Grow Your Own Magazine

Dear All
I'm new to the forum so please forgive me if I've not searched any archives before posting.
During the summer, I attempted to grow a few bits of veggies as well as my usual flowers, but I found I was overrun by snails - big suckers with monster shells. I've never seen so many in my life and have no idea where they've come from. Needless to say they obliterated everything. I'm limited what I can use cos I've got 2 small kiddies and prefer to use "friendly" stuff rather than the heavy duty stuff. Any ideas for next year?
I grow most of my stuff in large pots as I only have a small patio garden (at the moment - just applying for an allotment).
Cheers m'dears!

Hi Wigasaurus and welcome to the Vine ! The only thing I've heard of for stopping slugs and snails getting into pots is copper tape. Try this

http://www.greengardener.co.uk/slugextra.htm

I'd be tempted to stick a strip of sandpaper around the pot as I don't think they'd like climbing over that I'm sure some of the other Grapes on here will have some good advice for you.

Welcome!
Not sure of the solution, but will give it some thought. Recent posts include encouraging hedgehogs and frogs/toads in to the garden (I guess the pond could pose similar problems with the children).
I'm sure someone will offer some sound advice though.

Hi W and welcome to the Vine! If you type in slugs on the search thingy you'll come up with loads of useful advice. When I had lots of the little darlings I used a mutli-approach - grapefruit cut in half, jam jars sunk in the ground with beer in them, and I must admit as well, pellets. it eventually worked. Do let us know how you get on. DDL

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Hello Wigasaurus and welcome to the vine. Dexterdog is right and you need a multi approach to dealing with them and I think a few pellets as well at times. I put a few pelets in little containers in among the plants just in case the slugs and snails have made their way in. Another point is they can't swim so if you are growing in containers if you stand them up on bricks or something in a tray of water they should be safe. Let us know how you get on and what you are growing.

Thanks Alice - actually I did feel rather mean using the pellets, but then I thought about all my hard work that had gone into raising the plants from seed etc etc, all the hard work it had taken to transform my back garden into my veg plot......you've made me feel much better! DDL

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

What a good idea Alice!!! have never thought of that!!
Hedgehogs can't climb higher than into a mop bucket (!) so if the pot were raised high enough , that would be another alternative if you really feel the need to use slug pellets and yet were worried about hedgehogs.

Thats probably where 'Island beds' come into their own!

Hello DDL, glad that helped. I just think it has to be all things in moderation and the best way you can find for you.

And yes, Snadger, the island beds do work until it gets to Mossie time, when you just can't have water standing for more than 4 days or they breed in it, but I'm sure you knew that.

Nicos, I'm surprised hedgehogs can climb as high as a bucket. I've seen them going up through our rock garden and one level to another seemed to be a struggle - like something from a kids story book. I've got some pics of hoglets, must look them out and post.

Go out at dusk with a torch and pick them off. Sling or stamp. Up to you. It might seem too simple but fact is just one big slug or snail can decimate your crop to an astonishing degree. Remove just one and the effects can be very positive.
The most effective 'organic ' remedy is to remove them.
Where ever you see slime trails rub them out. The trail is literally that and guides them back to the food source. Remove it and it makes it more difficult for them. It's a battle, some might say a war (me for one) but certainly at the seedling /young plant stage if you don't deal with them you'll get no crops. They'll just munch the whole plant down to the roots.

the snails are a-breeding...mine are all quite small now, killed all the big buggers. When I started on my front garden (crumbling brick wall, lots of hidey holes) I found 100s of huge snails. Couldn't bear crunching them all underfoot, so I started slinging them onto the main road, thinking they'd have a quick death.
People were rescuing them! And putting them back on my wall!
http://www.haywardm.supanet.com/predators.html

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

You have all my sympathy Two-Sheds ,I hate sluggs /snails and everytime I see any snail slimming down the road my first instinct is to crunch them under foor but the thing which stops me from doing that is my little girls'screaming" You are so cruel Mummy"

Hi

I read in another message on this web site that dog hair and hair in general will stop slugs, although it wouldnt be practical everywhere.

Tiger

a couple of years ago when I lost a load of bedding plants overnight I put pellets down in my garden, the following day we were met with the horror of what my OH still refers to as the 'snailacide'. They must have come from the ends of the earth to eat my pellets and then die on my doorstep, it was very upsetting (I don't really like killing things but was very angry about my flowers) and disgusting because they all had to be shifted. We vowed not to use pellets again,especially as one of our cats does eat the slugs. Sharp sand around your precious plants does really limit the attacks but I reckon pellets just attracts them from everyone elses garden (could throw some pellets in your next door garden and send them that way).

I use the slug pellets that don't harm wildlife. I also have slow worms in the garden which I think help.

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

The torch method is a sure fire success as pickledtink says. STAMP them out.

I got hedgehogs in the garden the year before last and the difference in snail/slug population is amazing. I hardy find any these days.

I was getting lots of slugs and lil snails, ive found that copper tape is doing a great job at keeping themaway!

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The closer to nature I become the more alive I am!

http://www.freakshoweb.com

To be honest snails are delicious grilled with garlic butter.

I know the edible snails were introduced by the romans, but can we eat any old snail we find in the garden?

I was told that you're supposed to feed them on oats or something for a week before grilling them. Does anybody know the details?

If we saw them as a food source and not as a pest I think that would change our attitudes completely.

This is the advice from Jane Grigson on purging snails.


For temporary use, a bucket does very well. Pierce it with small air holes and weight the lid down - it's amazing how much lifting power a determined batch of snails can muster. Feed them with rosemary, thyme, lettuce. The idea is not only to make a collection, but also to give the snails ten days or a fortnight to get rid of any poisonous plants they may have eaten.

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Denise xox

Learn from the mistakes of others because you'll never live long enough to make them all yourself.
-- Alfred E. Neumann
http://irchesterplot.blogspot.com

I've also heard (can't remember where but I'm sure it wasn't just an echo) that you should feed them carrot for a few days. When they start pooing orange you know their system in only full of something you would be prepared to eat. Assuming you eat carrots.

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 17th - The Big Dig

Snails are all still hibernating round here. I 'tidied' MiL's garden last weekend (under tight supervision) and found all the snails fast asleep along the bricks inside her border. Left them exposed for the birds and tiptoed away quietly

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Regards, Jane
What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy? The creative adult is the child who has survived.
Ursula LeGuin
http://www.etribes.com/madderbat

Sure, snails no real problems, but slugs.....

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Regards, Jane
What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy? The creative adult is the child who has survived.
Ursula LeGuin
http://www.etribes.com/madderbat

Hmmm good point........until somebody comes up with a delicious slug recipe.


How about nematode worms? These are tiny eel like creature (hardly visible to the naked eye) that live in soil naturally. They infect slugs and kill them. Then they breed and emerge once more into the soil.

You can buy them in powder form I think.

Biological control has got to be better than poisons and more effective than all these intricate barrier methods.