What I did today - 2017

[Jay-ell]

They're a source of calcium and nitrogen so you could turn them into plant food.

[bario1]

Can we change the subject? I think I'm going to spew!

[Jay-ell]

We could talk about slugs instead - is that better?

[bario1]

As long as it's not about the nutritious benefits of them!

[Baldy]

ResidentAlien: How Can I Eat Slugs?

Apparently, the digestive gland of some slug species is foul-tasting. But not to worry -- it can be removed while cooking by making "a longitudinal slit in the tail and peeling the skin back, then either pulling off or cutting off the dark- colored...gland." I read on, open-mouthed, about recommended slime removal, achieved by putting live slugs into a 50-50 water/vinegar solution. "The solution," Dr. Pearce tell us, "is fatal to the slugs in a few minutes, and in the process, they exude most of their slime. Also, when you are boiling them, change the water after a minute or two to remove further slime."

Dr. Pearce also points out that slugs generate more slime than snails, perhaps as a defensive measure since they don't have shells. (Works on me.)

"After they are cooked (and the digestive gland removed, if necessary)," writes Dr. Pearce, "you can use the slugs as you would clams (e.g., slug chowder); be creative." If necessary, dear God. How do you find that out?

[Jay-ell]

So no mentioning that they're 12 percent protein or links to HFWs recipe for cooking them.

Still with all that protein they could be used to make fertiliser similar to the way Korean natural farming makes it out of fish.

[Bren In Pots]

Its rained here all day so nothing outdoors just sown a pinch of spring onions in pots along with some radishes. .

[Guest]

I watched a vid where Ole Bob Flowerdew had a slug and snail Alcatraz. Basically he made an island for them where they couldn't escape because they were surrounded by water. He fed them weeds and put the poo back on the garden.

I have lots of snails this year, but I just lob them to parts of the garden where they can do less bothersome harm or the chickens depending what mood I am in.

[Baldy]

So no mentioning that they're 12 percent protein or links to HFWs recipe for cooking them.

Still with all that protein they could be used to make fertiliser similar to the way Korean natural farming makes it out of fish.

Seem to remember they concluded that the 12% and the taste was so terrible you'd have to be in a Gulag in the 1930's to make it worthwhile (I may be paraphrasing)

[Baldy]

Rained most of the day (and I was working) so not a lot - its eased up now so have opened up the home GH and done a bit of watering / potting on / pottering. Mrs Balders has now ensured that I'm in and is giving me a mild glare. She's now showing me a piccy of a jack russell that needs rehoming - I'm ok about it not sure our 12 year old cat would be

[Jay-ell]

Seem to remember they concluded that the 12% and the taste was so terrible you'd have to be in a Gulag in the 1930's to make it worthwhile (I may be paraphrasing)

Mealworms and crickets have a higher protein content. Compared to beef you could get more protein per acre from these.



Anyway - today I took up the brick path down the side of the beanhouse and dug up the compacted gravel underneath. Dug over the strip to a reasonable depth and threw some runner bean seeds down. Strung the strings down from the mesh on the roof to the base of the greenhouse. Rebuilt a couple of beds that were collapsing - I say rebuilt but in reality it was getting the sides upright again and walloping a couple of boards crossways along the path so that the two beds push against each other as they collapse. This happens to be one of the paths between the Jungle and the New Territory so crossing between the two is like a steeplechase or a game of hopscotch.

[sparrow100]

Appalled by the number of slugs and snails on my plot this evening but didn't have the time to deal with them properly bar lobbing the biggest into a pond. I am going away at just the wrong time. My waterer won't have time to deal with slugs either so tonight I'll be resowing many many seeds as insurance.

Am not going to try eating them - bleurgh!!!

[Nicos]

Took the bold step of planting out the geraniums.

Our last frost though has been 9th June so I still need to keep an eye on weather forecast at night for the next few weeks.

[1Bee]

Read the Vine. Threw up.

Planted out 15 sweetcorn each in their own cosy little bottle cloche. Pulled up a sorry looking potato hauls which turned out to have blackleg. Bah.

Waved the plot goodbye for 2 days as I'm off to London.

[1Bee]

Not much slug and snail activity here. But I've been keeping on top of the control, so who knows...?