whats gone wrong

i decided i had missed the jump on planning this year so i went to the garden center and got about 50 flowers to fill up my 2 flower beds.

after 2 day this is when i was left with. i would say 50% loook like this the other 50% are on the way?

i thought cats? my neighbor just moved but a few of his 11... cats are still hanging round on a night. we all so have problem with slugs in the area. the first day i moved it to the house i went out side at about 9pm and there was 10to15 slugs sitting outside my back door

 

Hi Dave I think you have answered your own question if you have seen a lot of slugs about.If you don't mind using them then I think you need to sprinkle some slug pellets around all your plants to stop them in their tracks as at this rate you will end up losing all your plants.

When you bought the plants there could have been tiny slugs hiding eithe at the bottom of the pot or just inside the drainage holes,into the compost and sometimes they drop off as you are knocking the plants out of the pot ready for planting out.

If you are anything like us this year has been a very wet season so far so the slugs and snails have been having a field day noshing on everyone's plants at the first sign of the wet stuff.

 

i will nuke the area with slug pellets

 

@Dave0w please be careful using slug pellets, they are very harmful to birds. You could maybe try using beer traps or buy a nematode treatment from the garden centre!

I have a real issue with slugs, I have the really big fat ones , they are utterly disgusting! I've resorted to squashing them! I have six hens, a cat & thousands of wild birds, I'm far too scared to use pellets! I hope you find a solution

 

Try not to over do the pellets because they are harmful to wildlife. I know the temptation is to use it more like a mulch and spread it thickly, but, a light sprinkling will be more affective.

Also, there is something in the pellets which actually *attract* slugs, so they will be attracted whether you sprinkle a thousand or a few.

 

Hedgehogs too, but not because the birds/hedgehogs eat the slug pellets; it is because they eat the slugs that have been in contact with the pellets and end up absorbing the poisonous element that way.

Usually, a beer trap would be sufficient, but with the mild yet wet weather this past year, the slugs and snails are prolific! Thankfully, most of my own plants are strong enough to survive, but some of the more tender ones have needed a bit extra help this year.

 

Have you now Beckie , ok back on topic , i put lots of pellets down at the moment its impossible for hedgehogs to get in my garden yes I guess they can crawl out and get eaten but they devastated my smaller plants last year , ive never noticed the birds touching them but I have had rats eating them ,

I am trying to adopt a hedgehog and stop using pellets though just waiting on these getting back to me .
http://www.syar.org.uk/?page_id=21

 

Didn't know such a thing existed! I'll have to check out my area

 

I think all areas have them M, if/when I get one i would like to set a few more cameras up on the back garden and set a live link up .

 

If you feel you really need to resort to slug pellets, put them underneath a stone or a brick or a broken tile. The slugs will find them but the birds will not.

An alternative treatment is to sprinkle gritty stuff around, like crushed eggshells, wood ash or sharp sand. Slugs don't like surfaces with a bit of texture. I believe the beer traps work but if you are like me you will find them totally disgusting..........go for the grit.

 

You can buy slug pellets based on Ferric phosphate which is less toxic to animals than the old ones based on Metaldehyde.
I use them but still scatter them very thinly.

 

you've shut me up again Beckie I'm not playing no more

 

But I like to play .....you walked straight into that one Martin!

 

I like to play but I cant this forum is not a place for my wit