My plot has been eaten by slugs! What shall I do?

[Edith]

OK so I went up there yesterday (with a friend for moral support!) , after two weeks of absolutely torrential rain, and literally, almost everything that went in this year has been gobbled. I can't believe it! Aside from, of course, all the squashes, peas, beans etc, they've also eaten potatoes, strong perennial herbs, tomato plants (! though to be fair, they were weakened already by blight), and, fgs, a newly planted elder (I am 90% sure its slugs, there are slug trails on the remaining few leaves and the damage is characteristic of slugs but...my goodness!)

I am in Cardiff, and I am gardening on a heavy clay soil-its been improved yearly with green manures and horse manure but still, its not there yet. It is slow to warm (being on a north facing hill and in a slight dip does not help) and the soil water. Around half the plot is various fruit trees and bushes.

I'm not a new gardener, I'd actually consider myself reasonably experienced, and I don't think there is much left I can do re slugs-I use pretty much everything, and in normal years, its ok, the slugs get some but I get more.

I'm therefore in the kind of weird situation of almost starting the season in mid-July. I have been to wilkos and bought seeds for everything that says it can be sown in July (poppies...wallflowers...all new to me!) and a few curcubits (mainly cucumbrs) that I'd held back. I have the big advantage that the plot is actually dug over and in a reasonable state, strimmed and with the fruit trees and bushes in reasonable state so that I don't think I'm first in the line for a cultivation order. I also have mushrooms to go in, which I deliberately held back because of the rain.

The other option that I'm considering is to really concentrate on the autumn planting of trees, bushes etc and maybe just forget about this year in an attempt to have a great year next year-so if I were doing that I'd go for the green manures and keep the beds empty (I have enough perennials and am keeping the plot in good enough shape that I reckon I can avoid a cultivation order if I explain what I'm doing)

I really would appreciate any thoughts, encouragement etc. I can't believe this! The plots surrounding mine are no better, but that's not that encouraging to me somehow...

[alldigging]

"My plot has been eaten by slugs! What shall I do?"

In the style of Armstrong and Miller 'kill them'

Get slug pellets down. Put some lettuce and rocket seed in. Try some other stuff if you have seeds left.

[leonmc0708]

You can still get some plug plants from B&Q or local Garden centres - often at B&Q they are reduced but they will flourish in the right conditions.

I picked up some Beef Tomatoe - they where in a pack of 6 plants, but 2 where withered) for 99p - potted them on already cus the other four are flying.

[Pinfold Plotter]

You can also order winter/spring brassicas and lettuces from some seed suppliers. I've done that for my spring cabbages and caulis this year as I've run out of room in my greenhouse. They should be delivered at the end of this month. They will be a little bit more mature than planting out seedlings. Take preventative measures - beer traps, sacrificial crops etc. I like to be as natural as possible in my plot, but I have had to resort to pellets this year - if you do use them make sure they are safe to use around edible crops (some are nasty). A couple of pellet applications a few days apart seems to have dented their progress a bit.