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  • #1

    organic slug pellets

    All the ones I've seen (which look pretty much the same, just different packaging) seem to contain Ferramol, and on the packaging say 'suitable' for organic gardening.

    They also mention that as long as you use them within the guidelines (5g/m^2) then they're safe for wildlife. To me that doesn't seem very 'organic' ? Which do you use?

    The Organic Gardening Catalogue was the one I was looking at.

    I've also seen that Vitax do a 'Slug Off' which is a 100% organic product, used as a barrier (5cm wide & 2/3 pellets high). Both are priced the same..

    Edit, Vitax's stuff can also be used as a mulch, or growing medium. After it's done with it can be dug into the soil to improve he structure.. When reapplying the slug pellets above, do you need to pick up any ones that has been down a while?
    Last edited by chris; 01-05-2011, 09:03 AM.
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  • #2
    I use those above pellets. I was on a course when they first came out at GO and they trialled them there and said they were fine to use...if they had even one iota that they would harm wildlife then they wouldn't use them. It might just be in the wording that makes them sound dubious....for legal reasons and all that.

    At the lottie, I use sawdust and very very very rarely get any slug damage....but at home, where the slugs roam - the above get used.

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    • #3
      I use them too. Manchester being slug capital and all that.
      I have 4 curious kitties so wouldn't dream of using anything that was harmful for them.

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      • #4
        Thanks - just when I saw that they were blue alarm bells rang! The wording does sound a bit odd, aye.

        Hmm had not thought of using a mulch like that - do you cover direct sown seeds with it zaz? Do you rake up before it begins to rot (thinking of Nitrogen robbing)?

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        • #5
          No, I cover everything at the lottie with sawdust......when we have it [Trev can't get it at the mo as a bloke at the sawmill is nabbing it all] - Worms dig it in when they are ready and a bit gets mixed in when we harvest but it will only rob nitrogen if lots is mixed in at once - I cover all direct sown seeds with it and mulch with it when I put module grown plants in. We are on thick subsoil so I need all the organic material I can get to add and it also keeps the moisture in the soil and stops it from evaporating.....it's good stuff!

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          • #6
            Interesting! I was planning on doing similar ala supersprouts lottie methods (almost no dug, but mainly the mulching like you are doing). Do you request a particular type of wood? My local timber merchant stocks all types of nasty stuff like MDF that I've asked about before (using the shavings for my chickens - until they told me it wasn't suitable).

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            • #7
              Organic just means "not made synthetically"


              It doesn't mean 'fluffy and nice'
              All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by chrismarks View Post
                Interesting! I was planning on doing similar ala supersprouts lottie methods (almost no dug, but mainly the mulching like you are doing). Do you request a particular type of wood? My local timber merchant stocks all types of nasty stuff like MDF that I've asked about before (using the shavings for my chickens - until they told me it wasn't suitable).
                Ours is from a proper woodmill source rather than an MDF type source - from Mansfield way apparently. I've been looking at another source but that would also be wood rather than MDF.

                No idea of the actual wood - I get what's in the huge bags!

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                • #9
                  Tried Slug Off once. Didn't work-especially when wet, they used it as a ski slope.
                  History teaches us that history teaches us nothing. - Hegel

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post
                    Organic just means "not made synthetically"
                    It doesn't mean 'fluffy and nice'
                    Heh, it's like the label "natural" being used to mean cuddly and safe all the time.

                    As far as slugs go, I use copper as those bright blue pellets never did work too well or indeed reassure me as to their wildlife friendly nature. Investing in copper rings each year to add to the larger plants, which have worked great, and trying copper tape around the edges of the raised beds too this year.

                    Debating trying to get offcuts of copper pipe at some point and soldering together to make triangles a couple of pipes high, though this could get expensive. Which reminds me, I have that copper woven fabric to try too.
                    Last edited by Rabidbun; 02-05-2011, 12:47 PM.

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                    • #11
                      After seeing these I have not bothered with copper tapes:- YouTube - Garden Pest Update: Slug vs Copper and also:- YouTube - Copper & a Slug. This one is more interesting:- YouTube - Slug on Electric Fence Part 2
                      History teaches us that history teaches us nothing. - Hegel

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                      • #12
                        Copper tape doesn't work for me either. I'm going to go for a heavy mulch I think, if I can't source it I'll use the slug pellets sparingly.

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                        • #13
                          Not used any form of slug pellets for a while now as I'm not convinced that any that work don't have some side effects. Use nematodes occaisionally but thankfully the wildlife pond seems to be working it's magic at the plot and I don't seem to get too much damage there. Home is a different thing so go stomping there to try and reduce the population.

                          Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

                          Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

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                          • #14
                            I have used bran to surround plants and it has been effective. I started using it after it was highly rated in the magazine trials a couple of years ago.
                            History teaches us that history teaches us nothing. - Hegel

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by oldie View Post
                              I have used bran to surround plants and it has been effective. I started using it after it was highly rated in the magazine trials a couple of years ago.
                              I'm another fan of using bran. Together with regular slug 'track down and destroy' sessions, it worked well for me last year.
                              Life is brief and very fragile, do that which makes you happy.

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