success against slugs

[Storming Norman]

Someone suggested somewhere that I try coffee grounds around my new hosta last year. They have always been a problem for me with slugs, so at one point I stopped trying to grow them.

This year I used coffee grounds as a trial just on this one plant - each fresh pot of coffee made meant a pile of grounds for the hosta. - not one hole so far, and an impressive pile of pretty brown soil.

I think it is a success and may go down to the coffee shop for their waste - I understand it make a good nitrogen feed as well.

Ann

[Kittypickle]

Would someone very kind mind linking for me the exact type of bran I need to buy as I have an image of all bran in my head which I'm sure isn't correct !

We used nematodes but I think they have worn off and I've just been out to find munched sweetcorn, my emerging (well not anymore) dwarf french bean seedlings and they've been at my climbing french beans, I am taking it personally and upping the slug warfare.

[Reks]

last year on a thread about slugs I mentioned that I was going to trial the use of bran. At our allotments we have terrible trouble with slugs and snails and it is not uncommon for some folks not to plant spuds as these seem to get riddled by slugs. Having used it last season and again, this I can positively say that it appears to work. Last year my young brassicas were decimated by slugs until I started using bran. I used it last year to great effect and this year I applied bran around all my young plants very early in the season and few plants show signs of slug damage. It doesnt matter if it get wets it still seems to work as it does not get washed awayn although it does eventually disappear into the soil or perhaps the slugs eat it all. Whether the bran has acted as a barrier to kept the slugs off or it has killed them enmass I have no idea but were now in June with all my plants growing strong with hardly any damage. I bought a large bag in April last year from a seed supplier (where I get my chick feed from) and it cost me around £7. I have only just finished using this bag last week and I intend to get me another as it is far cheaper than slug pellets or other stuff and is far more effective. I can heartlily recommend its useage.

Hi Yorkshire sam - I defenitely want to try this. Wondering where to buy from. I searched on ebay and saw "EM BOKASHI BRAN 1KG". Is this the one to use ? Can't find any on tesco or sainsbury website. Can I buy bran from a pet store? Also how to apply?

[Tam]

I wondered what bran to use - perhaps any does the job, but on this site they say oat bran - http://homepage.ntlworld.com/luminan...rgaa/Slugs.htm

[Tam]

Oops - that link doesn't work, I'll try again.

[Tam]

homepage.ntlworld.com/luminance/rgaa/Slugs.htm - see if that works - it does if you cut and paste.

[coreopsis]

Bran sounds interesting.I'm using the pellets which send them to heaven in a very short time...

[burnie]

Have you tried the huge fearlessly eats it all(well nearly)method of cooking them and eating 'em?

[BumbleB]

Bran sounds interesting.I'm using the pellets which send them to heaven in a very short time...

I use pellets against slugs and it is very successfull...........but I have so many dead slugs each day that I am plagued by flies - any tips on getting them to go to heaven?

[terrier]

I buy the bran in large sacks (£6.50) from the local farm/animal suppliers. Not tried it in my porridge yet

[Kitchen Gardener]

Is it a special kind ogf bran or can we use the sort you buy from horse feed merchants, I do use 'safe pellets' but would rather not since we do have wild life locally.

[ian]

Nemaslug

I have suffered with slugs on my allotment for over 4 years. This year I treated my plot with nemaslug and nearly two months on I have hardly had any slug damage at all. I know the packs are expensive but I figure this will be offset by the amount of spuds I lost last year.

[Dynamo]

I think it is a success (coffee grinds) and may go down to the coffee shop for their waste - I understand it make a good nitrogen feed as well.

Ann

The Nitrogen feed is a plus side of it. On the minus side though is that I've heard that its quite acidy so you may need to use extra lime where you put it.

[Littleplum]

Slug Slicer

Slugs!!! The bane of my (gardening) life.
When we have a rainshower, I nip outside with a old pair of crosscut secateurs. Every slug I see I slice in half. Quick but messy! I always leave them 'where they fall' as I've got a tame Frog which I handfeed slugs to occasionaly, and I leave him to clear them up. Having said that, I put one of those big orange & brown crop munchers in front of him and it slithered straight over his head!
My lawn is alive with the white/fawn slugdevils that 'bleed' milk. No need to cut them. I just step on themwith my clogs. Unfortunately it must appear to the neighbours that I do some kind of sundown clog dance!
My veg patch is alive with small black slugs about 1cm long. I picked up a plant marker and there were 8 just on that. The secateurs win every time though.

[terrier]

You need a sign in your plot, Littleplum, saying "Warning, Invading slugs will be sliced"
Well I tried the bran around everything. The courgettes seem to have recovered but the climbing beans are still being devoured like crazy. I havn't planted out my THIRD lot of beetroot yet, I want the seedlings to be as big as possible to give them a fighting chance. Assuming that my seedling leaf losses might be birds, I'm going to treat them with bran and wire cages. Fingers crossed.