Slugs making vegetable garden impossible

Latatian

Anyone have advice on (a) dealing with slugs and snails and (b) how to work up the enthusiasm to actually plant things?

I planted a garden last year. I dug our stony soil, pulled the stones out, worked until my muscles ached, read all the gardening books I could get, planted, weeded, watered, used beer, used a 1ft layer of blue slug pellets the entire way around the garden that was regularly topped up, used salt, picked them 3 times a day. Nothing worked. Everything I put out got eaten very, very rapidly. I thought maybe if I got maturer plants rather than growing from seed it might work better so I got a few plants from the garden centre and put them out accompanied by more slug pellets. In the morning there wasn't a single leaf left.

Despite having an enormous space to garden in I eventually resorted to putting compost bags and pots on the gravel and planting in those. Unfortunately the other members of the house like parking on the gravel so that's not going to work since the compost bags just get pulled over to the garden again when I'm out of the house. Once they're on the garden or touch the grass at the edge of the gravel everything gets eaten (there is plenty of space to park on the rest of the gravel, but they like parking on this bit, have tried negotiating but no dice).

I still have leftover seeds from last year so I want to at least not have it go to waste. But it seems like planting it is the way to waste it. Anyone have advice or encouragement?

magicbastarder

first thing - what are you trying to grow?

Latatian

I put down a ****load of stuff in the hopes that something would survive. Kale, courgettes, peas, kohl rabi, pumpkins, beetroot, carrots, onions, leeks.

Oldtree

magicbastarder wrote: »

first thing - what are you trying to grow?

Agreed grow what the slugs and snails dont like to eat. i have billions of the critters and even resorted to going out every night to find them and throw them over the fence, but they always come back and I gave up in the end. I look at them as natures mini composters, and on I go.

Seems to get past them here- potatoes, onions, carrots, beetroot, peas/french beans/mange tout (plant out when ground very dry and will be for a week or so and loads of seeds), turnips, rubarb, berries, herbs, leeks, tomatoes, cabbage, garlic to name a few.

Like you tried also, you can grow the seeds in trays to begin with too, to get maturer plants which they leave alone.

Are you sure its the slugs and snails and not the birds or a hare? You could try a bit of chicken wire or wind break for the sides and string across the top to see if its them and then keep them at bay.

Slugtox near food crops gives me the willies.

endacl

Beer in a saucer. Leave a few strategically located around your beds. Give them something they like more. Makes them easy to collect and relocate. Plus, the little buggers will be too pi55ed to climb your plants!

FortySeven

If you can surround your veg patch with a wooden fence about a foot high and dug into the ground then you can stop them with an electric fence.

http://m.instructables.com/id/Installing-and-testing-an-electric-slug-fence-on-a/

paddylonglegs

If I had the chance to brew beer then I would call it Slug Feeder.

Anyway, on another thread, a gardener has used crushed egg shells and sea shells to deter from hostas. I assume the slugs don't like the sharp edges?

If you continue to grow in grow bags, could you make low lying tables or make raised beds? The effort might make it worth it

Roselm

3 years ago there were a million black slugs everywhere in my garden and they ate everything in sight and the only thing I found that worked was to peg down fleece over everything so they literally could not get through. The next year there were a normal amount of slugs and didn't need to resort to such drastic measures!

evolving_doors

I used a lot of beer traps (had homebrew going) and by golly I could fill buckets of them every night... then I stopped because I suspected that they were coming from other gardens to the party in mine!

I tried making nematodes which I think worked reasonably better but you have to start applying in May and keep it going.

Here's the article on how to make your own.. although they say you can also 'seed' your brew by buying some nematodes and chucking them into the bucket at the start. Someone said Mr. Middleton had them!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardeningequipment/8675592/The-war-on-slugs-starts-at-home.html

Another thing too though is the article says to top your brew up with tap water but be careful to let it sit for a day or 2 as the levels of chlorine/flourine can be high in some areas. I'd imagine this might kill off the nematodes. (waterbuts are better).

Other than that.. go out on a dewey night/morning with a shovel and chop away like it's 1799...

Sgt Pepper 64

seriously what worked for me was 2 things
1/ Making raised beds and then putting netting or something over them so they were totally enclosed. this cuts them down to 99% a few still get though but its very manageable plus the netting stops cats, birds etc.

Peas are quite bullet proof, mainly birds get them but again netting stops that

I even planted a few lettuce etc just for the slugs to stop them getting to the main area, but enclosing it is the best option

2/ having a small pond with frogs

Shemale

Serious question, can they jump?

I have a raised bed which is about 4 inches off the ground and they were in it, its not against a wall.

If they cant jump I have some coarse gravel I can pack around the base and that should do it!

tringle

I have raised beds surrounded by gravel, they don't like it. When I built it there where still some slugs in it but once these died off or where killed we had very few. I use beer traps as well, and I surround delicate crops like lettuce with broken egg shells. Have some plants that you can sacrifice to the slugs such as hostas. We have hens and ducks and these act like slug hoovers in the grassy areas but I have to work hard to keep them away from the vegetables

Sgt Pepper 64

Shemale wrote: »

Serious question, can they jump?

I have a raised bed which is about 4 inches off the ground and they were in it, its not against a wall.

If they cant jump I have some coarse gravel I can pack around the base and that should do it!

no but they can climb.
Ive tried eggshells, coarse grit, slug tape. Once the eggs are in your soil its difficult to stop, the only thing that really works for me is enclosing.
I have a big plastic greenhouse and they still find their way in!

just check everyday, beer traps work but Im loathe to feed them my beer!

keltoms05

Sgt Pepper 64 wrote: »

no but they can climb.
Ive tried eggshells, coarse grit, slug tape. Once the eggs are in your soil its difficult to stop, the only thing that really works for me is enclosing.
I have a big plastic greenhouse and they still find their way in!

just check everyday, beer traps work but Im loathe to feed them my beer!

Best thing to do is raised beds with scaffolding planks and an upturned gutter placed over the edge of the plank. The slugs will climb up the planks but they cant make it around d the turn of the gutter!

Roselm

Shemale wrote: »

Serious question, can they jump?

I have a raised bed which is about 4 inches off the ground and they were in it, its not against a wall.

If they cant jump I have some coarse gravel I can pack around the base and that should do it!

If your raised bed has a wooden frame they might be living between the wood and soil or grass if it's on the grass. That's what happened to me anyway!

Shemale

Sgt Pepper 64 wrote: »

no but they can climb.

Thanks, I will try pack the base with the sharp gravel and let you know how it goes.

The bed is raised, our garden is entirely cobblelocked and the base of the bed is 4 inches off the ground.

Would love to catch a slug put him on a plate, put some salt around him and place him in the middle of my plants, he would eventually make a break for my beans and his friends would hear him screaming all the way to Australia and none of them would come into my garden again.:D

Failing that I will get some Nematodes

Nekarsulm

Some guttering sunk a few inches into thesoil, all around the veg area, with salt sprinkled in it?
Edit. Just read the big about the cobble-lock. Just run some coarse salt on the cobble lock beside the raised beds.

Shemale

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Some guttering sunk a few inches into thesoil, all around the veg area, with salt sprinkled in it?

I would be worried about the salt destroying the crops.

Nekarsulm

Run it around the perimeter only. Should be ok.

endacl

FortySeven wrote: »

If you can surround your veg patch with a wooden fence about a foot high and dug into the ground then you can stop them with an electric fence.

http://m.instructables.com/id/Installing-and-testing-an-electric-slug-fence-on-a/

Genius. I'm building a raised bed just to try that.

iLikeWaffles

Had an idea of trying sand paper around the strawberries this year or maybe try to make my own with some plastic sheet and adhesive. Pine needles as a mulch might work too. Light can keep slugs at bay too they are photo sensitive. Get a toad or a hedgehog and watch them get fat! Salt barrier but that would have to be completely isolated from the soil!

Copper is supposed to work the same way the electric fence does. There's a small enough charge in copper to make a barrier to deter them. Or just for the craic a copper version of the electric fence attached to gutter on its side.

Sgt Pepper 64

Nothing beats enclosing with a net or something.
I will put up pictures next week but those under a net have not been touched, those in a uncovered raised bed have been attacked

Hocus Focus

Shemale wrote: »

Serious question, can they jump?

I have a raised bed which is about 4 inches off the ground and they were in it, its not against a wall.

If they cant jump I have some coarse gravel I can pack around the base and that should do it!

They can abseil down a string of mucus. Did you see the small white one on the right-hand side of the electric slug fence video?
Incidentally the guy must be from Newfoundland, he sounds so Waterford/Wexford at the start!

Hocus Focus

Shemale wrote: »

Serious question, can they jump?

I have a raised bed which is about 4 inches off the ground and they were in it, its not against a wall.

If they cant jump I have some coarse gravel I can pack around the base and that should do it!

They can abseil down a string of mucus. Did you see the small white one on the right-hand side of the electric slug fence video?
Incidentally the guy must be from Newfoundland, he sounds so Waterford/Wexford at the start!

Sgt Pepper 64

Winning the Slug war!

20160524_211302.jpg

hju6

Coffee gets rid of slugs , but is illegal under EU law , i have used coffee against slugs and it works , they move away from the caffeinated area.

http://www.independent.co.uk/property/gardening/no-coffee-for-slugs-8081384.html

Living Off The Splash

The blue slug pellets are €1.50 in Dealz. I top up on my raised beds on a regular basis. After rain I also inspect the beds and hand pick the slugs before dispatch. I lose about 20% of seedlings every year to these.

Seth Brundle

Living Off The Splash wrote: »

The blue slug pellets are €1.50 in Dealz. I top up on my raised beds on a regular basis. After rain I also inspect the beds and hand pick the slugs before dispatch. I lose about 20% of seedlings every year to these.

I'm assuming that you are referring to metaldehyde which is toxic to cats and dogs as well as birds that feed on the dead slugs/snails.

Living Off The Splash

kbannon wrote: »

I'm assuming that you are referring to metaldehyde which is toxic to cats and dogs as well as birds that feed on the dead slugs/snails.

All my raised beds are covered. I use plastic piping, the sort plumbers use to make a x cross over the beds. I then cover the piping with a fleece type covering that allows the rain through. You can get a length of this piping in Woodies for about €3. Completely safe to put down the slug pellets because no animals have access.

hairyslug

Well, this is awkward

Fluffy Cat 88

Beer traps work well for me. Buy some cheap cans of grog, pour into tin cans semi buried in the bed. They'll die happy ; )