I have read on certain sites and mags that you should let them live, ok if you have money to waste, I will be killing them this year with nematodes, they work well but you have to keep renewing them also as a back up I will use liquid killer.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
I just leave them and hope my army of helpers (frogs,hedgehogs,thrushes etc) will eat them. I tell my grandchildren that they are someone elses dinner, so we leave them alone. I am totally organic and believe that after a while there is a predator for everything. It works for me.
As I said, we have lots of the huge black and orange ones and we leave them alone because we understand that they eat smaller slugs more than they eat plants.
In the 18 months we've lived here I've honestly not seen more than half a dozen other slugs (if that) and we've really not had any slug damage that I've noticed, despite growing hostas and salad veg amongst other things.
We've had some snail damage (one got into the cold frame and munched on some basil seedlings - there was also some snail damage on a Cos lettuce)
That really has been about it - I think we're lucky with the gritty nature of our soil (a sandy loam) - don't think the slugs like it - and of course we have resident hedgehogs and also encourage lots of birds into the garden, and I understand that the previous owner here gardened organically for 30 years.
I'm not going to waste my money on slug killer
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I just leave them and hope my army of helpers (frogs,hedgehogs,thrushes etc) will eat them. I tell my grandchildren that they are someone elses dinner, so we leave them alone. I am totally organic and believe that after a while there is a predator for everything. It works for me.
Problem is few predators actively seek slugs and none like larger slugs, so if Slugs survive to maturity then there is a good chance that they breed. I normally have a dozen slugs in my garden and I still had a plaque this year. I had to use the blue pellets as they were picking my garden clean. I had 6 frogs in spring and 6 in autumn.
Posts
I have read on certain sites and mags that you should let them live, ok if you have money to waste, I will be killing them this year with nematodes, they work well but you have to keep renewing them also as a back up I will use liquid killer.
For those who would like a slug spray - a deterent not a killer (similar to Dave's)
Crush 2 bulbs of garlic (bulbs not cloves) and boil in 1 litre water until just soft. then strain and top up mixture to 1 litre. Leave to cool.
To use: stir 1 tablespoon into 4.5litres water, spray onto foliage and allow to dry. Apply in dry frost free weather. repeat every 2 weeks.
I wish you luck!
I just leave them and hope my army of helpers (frogs,hedgehogs,thrushes etc) will eat them. I tell my grandchildren that they are someone elses dinner, so we leave them alone. I am totally organic and believe that after a while there is a predator for everything. It works for me.
As I said, we have lots of the huge black and orange ones and we leave them alone because we understand that they eat smaller slugs more than they eat plants.
In the 18 months we've lived here I've honestly not seen more than half a dozen other slugs (if that) and we've really not had any slug damage that I've noticed, despite growing hostas and salad veg amongst other things.
We've had some snail damage (one got into the cold frame and munched on some basil seedlings - there was also some snail damage on a Cos lettuce)
That really has been about it - I think we're lucky with the gritty nature of our soil (a sandy loam) - don't think the slugs like it - and of course we have resident hedgehogs and also encourage lots of birds into the garden, and I understand that the previous owner here gardened organically for 30 years.
I'm not going to waste my money on slug killer
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
kath51 wrote (see)
Problem is few predators actively seek slugs and none like larger slugs, so if Slugs survive to maturity then there is a good chance that they breed. I normally have a dozen slugs in my garden and I still had a plaque this year. I had to use the blue pellets as they were picking my garden clean. I had 6 frogs in spring and 6 in autumn.