Sweet peppers, slugs and blue pellets of death

[redser]

Well I made them so there is plain plastic below the salty tape so that wouldn't happen. I'm watering through milk jugs sunk in the ground around the plants too so it shouldn't be an issue. I'll be just feeding on top of the soil or occasionally watering with a can and will do that slowly so it wont wash up against the cup.

[redser]

That's the plan anyway, will see how it goes. It would be a bit of a fiddle to do it for all plants but I only have 6 peppers/chillis and only took 10 minutes to make up the six collars and 10 minutes to fit them.

[planetologist]

Personally, I'm not convinced by the "compatible with organic gardening". Sure, it's biodegradable, but still a poison http://www.desangosse.co.uk/Slugs/pr...lugPellets.pdf
I find wood ash works very well, and I'm told coffee grounds work too.

[Two_Sheds]

Coffee grounds ~ nada. I've surrounded my hostas with them: the hostas are still lace

[Florence Fennel]

The porridge oats are still holding out well, probably because it's been so dry. I've had no exploding snugs though, pity

[CaroltheCarrot]

I am giving in and using pellets this year, my caulis are all munched, under nets,ach!

[redser]

Coffee grounds ~ nada. I've surrounded my hostas with them: the hostas are still lace

Did a bit of reading up on it as I can get the grounds from the machine in work. It's more the fresh grounds that are very effective.

[pipscariad]

I've given an update on the original home-made nematodes thread, but I thought I'd let you know that, fingers crossed, they seem to be working (I hesitate with bold statements like this, in case all my seedlings have gone when I go down to the plot later...). It is a stinky old brew, but if it works, I can bear it. No worse than my seaweed tea anyway!

One other thing I've tried in the battle against slugs, to great success, is bran - bought from the local farmers store in a huge sack, so thank goodness it is effective! I've tried coffee, egg shells and beer traps (the latter worked ok but I kept forgetting to top them up ) with little success. I do use the 'organic' pellets as a kind of belt and braces, but very sparingly. I refuse to use the standard blue pellets as I have an occasional hedgehog and toads, plus the birds and of course my hens, although they are in their enclosure.

Get out there with your bucket and start putting those slugs to good use!

[snohare]

The metaldehyde pellets are not likely to be around for much longer. It has just been discovered that metaldehyde is getting into reservoirs via groundwater and can't be filtered out of the drinking water supply. Since it is associated with fetal abnormalities, stillbirths, cancer and sterility, there is a fair bit of concern about this...
I've just bought some of the ferric phosphate ones, labelled okay for organic gardening, I live in hope...
I found that diatomaceous earth worked really well last year, but I can't seem to find it this year.

[MojoJojo]

Reading here Metaldehyde - Water UK it's been known about for a year or two, and there are currently no plans to ban it, in agricultural use or home use.
Current "action" is to train farmers to make sure pellets don't end up in drainage ditches and things.

[Leeds_lad]

Don't know why I'm posting this, just to vent and rant I suppose. Popped up to the plot on the way to work for a little watering in the tunnel and the slugs have been at my sweet peppers. Was so proud of them. Started in early February and nurtured with all the care I could give them. Lots of flowers and a few peppers growing well (about half an inch big). Felt sick looking at the half munched little fruit.
So that's it. Slug pellets for me. Been trying my best to do it the organic/non-pellet way but I can't sit by and watch the slimey buggers eat my months of work. So why do I feel guilty!!??
Time for a coffee and a bit of staring out the window

If you want to stay organic, get some slug gel. Made with 100% organic ingredients and it works wonders. Basically you draw with it, putting circles and lines around the plants you don't want the slugs to get. The slugs don't cross it and won't get to your plants. I swear by the stuff

[Florence Fennel]

If you want to stay organic, get some slug gel. Made with 100% organic ingredients and it works wonders. Basically you draw with it, putting circles and lines around the plants you don't want the slugs to get. The slugs don't cross it and won't get to your plants. I swear by the stuff

They don't crawl underneath it then and come up inside the ring?

[Leeds_lad]

They don't crawl underneath it then and come up inside the ring?

Nah. Something about it acts as a repellent. Not sure how it fully works, the magic of science =p
You can also use the stuff on plant pots, like you do with vaseline and wd40 to stop the blighters climbing up stuff.

[planetologist]

Has anybody ever tried eating our garden snails? I read once that if you gather them up, just the ones big enough to bother with, confine them and feed them on lettuce or something to clear them out you can then eat them like they do in France.

Yes, I've been doing that for years. Takes about two days for their intestines to become free of soil.

[snohare]

Yes, I suppose they would digest food at a snail's pace...