they seem to be slug magnets! I've got a dog and a cat plus the wild birds so i won't use the blue pellets. The animal friendly stuff I've used before didn't touch the slugs. Has anyone any bright ideas please?
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You can buy little green slug traps, some put beer in them, I have put just a few pellets, you sink them in the ground they have little holes in the sides for the slugs to get in and lids on so nothing else can.
I've had really good results keeping slugs off delphiniums and lupins just by putting sharp grit around them in a circle about 6" diameter - they don't seem to like crossing it so I'm trying that again this year. Have already seen tiny new shoots on my white lupins, let's hope they stay there.
I've often wondered if those nematodes work. Prefer the idea of a beer trap though!
I know Verdun, worse than a gang of women out on a Jethro night!
I can vouch for the nematodes, if you have a smallish garden, but expensive if you have a large one. Dont do them too early though, they die in the cold.
I also find Lupins grow so fast in spring/summer that it outgrows any slug damage very quickly. A small amount of slug pellets would help in early spring but only if you want to.