BioFriend (various pests) and Vanish (slugs)

[Tim]

Has anyone out there used either of these products supplied by Victoriana. They are advertised in GYO and I think a while ago were offered in one of the readers giveaways. My allotment is plagued by slugs and last years brocolli was destroyed in about two days by cabbage white caterpillars. I'm thinking of using biofriend and vanish but wondered what others thought about them first. I am trying to run the plot on as close to organic principles as possible.

Cheers

[eskymo]

I've just read the info on the Victoriana website and the Vanish Slug Eliminator sounds great - almost too good to be true. Have a read of this Potato Slugs thread as Rauni mentions using Victoriana's Vanish to reduce her slug population, but she says that nematodes were more effective - maybe send her a PM. I'd certainly like to find out more.

The website claims that

when used in accordance with our simple directions for use and guidance enclosed with each pack that can keep an area of 400 Sq feet (37 Sq Metres if you like Euro language) free of slugs for about a year.

That's quite a big claim, as with Nematodes you have to repeat application every 6 weeks. See the Nemasys Site for more info.

As for biofriend - it sounds very much like something I brewed up myself last year - the Bad Breath Pepper Garlic Spray. I found the recipe on the You Grow Girl Site under 'Natural Pesticeds' - it involved boiling up garlic, onion, lots of pepper and then leaving it to cool over night. I then had to strain it and decant it into my sprayer bottle. I sprayed it on vulnerable/affected plants and it worked a treat but stank to high heaven for a day or so.

If anyone has any more info on Victoriana's Vanish or Biofriend, I'd like to know more - are either of them effective?

I'm probably going to go for Nemaslug this year as I found it quite effective last year, but it's a bit too pricey for me at the moment as I've just gone self employed and business isn't booming just yet. So if Vanish is better I'd like to hear about it!

[Jaxom]

eskymo. Just logged onto the "you grow girl" site and I have to say what a great load of ideas they have on there. Thanks for the pointer.
Jax

[eskymo]

It's a really good site - I was addicted to it last year when looking for info on veg growing etc. But as it's in the States I'm really glad this forum has popped up as it's on home-ground and local info is far more relevant.

I'm glad I'm not the only Night-Owl around here!

[Jaxom]

I wish I could sleep. tommorow I get the joy of shoveling one tonne of cotwald stone throught the house, so bed time called hours ago. but then I woke up and needed breakfast at 3am.
Jax

[Kimbo]

I've just read the info on the Victoriana website and the Vanish Slug Eliminator sounds great - almost too good to be true. Have a read of this Potato Slugs thread as Rauni mentions using Victoriana's Vanish to reduce her slug population, but she says that nematodes were more effective - maybe send her a PM. I'd certainly like to find out more.

The website claims that

That's quite a big claim, as with Nematodes you have to repeat application every 6 weeks. See the Nemasys Site for more info.

As for biofriend - it sounds very much like something I brewed up myself last year - the Bad Breath Pepper Garlic Spray. I found the recipe on the You Grow Girl Site under 'Natural Pesticeds' - it involved boiling up garlic, onion, lots of pepper and then leaving it to cool over night. I then had to strain it and decant it into my sprayer bottle. I sprayed it on vulnerable/affected plants and it worked a treat but stank to high heaven for a day or so.

If anyone has any more info on Victoriana's Vanish or Biofriend, I'd like to know more - are either of them effective?

I'm probably going to go for Nemaslug this year as I found it quite effective last year, but it's a bit too pricey for me at the moment as I've just gone self employed and business isn't booming just yet. So if Vanish is better I'd like to hear about it!

what kind of pepper did you use?

[eskymo]

I started off using ground pepper from the grinder - but found this had granules too big and kept blocking up my sprayer bottle, so I bought some finely ground black pepper from the supermarket and that worked a lot better.