Lots of birds here plus amphibians and hedgehogs so I use the ferrous sulphate pellets sparingly to protect emerging hostas, clems, daffs and hemerocallis and scatter them regularly from St Valentine's day on as it's an easy date to remember.
When I plant out new veggies such as lettuce and brassicas I also use some pellets - again sparingly.
Once plants get to a certain size they have to fend for themselves. Haven't used methaldehyde pellets for years and never will again. I want my edible crops to be chemical free. I've never needed them for toms but then I grow them on to quite a big size of pot before planting them in the greenhouse border.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
When I researched them, I concluded that correct use was not dangerous to wildlife. The RSPB do I think recommend or prefer organic pellets which dissolve in rain hence they are poor.
Me too. No more soluble than the nasty ones and when they do dissolve they do it without leaving a harmful residue. In Belgium they are called Escar-Go. Worth buying just for the name.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Posts
Lots of birds here plus amphibians and hedgehogs so I use the ferrous sulphate pellets sparingly to protect emerging hostas, clems, daffs and hemerocallis and scatter them regularly from St Valentine's day on as it's an easy date to remember.
When I plant out new veggies such as lettuce and brassicas I also use some pellets - again sparingly.
Once plants get to a certain size they have to fend for themselves. Haven't used methaldehyde pellets for years and never will again. I want my edible crops to be chemical free. I've never needed them for toms but then I grow them on to quite a big size of pot before planting them in the greenhouse border.
When I researched them, I concluded that correct use was not dangerous to wildlife. The RSPB do I think recommend or prefer organic pellets which dissolve in rain hence they are poor.
LeifUK, I've had good results with the ''organic" pellets. We get nearly 60ins of rain per year, yet I don't find they dissolve.
Me too. No more soluble than the nasty ones and when they do dissolve they do it without leaving a harmful residue. In Belgium they are called Escar-Go. Worth buying just for the name.
I've had really good results with sheep wool pellets for slugs but also seems to deter snails.
We find wood chip/bark is a great deterrent against slugs as they don't like sliding along the rough texture of it - gravel is good too.