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Vegetable Patches

We have a nice vegetable patch-its only small but suffer from the habitual problem of slugs. We have tried everything but they still eat the leaves of our vegetables. I don't like putting slug pellets around the vegetables as I think it may get into our food chain. Any novel ideas would be welcome!


Created By on 06/08/2015

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The_bees_knees
29th Apr 2020 09:06:18
0
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https://youtu.be/LU_KD1enR3Q

Bees....more bees
The Waggle dance for all you gardeners out there enjoy...these and David Attenborough to boot.
It's the bees knees for sure!

Enjoy your day!
Sun's shining in Dorset (currently).
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Pip02
13th Mar 2020 17:22:27 (Last activity: 29th Apr 2020 08:42:35)
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I thought that I had the same problem, only to find that it was pigeons. A roll of clear polythene and some heavy gauge wire to make the hoops formed a cheap cloche and solved most of the problem.
Response from The_bees_knees made on 29th Apr 2020 08:42:35
My partner uses 10mm plastic polypipe (he being a plumber) .It's flexible and he uses it from a coil (as this helps as it is already sufficiently bendy) making semi-circular hoops and covers with plastic mesh, attaching with cable ties. Tent pegs all along ground helps too. You can use it all again too...reusable is good!
It also helps to have hedgehogs of which we have two. Our next door neighbour has a hedgehog 'house' and when she had her new fence erected, she had an entrance/exit made for them to be able to venture out into ours to indulge in a veritable feast of succulent slugs!
Win win!
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Bumbly1uk
15th Jan 2020 16:39:19
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I started using spent ground coffee in and around my vegetable when planting or sowing seeds on my allotment and have very little slug damage. Many caffee`s are happy to have their spent ground coffee taken away for free.
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CraftyScribbler
22nd Aug 2019 17:04:15
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Have you tried baking egg shells in the oven then crunching them up? Slugs hate anything rough, I have also heard that human hair and coffee grounds discourage them
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greydoodle
30th Aug 2015 09:42:05 (Last activity: 11th Feb 2019 22:05:25)
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I've heard that saucers of beer placed amongs veggies can help. The slugs gravitate towards beer and drown. You can buy organic pellets that don't affect birds or food chain.
Response from lynymo made on 11th Feb 2019 22:05:25
beer traps are a good way to divert the slugs from your veg and plants,also putting gravel down helps deter them as well.
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snugasabugxxx
19th Nov 2017 20:33:13
1
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I keeps ducks who love to eat slugs and snails, but ducks cause other problems in the garden.

Try putting pieces of apple around then go out with a torch after dark, pick up the apples with the slugs attached, put them in a lidded tub then take a walk to your nearest duck pond the next day and feed the ducks

Also Wilko's sell safe organic slug pellets.
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Sylvester
16th Sep 2017 21:33:27
0
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Slug pellets attract the slugs so to kill them, putting them round your plants advertise where the plant is, try putting the pellets on the path etc well away from your veg it works keeping them off you plant while still killing them. It is also good to put in the work on the soil during the off season making sure it holds on to its water then dont water in the summer the surface gets dry the slugs hate dry soil so less or no damage to plants who have their roots down where there is always water. I grow 24 different fruits and about the same amou nt of veg all being in small quanties but i do not water the garden, only the tubs i do not use slug pellets at all. Another word the compressed sheep wool pettets swell once wet . The birds say thank you so much as they take them to line their nests!!! A good start to gardening is to remember that all the bugs grubs etc you find in your garden Can,t read they have not read the book that totally under estimates them they are far brighter than you when it comes to survival, and of course have mother nature on their side. All we can hope for is to treat her right andhope for her indulgance in our efforts.
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dottydiva
17th Jul 2016 01:36:56 (Last activity: 19th Jul 2016 14:55:36)
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I have lost 12 marigold plants to the little darlings. I am out chasing them by moonlight with a torch. I feed the hedgehogs and they developed a very selective diet----dried meal worms only. I dont use slug pellets because of the wildlife, so, I have to be my own garden predator. The neighbours have turned into David Attenborough like commentator's informing on how the local nut is failing in the slug "rescue" trail.
Response from Phoenix122 made on 17th Jul 2016 17:58:48
I'm sure I'm throwing the same ones over the wall time and time again but they never get fed up coming back 🙁
Response from dottydiva made on 18th Jul 2016 13:29:51
Aw, nice, they are appreciating your fine dinning experience. lol
Response from Irene88 made on 19th Jul 2016 14:55:36
I started the moonlight route as well, just got a dog so in her section of the garden can"t use slug pellets. When she has her final evening stroll i go out with Salt pot amazing how man slugs and snails you can get.
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Phoenix122
15th Jul 2016 10:45:30
0
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Never too late to comment of slugs and snails. They do do a good job, too good a job because they don't know when to stop. If they would just settle for the dead material it would be fine but their clear-up programme doesn't tell them the plants not to touch. I bought Nemotodes this year and they worked a treat on the slugs but I was still left with large mature snails and if I found them I tossed them over the wall. I didn't realise that snail have their own SatNav and they know their way home so to get rid of them, you need to take them about 20ft away, that scrambles their homing sense.
Nemotodes probably didn't work with the snails because I only found the mature snails, apparently the wee microscopic worms work best with the younger generation. I would recommend trying them at least.
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SueBarnish
26th May 2016 06:57:17 (Last activity: 27th May 2016 13:05:14)
1
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Hope it's not too late to comment and you are still gardening....try coffee grounds if you have fresh coffee... Not probably practical for a whole veg patch but for specific plants it is useful.
Response from jax60 made on 27th May 2016 11:27:13
Hi, I have just come across this thread as a new member. I have bought some wool pellets for my squash plants and today was the perfect day to water in nematodes. I have lost too many vegetables to slugs and snails which have been so prevalent in my garden. It has been a feast for molluscs.
I have been known to go into the garden in my dressing gown at night, in the rain and pick off snails from my plants. I am fearful for the wildlife and never use any blue pellets, even those which have to words "safe for pets" on them. We have a serious decline in natural predators of pests due to the use of those blue pellets, they should really be banned.
I used to have hedgehogs in my garden, and when we had them as residents I could grow a glut of vegs. It has been a real struggle over the past decade to get a decent harvest of anything at all, but I will not give up . Good luck SueBarnish, let us know how the coffee grounds work as that is one thing that I have not tried yet.
Response from Terrysoldgal made on 27th May 2016 13:05:14
I too am very concerned about using poisons or pellets of any sort in our natural world. Last year we tried the wool pellets around our Dahlias and they worked really well. We plan on using them again this year. Hope this helps.
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garden bird
19th Mar 2016 08:09:27
0
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Broken egg shells round plants or a bowl of beer near by they drown in it (what a way to go) soot round plants helps
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Irene88
27th Feb 2016 16:01:02
0
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Slugs and snails are a pain. For snails you need to be vigilant. They seem to appear more as it's going dark and especially after to rain. I go round and collect and destroy them. italso helpsifyou check outtheir hiding places and purge thembefore they gettoo big. Usually found under rock and stones, perticularly rockeries seem to attract them. Also hide in unused flowerpots. Hope this helps. As well as slug pellets. Salt works well on slugs and snails but can kill plants. fine on pathsand patios.
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Nona
2nd Dec 2015 12:01:30
0
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As I do a lot of baking I use lots of eggs, I scrunch them up and scatter them on my veggie plot. I certainly does seem to help. I also use saucers of beer. The worst attack I had was after planting a dozen chrysanthemums, Slugs ate the lot overnight!!!!
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Graceland 1
14th Sep 2015 17:14:53
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Try Epson Salts !!
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Beekeeper
27th Aug 2015 20:51:52
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copper tape around a piece of plastic pipe or the cut off top of a pot depending on the size you need - just touching the ground or a little below around the plant keeps the slugs away - It forms a ring which acts a bit like an electric fence for slugs and they soon decide not to bother that juicy veg again
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Wilf
6th Aug 2015 12:48:36 (Last activity: 18th Aug 2015 12:21:54)
1
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We have used very small stones like gravel which is quite sharp to deter them. I have used it in the past but doesn't seem to make a huge difference. It is eco friendly though!
Response from Marley444 made on 6th Aug 2015 13:22:00
I used something like this once .. think it was called EcoCharlie or something ... it worked with my cabbages for a short while ... I have to say I have resorted to slug pellets again this year and it has worked, and because we haven't had much rain, they have lasted longer than usual!
Response from islandcelt made on 18th Aug 2015 12:21:54
Compressed wool pellets are currently being marketed as a slug deterrent but not tried them as they are quite expensive!
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Lynda052
14th Aug 2015 10:39:32 (Last activity: 18th Aug 2015 04:24:45)
0
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Have you tried the slug pub?
Response from Silversurfers Editor made on 14th Aug 2015 10:40:44
What's a slug pub Lunda052? 😉
Response from Marley444 made on 15th Aug 2015 09:02:00
Is that when you put beer in a dish and the slugs go for a taste and then are too merry to eat your plants? 😉
Response from LauraLeigh made on 18th Aug 2015 04:24:45
Saucers of beer placed around the plants in late evening. See above posting in response to 'John' on 06/08/15. I think it has something to do with salinity or slug osmosis or just slug-like over indulgence, but it works. Also, my chickens gobble up the slugs, so recycling and happy chickens
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LauraLeigh
18th Aug 2015 04:14:59
0
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Slugs love beer! Try putting saucers of beer at ground level in late evening. The slugs are somehow attracted and end up drowning, presumably happy to the end. I have used this trick with great success for years in a damp, slug friendly climate and have no worries about my dogs or other creatures eating poison. Good luck!
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Marley444
6th Aug 2015 13:24:18
0
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I have tried a few of the natural deterrents in the past, like small bits of gravel, used coffee grindings, and smashed up porcelain, oh and I even baked eggshells too, but this year I have gone back to the dreaded slug pellets and they seem to work best for me ... I don't think it get into the food chain, otherwise they wouldn't sell it would they??
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