Slug control!

[Laura Hillier]

Hi everyone,

We all know that slimy critters are far away from being a gardener's friend, so we were wondering if you have any inventive means of slug control and which methods for ridding your plot of the crop-munching creatures you find the most effective?

Your answers may be edited and published in the April issue of GYO.

Laura
Editorial Assistant
Grow Your Own

[VirginVegGrower]

They say that coffee grinds work - nope! They say that crushed eggshell works - nope! They say that copper tape works - nope! Cheap bitter in a yoghurt pot sunk into your soil in various places does. Then you have to go about your chosen method of dispatching. Do not underestimate these evil slimies.

[alldigging]

I'm planning on making my plot more frog friendly. I know I had at least one frog visiting in 2012 as my friend's children spotted it whilst we were harvesting potatoes and were desperate to catch it!

I have been toying with the idea of a pond the size of a washing up bowl...

[rustylady]

Got loads of frogs on my allotment and loads of slugs and snails too.

Last year the snails were more of a problem than the slugs, and I resorted to gathering them by hand and dropping them into a bucket of heavily salted water.

[Bren In Pots]

I've found that the only method that works is to cut them in half, not for the squeamish though.

[Madasafish]

30 acre field next door with marsh so slug and snail control is not really possible..

Going to try DIY nematodes this year.

[Aberdeenplotter]

The most effect remedy without doubt is to use slug nematodes. Nematodes are expensive though and additionally although they may be a green remedy, I doubt if the slugs would agree as the nematodes basically eat them alive from the inside out. There are also effective chemical applications available such as metaldehyde which can be applied in bran pellets or in liquid form but there are dangers to birds which may ingest the chenical along with affected slugs. I've tried copper bands which are supposed to deter slugs by giving them electric shocks but scottish slugs are hard and just seem to shrug this off. I've also tried surrounding susceptible plants with sharp sand/ground egg shells and similar with little effect. One of the most effective remedies is to 'harvest' slugs from the beds and borders on a very regular basis and to suitably dispose of any found. In this regard it is possible to capitalise on the slugs habit of sheltering under old planks/boards on the ground by setting some down and turning these over from time to time and removing any found. Also important to remember that a tidy plot is likely to have less slugs so good housekeeping is also essential.

[alldigging]

Also important to remember that a tidy plot is likely to have less slugs so good housekeeping is also essential.

But a tidy plot also discourages frogs...

[Aberdeenplotter]

If keeping a plot to produce veg, there is a definite need to discourage slugs. If on the other hand you are keeping a plot to encourage slugs to encourage frogs............

[Bigmallly]

I'm afraid it's the dreaded blue pellets for me until I can invent a slug resistant compost.

[PyreneesPlot]

Hand collecting every night from the spring when they first emerge. Yes, I really can get 500 plus in a night from the veg garden (11 beds each 6x1.5m) but by mid summer it'll be less than a 100. I have lots of toads & hedgehogs and a pond is going in this year.

[hawthorns]

this year im trying slug gone. sheep wool based and it rots down to feed the soil after 6 to 9 months. i really dont like to use the blue pellets so im hoping this method will work.

[Aberdeenplotter]

I knew there was something I meant to add tomy earlier post.

A couple of years ago, I visited Prince Charles' house at Birkhall, on Deeside with a local Gardening Club. In the grounds there is a garden designed by Prince Charles that for structure has treestumps and roots and also stags antlers. Sounds weird I know. We weren't allowed to take photo's but it was worth seeing. Anyway, back to the subject at hand, the area was planted heavily with hostas which are normally shredded by slugs but these were immaculate. Prince Charles is a great supporter of green methods and there is no slug treatment so what do his gardener's do? The area is heavily mulched with composted bark.

p.s. The vegetable plots which are in a separate area of the garden have a regular slug picking patrol -- by the resident ducks.

[kathycam]

Last year being the first in my allotment, I lost a lot of plants and seedlings to slugs. This year I'm going to try and get plants to a good size before planting out. I'm putting in a pond, and hoping some frogs will move in and go on slug patrol. I will use every method possible to help direct sowings and small seedlings such as sharp sand, egg shells, coffee grinds, slug grug, and hand picking them off. I'll try not to use pellets though.

[Aileen35]

Simple solution, get a chicken.......... they lurv slugs