Protecting your seedlings

[chris]

When you sow direct, or transplant new seedlings out how do you stop the slugs / snails munching their way through them?

I don't use pellets (though have recently been made aware of organic ones that are safe for hedgehogs, etc), previously in my garden I've used bottle cloches from small drinks, or been out every night with a pair of scissors, chopping them up.

As my plot isn't within the sort of distance that I could do this easily, I'm looking for any other tips that you use... Tempted to try supersprouts straw method, but I can't get hold of any bales around here as apparantly last year was a bad year for straw (*shrug*). Buying the little bags will soon work out expensive!

Or do you do the nematode route? I have seen a few slug trails on the weed fabric paths I've laid down.

[binley100]

I've tried a thick ring of coffee grounds around the base , broken eggshells, sand but end up with the little blue sweeties ........haven't tried bran yet tho' that's meant to make them explode....

[ginger ninger]

I bought some copper tape on a roll & taped it round the top of old plastic pot's. Then cut the bottom out and slid them over the top of mi seedlings. It worked really well last year, so I'll be re-using them this year.