Broad Bean Query

[Kimbo]

A lot of my broad bean plants have had the leaves ravaged by slugs/snails and arent doing much in the way of flowers/pods. Is it worth me cutting them back to see if I can get another crop from them later on?, using slug pellets to give them some protection (I have tried organic means but the little b*****s still have had a feast)

[Alice]

Sorry I don't know about your broad beans Kimbo but what I do know about is slugs I don't have a major problem with them as I think my garden is pretty much in natural balance Have loads of wildlife and everything seems to keep everything in balance BUT (and I know I'll be shouted down here) when slugs do present as a problem the only thing which is truly effective is pellets. I hate using them but if its the pellets or watch the ruination of my work then it's the pellets. If there was any other solution why would we ever be on this site talking about the problem. Everybody would use their own favourite organic method and that would be that

[smallblueplanet]

Have you tried Nematodes?

I think that all you can say is slug pellets work for you - they do not work for us. We use other methods to keep slugs/snails under control. What is successful for you will surely depend on environmental conditions where you live?

[smallblueplanet]

I've seen the bloke next door sprinkle little blue pellets about and I've always wondered, what happens to all those poisoned slugs?

[eskymo]

our neighbour claims to be 'organic' but sprinkles blue pellets all over the place, uses weed killer all the time as well as a multitude of other chemicals - it annoys me as I garden organically but I can't help thinking that all those chemicals are seeping into my soil as well...anyway back to slugs. I used nematodes last year as I had so many slugs and snails that I hardly had any crops left, despite going out every night with my head torch anf scissors on 'slug patrol' and cutting them all in half. The nematodes stuff really help to reduce the numbers and amazingly this year I've hardly had any slugs. They may appear in larger numbers soon but my plants have had the time to get established so I think I'll be fine. Not sure whether the dwindelling numbers is down to the nematodes or not, but I'm happy.

[Bugeyes]

I'm sure the nematodes will be responsible for much of the reduction in numbers. Organic slug pellets containing ferramol are blue and look just the same as those containing metaldehyde so don't assume that people are using the nasty stuff immediately - they could be innocent!

[eskymo]

I know my neighbour is using the nasty stuff - I've seen the packet!

[Alice]

I'm too late this year to try the nematodes, but will be trying them next year. In the meantime I will be using the nasty slug pellets in strict moderation. I pick up any dead slugs and dispose of them safely from birds and other interested mammals. I reckon, acre for acre, my garden is a match as a wild life sanctuary to anything going out there. I just try to strike a balance on whose garden is it.

[Kimbo]

A lot of my broad bean plants have had the leaves ravaged by slugs/snails and arent doing much in the way of flowers/pods. Is it worth me cutting them back to see if I can get another crop from them later on?, using slug pellets to give them some protection (I have tried organic means but the little b*****s still have had a feast)

Thanks for your advice on the slugs guys but I was asking whether it was worth cutting back my broad beans to see if I could get another crop later in the year

[smallblueplanet]

You've got nothing to lose by giving it a try? Unless you want the area for something else instead? What variety of Broad Beans are they?

[Kimbo]

You've got nothing to lose by giving it a try? Unless you want the area for something else instead? What variety of Broad Beans are they?

they are mainly dwarf suttons in pots - if I remember rightly I did get second growth on them last year

Have cut off the dead/dying bits and given them a good feed, hopefully this might do the trick. May just buy another pack of suttons and plant now for a crop later on