Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Slugs in potato bag compost!

Collapse

X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 1
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous template Next
  • #1

    Slugs in potato bag compost!

    I planted some first earlies in bags this morning (as I only have a tiny space for growing in my back garden). I used fresh compost in the bottom of the bags, and directly on top of the seed potatoes, but then thought I'd be thrifty and empty some old pots of compost on top of that. In one of the pots, I found what I thought were a couple of baby slugs, but only after I'd already emptied it into the potato bag

    Obviously, I fished out as many as I could, but now I'm panicking that I've just let loose loads of baby slugs into my lovely bag of potatoes! Anyone want to reassure me that this will turn out ok? Please don't say that I've got to empty the whole lot out and start again...
    Tags: None
  • #2
    "Please don't say that I've got to empty the whole lot out and start again..."
    All right then, I won't say it.
    Feed the soil, not the plants.
    (helps if you have cluckies)

    Man v Squirrels, pigeons & Ants
    Bob

    Comment

    • #3
      Don't panic, you don[t have to empty all of it....................just the old stuff you put on top.
      To be honest, I've no idea what you should do. Depends on how worried you are about them

      Comment

      • #4
        Would you sprinkle some of those blue pellets
        Last edited by Atta; 17-03-2019, 02:26 PM.

        Comment

        • #5
          Originally posted by Atta View Post
          Would you sprinkle some of those blue pellets
          Considering it...

          Comment

          • #6
            Originally posted by veggiechicken View Post
            Don't panic, you don[t have to empty all of it....................just the old stuff you put on top.
            To be honest, I've no idea what you should do. Depends on how worried you are about them
            I was about to go and do just that - and we've had a sudden hailstorm

            Comment

            • #7
              Originally posted by Atta View Post
              Would you sprinkle some of those blue pellets
              I'm nodding my head to that

              Comment

              • #8
                Put a little cup of beer in the top of the compost,cover the whole bag with anything so it’s dark & to stop the rain,they love beer.
                Location : Essex

                Comment

                • #9
                  Originally posted by Jungle Jane View Post
                  Put a little cup of beer in the top of the compost,cover the whole bag with anything so it’s dark & to stop the rain,they love beer.
                  They're only babies - surely they wouldn't be on the beer already?

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    You could try putting some green leaves on top - cabbage, lettuce anything similar from the kitchen and check them in the morning, also see if they have been nibbled.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      I wouldn't completely panic about slugs in compost. Contrary to popular belief, not all slugs eat fresh plant material, a lot of them prefer decaying matter like you find in a compost heap. I have grown potatoes in buckets for several years now, and quite often I find the odd slug when I turn the buckets out to harvest the potatoes, but it is rare that I find a damaged potato.

                      Here is a list of the types of slug that cause damage to plants https://www.slugoff.co.uk/slug-facts/bad-slugs.

                      A couple of other interesting slug facts - the slugs that eat potatoes spend most of their time in the soil and are not usually killed by slug pellets. They are more likely to be controlled by nematodes.

                      The leopard slug, a large grey slug with darker spots, eats other slugs as well as rotting vegetable matter, and is therefore your friend.
                      A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP. - Leonard Nimoy

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Thanks Penellype never knew there were so many types of slugs never really thought about it!!

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Mark_Riga View Post
                          You could try putting some green leaves on top - cabbage, lettuce anything similar from the kitchen and check them in the morning, also see if they have been nibbled.
                          Could also try half orange shells slugs love to hide under those.
                          Location....East Midlands.

                          Comment

                          Previous template Next

                          Latest Topics

                          Collapse
                          View All

                          Recent Blog Posts

                          Collapse
                          View All
                          Working...
                          X