Need some encouragement - still slugs.

[SlugLobber]

Even after the nemaslug treatment, I am back up to 30-40 slugs with each 'harvest', three times a day. I've never known anything like it. Two years ago, when I grew veg, I just planted it and let it do its stuff.

This year, I have planted:

Marigolds: 0/three packs come up
Cucumber: 6/6 germinated, all got eaten.
Pepper: ditto. 8/8 germinated second go. 3 now eaten.
courgette: 6/6 germinated, but had to dig them back up after planting out in early May, due to heavy slug onslaught. Put them out last week again and losing the battle - again.
Butternut squash: 6/6 eaten first time. Second time I grew indoors and 2/6 plants now eaten.
carrots: 0 germination
parsnip: 0 in garden. Lots on windowsill, but I daren't plant them out.
Tomatoes: All eaten first time (in greenhouse). All still ok at moment.
Basil/coriander/mint: all eaten. Basil now grown in kitchen, rather than greenhouse. Gave up on all other herbs.
Potatoes: 4/4 germinated. One now dead.
Lettuces: Surprisingly have 5 from 2nd batch left. Originally had 24 if you total first and second sowings.
Broad beans - cheated and bought x 6, but three now looking very sick. Dwarf beans - 6/6 from seed. 3 left.
Onions - yes, slugs DO eat onion seedlings.
Sweat peas. One out of 30 germinated fully. Woo.
Pansies - 0. Out of an entire packet.

Please tell me that slug pellets work quickly, as they're being bought today (supposedly cat-friendly - if they aren't I will hunt the manufacturer down and kill him in cold blood). I'm really depressed with the veg growing, now. I've thrown so much money (and nemaslug) at this plot it just isn't funny. There's more besides the list above. I'm out there before work, after work and later in the evening. My life revolves around little slimy sh*ts in the garden.

Encouragement please. Lots of. Even the healthy plants are now so far behind I'll be surprised if they grow to full size. I don't like watching gardening programmes, as they have nice big veg already. I wanted to be organic (and the slug pellets I've opted for are Growing Success, which are now certified), but if I can't be, there's no point. I may as well buy the cheap crap from the supermarket/ buy delivered veg again.

[Flummery]

Are you sowing direct or growing in modules/pots? Because I find that direct sowings get eaten. If I can get the plant to a decent size, I get away with it more often than not. It's a faff potting things on and it costs you pots (though they are re-usable) and compost but compost is cheap compared to the amount of seed you waste. Not to mention the down-heartedness it produces, for which there is no monetary value.

Even if you buy in small plants, put them in pots for a couple of weeks at least and let them get big enough to fend for themselves. Slugs are drawn to the tender young shoots - they don't fancy the old boilers!

Have another go - don't give up. It's really worth it.

[mandyballantyne]

Hi Sluglobber,

I am in the same boat as you

But I will not give in to them. I have been having slug parties and find that hoegarden wheat beer is a favotaite. I am getting upwards of 20 in each saucer a day (even after picking off what I can find) Other beer is not attracting as many.

Ok it is more expensive than other beer but better than munched crops.

Go on get out there THIS IS WAR!!!!!!

We can compare casualties later, might even uplaod some pics

Mandy

[sallym]

Sluglobber, please don't give up. I have had loads of problems with slugs this year, on my 4th sowing of climbing beans as all others eaten. I have been using used coffee grounds for the last week and (oh I am really tempting fate saying this, perhaps it doesn't count if you don't say it out loud) at the moment not a single plant has been touched. I've been sprinkling about 1/4 inch thickness around each plant, and have not re-applied even after all this rain.
All I need to worry about now is the blackfly on my broadies and the neighbourhood moggy which has decided to use my garden as a loo. I will not give up, i get fed up with the sheer amount of slugs and snails around in this weather, but the thought of home grown veg keeps me going.
Don't let them win. I find scissors work well, and after the first few days I don't even feel sick afterwards

[SlugLobber]

Only 20 a day???? I think my girl slugs are taking some kind of hormone treatment to make them produce more eggs. I'm not exaggerating with the 30-40 each harvest!

Hi Flummery, I used seed trays initially, in the greenhouse, starting in March for the earlier crops. All was going fab until the high winds, when my greenhouse was blown away and trashed. Due to cold weather, I had to wait until mid-April to start again, using seed trays in my dining room, potting on when the seedlings were too big for the trays, then finally into the ground. I hardened off the seedlings in the newer PVC greenhouse, in larger pots, but by this point the slugs were well and truly hatching and munching. I planted the courgettes originally when they had the spiky leaves come through (same size as last time I grew them - successful!). The courgettes were HUGE when I planted them out again, complete with large spiky leaves and stems. The beans were too big for their pots when I planted them out - they're also huge and easily big enough to climb the trellis. Have made that young shoot mistake before and it's definitely not that. It's just the sheer volume of slugs! I may have to try harder to entice the birds, but I'm reluctant, as my cat is a bit nifty on his feet (and is on a constant diet - no high calorie birds allowed!).

Going shopping tonight so will put beer on the list, too. If I find the cat wandering aimlessly and singing out of tune, I know why! Actually that image has cheered me up no end

[SlugLobber]

Ooh yes - coffee! You fucoffee, he he he! Run out as of last week, so maybe that hasn't helped. Blackfly on broadies are easy. Pour your washing up water on them!

Thanks guys for the encouragement. Reading 'on the 4th sowing' makes me feel better!

[mandyballantyne]

[QUOTE=SlugLobber;234447]Only 20 a day???? I think my girl slugs are taking some kind of hormone treatment to make them produce more eggs. I'm not exaggerating with the 30-40 each harvest!


Per dish, I have 5 dishes and am hand picking too5!!

[marigold007]

I know how you feel. All my courgettes and marrows were gone as of this morning and it looks like they are moving on to the peas and cucumbers. The pumpkins never had a chance! I think they are snails though that are the problem with mine. Am considering this:
BBC - Cambridgeshire - In Pictures - All's shell that ends shell

[marigold007]

PS: Have you tried soot, grapefruit, or oat bran?
Slug population soars as a result of wet weather | Mail Online
I was told about the grapefruit at the nursery I frequent.

[SlugLobber]

Will try the grapefruit, thanks. Saw that they recommend mint. What a laugh. Mine ATE the mint!

Flippin eck, Mandy! Mind you, I'm only picking the veg plot and the pots - ignoring the rest of the garden. I don't want to think what the total would be! Little sods!

Don't fancy eating them. Tried offering them to the cat again this morning. No good. Fussy little bugger, my cat.

[finney]

hi suglobber,i have the same problem,slug pellets are good,also try slug traps from bandq
place in ground poor beer in yes beer with a little salt,it sounds daft but they get drunk fall in and drown,try i have not had a problem since,let me now how you get on

finney

[Two_Sheds]

I have a 'snail hotel' on my plot ~ just an old window frame leaned against a wall. The snails congregate on it, and are dispatched in the morning.

I crunched another dozen of them today.

I'm having some slug/snail damage to new plants, even with slug pellets. You'll never get rid of them all, and they breed prolifically in this wet weather. You have to take a multi-pronged attack:

• • * sow in pots, don't sow seeds direct
  • * plant out when plants are big enough to withstand a nibble
  • * use pellets sparingly as per instructions on the tin
  • * use 'hotels' like grapefruit skins
  • * plant extras, and assume you will lose some to pests.
  • * protect special plants with grit, Vaseline, eggshells, ash, seaweed, copper, etc
  • * do night-time patrols with the salt
  • * attract predators like beetles, frogs, slow worms, hedgehogs, birds

[Alice]

What a shame Sluglobber, but don't give in.
The slug pellets do work AND YOU CAN USE THEM RESPONSIBLY.
In the greenhouse other critters can't get at them.
I grow my veg under nets to keep cats and birds off - so can put some pellets on bits of plastic to stop them leaching into the ground - and other critters can't get at the pellets or poisoned slugs.
For whatever reason I hardly have any slugs or snails - I think I've seen about 6 this year and no damage.
But here's the nets

[squashysu]

sluglobber

i could be called snaillobber!!!! i have between 30-50 snails a night in my garden, plus slugs! i have beer traps (homemade) which are really really successful, i back onto open grounds, chiltern hills and dont want to attack the wildlife with pellets so i just torch it at night, use the beertraps and have a bucket of salty water for the ones that i catch, or cut the clugs in half with scissors!!!!!

I also agree wheatbeer like hoegarden is the best as its strong, but you can grab some thats cheap at Aldi, they have there own german wheat beer! Change the beer every 4/5 days thats what i do and good luck.

Dont let the little slimers get to you! They wont beat you!!

SS

[titichandmarsh]

Hi
I have bought some of those square containers that you fill with beer and they seem to be working for me, worth the beer!!!!!