Slug deterrent experiment!

[Moo's Mum]

One of the old chaps at the allotment where I have my name down for a plot, told me they dont like crushed egg shells. There is a greasy spoon type cafe down the road from me, so popped in and the lovely lady working there has saved me all the egg shells from this morning!! I've just crushed them up and scattered them around my precious plants.
Anything is worth a shot. Desperate times call for desperate measures and all that!!!

[Mikey]

What they do love is the wet, this is why I never water my plot at the end of the day, always guaranteed to make life easy for the slugs.

[veggiechicken]

What they do love is the wet, this is why I never water my plot at the end of the day, always guaranteed to make life easy for the slugs.

I have never watered my garden, never! Could you tell the slugs that - and turn the heavenly sprinklers off overnight!

[Moo's Mum]

I know most people are having a nightmare with the slimy little beggers at the moment, but this is my first year of having a "proper" plot and I'm getting so frustrated and disheartened with it all

[veggiechicken]

Don't let it get you down MM I know its no consolation but last year I only had 2 courgettes off about 6 plants - hence my going mad this year with 60 various squashes etc. I thought they'd be ideal on my stony ground, covering a bank, - seems the snugs thought differently. The odd thing is that 2 years ago, I had so many courgettes that I was giving them away to anyone who passed by - with only 3 plants.
It is very frustrating when you put a lot of effort into growing something, to see it destroyed in a single chomp, but we just have to carry on regardless. I'm about to sow another batch and I'll keep a few plants back and grow them on in the greenhouse with lots of personal TLC.
Never say Dai

[lottie dolly]

Right VC,you set my mind of last night,all i need is some sort of glue now,take 1 flower bucket for each plant,.......cut the bottom 2 inch of,this can be used for a plant pot resovoir at another time,....so you left with a bottomless pot,aprox 2 inch up,put a 2 inch band of glue then roll in something sharp,egg shells,grit,sand,am going to try chicken grit,when done,sink into the soil around the squash,so the grit is where the little cherubs TRY and climb up,whilst the rest of the bucket gives a little protection from the winds,just untill the poor little plants have established it's self,then remove said bucket being carefull to ease the leaves out,thus far,i have 3 courgettes in their own nest,but untill i get glue,i got grit around 1,and slug pellets round 2,in theary this hopefully will afford some respite to said plants,plus,they will be available for use next year,and with the addition of i bit oh glass should help no end,we will see,

[Moo's Mum]

Thanks VC, I was just having a little wobble!! I'll try not to let it get to me. I'm going to try lottie dolly's idea I think

[veggiechicken]

On much the same lines as yours LD, I've been wondering about putting slug pellets inside the pots. I don't use pellets normally because of the dogs and the birds, but I think I'll make a 2nd line of defence. If any slimies get inside, with luck they'll find the pellets more appetising than the plant.
I will grow my own courgettes, I will grow my own courgettes, I will........

[lottie dolly]

I know most people are having a nightmare with the slimy little beggers at the moment, but this is my first year of having a "proper" plot and I'm getting so frustrated and disheartened with it all

the consolation is,everyone is having the same bother,the scary bit is,if we not get something to grow for the freezer,we will not be eating so well,be damed if i will give in to supermarket hiped pricing,for substandard veg,

[lottie dolly]

On much the same lines as yours LD, I've been wondering about putting slug pellets inside the pots. I don't use pellets normally because of the dogs and the birds, but I think I'll make a 2nd line of defence. If any slimies get inside, with luck they'll find the pellets more appetising than the plant.
I will grow my own courgettes, I will grow my own courgettes, I will........

thats an idea,put a few inside,my original idea was,they slugs not supposed to like going over a rough surface,hence gluing on something sharp,so with a few sweeties inside,would make better protection,and next season,we could try planting them outside at normal time of the year,with full frotecion in place with a bit of glass/polly bag tied on,to form an easy quick cloch,only trying this method will tell us,

[mothhawk]

On much the same lines as yours LD, I've been wondering about putting slug pellets inside the pots. I don't use pellets normally because of the dogs and the birds, but I think I'll make a 2nd line of defence. If any slimies get inside, with luck they'll find the pellets more appetising than the plant...

That's what I do VC. I use Yeo Valley pots around newly transplanted seedlings to keep the wood pigeons off, and, just to protect from slugs that come up from underground, I put one pellet inside each. If it disappears I replace it. The slugs I have seem to prefer to be on the flower side of the path though, where there's more undergrowth and cover.

I also start sweetcorn in bottomless yeo pots, turned upside down so the wider end is at the bottom, which I sellotape newspaper over, then when I plant out, I can just slide the plant straight out of the bottom of the pot into the ground without disturbing its roots.

[veggiechicken]

Thanks MH - most encouraging Like the upside down version too - almost as much as I like Yeo Yoghurt!
Do you think that YV pots could become as familiar as MFBs?

[Mikey]

I have never watered my garden, never! Could you tell the slugs that - and turn the heavenly sprinklers off overnight!

Yes, its a problem when you live in such a lush area, on the plus side you don't need to worry about a hosepipe ban..

The problems we are having with slugs are all down to the fact that our winter was too mild this year, outside of Scotland and a few pockets, we haven't had enough hard frosts and proper wintry weather.

Therefore we have far more slugs about than usual, I've had to really consider my planting this year as the last time this happened I was picking slugs off my runner beans 6ft off the ground, and ended up with a very poor crop.

[veggiechicken]

So....... if all the seasons merge into one, as seems to be happening, we can look forward to mild, damp weather all year round and an excess of slugs and pests. I think it may be time to rethink the things I try to grow.
Any suggestions (polite ones)?

[taff]

ok, think of a beer trap, but think of one that's yoghurt pot or larger sized. Push four sticks into the ground and put a piece of slate or wood with a bit of stone on top to keep the rain from diluting the beer.
Empty daily. Obviously, the bigger the pot, the more you'll catch.
If you have an uncle who brews horrible beer, go and talk to him. If you have a stash of horrible beer, use it.
Other than this, I can't think of anything else.
I hate to tell you folks, but eggshells don't work. I collected a carrier bag of them a few years ago from the canteen in work, crushed them up, the slugs ate the plants. I won't use slug pellets, it's too wet for bran or similar, I don't live close enough to go out in my non-nightie to cut them in half, and the next generation are too small for picking up by hand.