Feeling in need of encouragement!

[pipscariad]

I've been down to the plot today and found loads of slug damage - seedlings that were there t'other day have vanished completely, and they've even had a good old munch of established broad beans and onions. And, just to add a bit of wildlife variety, it looks like I've got a badger joining in the fun now too This, combined with the rather erratic germination of some stuff, all made me feel a bit fed up. Those darned slugs had even had the cheek to eat my first harvestable radish - I knew I should have pulled it up yesterday when I first spotted it!

I've got some beer traps down now (thanks Squashysue!) and they're collecting a good few slugs, but obviously not enough. Can't really afford to try nematodes and determined not to use the blue pellets. Any other good tips? I've got coffee grounds down round some lettuce, which is clinging on in there with minimul munching.

Just felt a bit in need of some optimism - suppose it's just all par for the course with a brand new venture. Come on folks, reassure me that I can do it, slugs, badgers an' all!

I'm off for a week with ma in law tomorrow too, so wish me luck....!

[Paulottie]

Well now. The thing is you need to plant enough stuff so as everyone can have a bit and you'll be left with some. Molluscs are indeed a pain. Slime trails are the clue. Collect them up by leaving something to hide under like a dustbin lid/ plant pots. I am slightly doubtful that this is the sole cause of the nibblings though. are there Pigeons or rabbits even deer there? is stuff netted? fleeced? Not many things go for onions that is curious.

Badgers are a REAL feature on our lottie but generally just dig about a bit for worms and chaffers not a big deal. They made a bit of a mess in my asparagus earlier in the year so it has an electric wire round at the mo. But they come into their own at the moment your sweetcorn is ready...flatten the lot! VERY difficult to keep out. Only electric fence really works.

I guess experience counts a bit as to knowing what will attack when but you certainly need to protect most crops at some stage. It will be one of the biggest challenges you face, Don't despair though its all worthwhile when you get some!!!

[Pompeylottie]

Life on the lottie seems to be a constant battle against pests of all different varieties! You've got me worried now - I'll have to get down tomorrow to check my seedlings.
Luckily , in the city, we dont have badgers but have more than our share of rats, who eat all my sweetcorn, beetroot and some carrots last year, so I know how you feel.

I'm ashamed to admit I do sometimes use the blue pellets, in desparation, though we are covering a different area each year with nemetodes (cant afford all in one go) so will hopefully drastically reduce the slugs on the plot in a year or so. They were very effective last year.

I'm up this time of night waiting for the local election results - is anyone else as sad as me!

[Lavenderblue]

now, someone told me about comfrey. I think it was a grapeviner. Anyway, she said that if she put some loose leaves on the beds, the slugs go mad for it, making it easy for you to collect them and deal with them as required. Another thing is to try distracting them with things like marigolds - if they are eating those they are leaving your good crops alone. they are vile creatures though, I hate the b*&£%£" things.

good luck, don't get downhearted. Oh they seem to leave artichokes alone if you fancy trying those next year.

[wellie]

pipscariad.... mmm, interesting name... want to share?!

Lavenderblue - ditto sweetness.

So! and a lot of what Paulottie says is true.
There are Wildlife Friendly granules, which I DID sprinkle around my very tiny seedlings last night, but to be perfectly frank, I'm not particularly 'enthused' by them, given that the bucket says they'll last UP TO 4 DAYS. Because having sprinkled them, the heavens opened then. Bugger.

The thing is, and I know it really IS difficult, but to keep sowing extra stuff, and to keep sowing stuff in modules if you can in a protected environment. Anything in the ground is completely prize target for a slug or snail. Anything in a module in a cold greenhouse, coldframe or windowsill in the house has got a 'fighting chance' of survival until it's Big Enough & Ugly Enough to fend for itself. And I find that the bigger the seedling that I plant out of doors, the more of a fighting chance it has against slugs'n'snails.
X

[roadkill]

are the blue pellets bad to use ? as i have juist covered half of my veggy plot with them " now im worried "

it did say on the tub that it was ok to use with veg

[Two_Sheds]

are the blue pellets bad to use ? as i have juist covered half of my veggy plot with them " now im worried "

it did say on the tub that it was ok to use with veg

Yes, they are bad for wildlife. Even if they don't kill the predators (hedgepigs, birds) directly, they kill their food source. We don't see many songthrushes these days (they eat snails).

If you do use slug pellets, they should be used SPARINGLY, not laid down as a blue carpet. Sorry to shout, but people think "the more the merrier"

[Paulottie]

I have used them VERY rarely and sparingly and only on netted crops. The other thing i did was make a little through out of waterpipe up the back of the greenhouse bench that i fill with them sometimes. It is not so much the pellets but the wildlife eating the dying snails that is the real problem. Also they are chemicals washing into your soil...not my bag at all. I persuaded my neighbour at home to stop using them and now we have two pairs of nesting songthrushes again.

[Nicos]

What's the phrase...
One for nature ..one for (something else) ...and one for the pot!

I just don't grow what nature doesn't seem to want me to!
I do tweek things - such as 4ft bunny wire , and netting over my fruit and fleece over my carrots and parsnips and CD's for bird scarers, but if that darned Jay climbs up the trunk of my cherry tree this year (under the netting!) I'll just leave it uncovered in future.

I have used nematodes- and they worked fantastically well- I do recall some clever sole on the Vine saying that if you leave rhubarb leaves on the soil they'll hide underneath/eat them- then at least you'll be able to gather a few.

Badgers.....don't grow sweetcorn...not sure what else to suggest for them

Keep yr pekker up ol chum!!

[Nicos]

One year we lost 4 lots of lettuce seedlings in our plastic lean-to greenhouse-just before they were ready to plant out too- so we had NONE to eat at the height of the summer . SLUGS

Next attempt was a huge tray -hoping they'd be too full to eat them all...
result???....

Not one eaten- and about 1000 lettuce seedlings!
Just how many lettuce can you eat eh??

You win some - you lose some!

[janeyo]

You could try putting some black polythene down and the slugs and snails will congregate under it and then you can dispose of them. Or leave a few tempter leaves for them away from the beds. Mine seemed to go mad for my tulips leaves that snapped off in the wind.

Don't get disheartened - there will be good and bad bits to this gardening lark. It's a never ending experiment. I cannot seem to grown carrots at all in my beds but they are all coming up in pots. No idea why. Same story with spring onions. Buit I shall persevere til I get somewhere. OH says we have this massive garden and all I do is put stuff in pots, lol, but I need to grow something whichever method works.

janeyo

[pipscariad]

pipscariad.... mmm, interesting name... want to share?!

Well, me's a dweller in Cymru (Wales!) and cariad is love in welsh, and I'm married to philip (but I call him Pip) - geddit?

I am slightly doubtful that this is the sole cause of the nibblings though. are there Pigeons or rabbits even deer there? is stuff netted? fleeced? Not many things go for onions that is curious.

Badgers are a REAL feature on our lottie but generally just dig about a bit for worms and chaffers not a big deal. They made a bit of a mess in my asparagus earlier in the year so it has an electric wire round at the mo. But they come into their own at the moment your sweetcorn is ready...flatten the lot! VERY difficult to keep out. Only electric fence really works.

I've thought of the electric fence - I'm getting some for the chooks that are arriving in a few weeks anyway. See how the badger prob goes. As for the other stuff, no, I haven't got netting or fleece - methinks maybe I should invest in some? The onions were def eaten by the little slimy things, as the trails were a giveaway. Bah.

Got to go now, but thanks for the encouragement folks, I knew I could rely on you! See y'all next week

[squashysu]

Hi Pips

Dont get down, and dont let the b*******s grind you down!!!! the little blighters, i am glad that the traps are working, so far.....

I think i am lucky as i back onto fields and i know we have badgers, foxes, hogs etc, as well as feeding all the birds i can get, we have blue/yellow/great tits as well as my robin and blackbirds etc, i have protected my radish and onions in my little plot with fleece, but as an experiment i planted parsnips and beetroot straight into the ground and only covered with a cloche and they havent been touched!!

also my lettaces are in a raised bed and they not been touched either, i have coffee granules and another slug trap next to them!

At the mo, i am thinking thank you lord, for being kind to my plants, I am sure the wildlife is keeping down the slugs/snails - oh as well as the twice nightly expedition to trap and kill the things!!

Have a good week with the MIL and start again when you return


SS

[jacob marley]

My way with slugs is fill squeezy bottle with salty water and when it is dark go out with a torch and bingo you want to see them slide down the side of the polly tunnel after a direct hit ( they dont like it up em mr mannering) i gave up my gun's 20 years ago and slug hunting is now my only country sportjacob

[mrs dog]

Sorry you have had upset but on the bright side it is still early enough to plant more. Have you got a good coffee shop any where near you? If you have you could recycly their spent coffee grounds for them. Put these round the plants the slugs like and not only will you keep the moisture in the ground you will stop the pests too. Good luck.