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Slugs
Guernsey Donkey2
Posts: 6,713
Despite using gravel & wood chip around new bedding plants the slugs have decided to strike. We thought to use beer traps & wondered if there is a particular beer that attracts the slugs & what sort of a container should we use - we have a big garden so will have to use many traps. Do we submerge the container into the soil? We have planted some lettuce & don't want the slugs to eat them before us.
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I use glass jars that gu desserts come in, and lidl cheapest bitter.
Have you tried sprinkling lamb wool pellets around the base of your plants? I've made a barrier out of copper strip tape (that you can buy for around pots) to go on the ground around my Aster. I've tried nematodes but my garden is also too big to control all the little blitters.
I have only just read these replies - no notifications then but having them now thank goodness. Anyway thank you for your helpful comments. We don't normally get many slugs but when we do they seem to be those big fat orange ones that munch through plants at an alarming rate. I wonder if salt sprinkled around the plants would be detrimental to the plants or the slugs?
I think salt around the plants will damage them, except for beetroot, and they dont get much slug damage anyway.
Yes, I would think that you are right fidgetbones - otherwise everyone would be sprinkling salt in their garden - however I do use salt if I see a slug on the patio or some other place near the house - I hate doing it though but sometimes I just have to!
Hi Guernsey I've taken to putting a ring of sharp sand around my most vulnerable plants and seems ok at the moment and it can only do good to lighten the claggy soil. I've never usedd beer traps as I'm sure the pups would lap it up
Last edited: 17 May 2016 18:53:16
Sharp sand - now that's an idea - I have been using small gravel lately with some success - however rain is forecast here in the next few hours so I will see how if the gravel works in the next day or two. Do you have primroses growing in your garden? They are one of my most favourite flowers a sign of summer to come. We used to go on cliff walks when I was a child - picking primroses along the way to take to our lovely neighbour who was too old and infirm to see/pick them for herself. Happy days.
Basically, I give up what slugs want on their menu. Each year it's seems to change. If you go on the RHS site to check if a plant can be subject to slug attack. If it says no , it well be attacked. If it say yes, the slugs seem to give it a year off
Its a bit comical but never the less very frustrating
I agree with you there gf steve, especially if you have grown the plants from seeds - waiting patiently for the seed to germinate - potting it on once or twice, hardening off and then when you think that at last the weather has warmed up enough to put these tender little plants into the soil, then one night of rain and the slugs have done their damage.
have a look at the gardeners friend slug, actually only eats fungus, dead material and other slugs
https://www.opalexplorenature.org/leopardslug
Last edited: 31 May 2016 20:19:33