Help! Save my broccoli - war against slugs

The evil slugs are in battle with me.

they have munched all the leaves on my broccoli and it was doing so well. I have the tiniest broccoli known to human kind on it, but its a broccoli nonetheless.

I cant find the wee treetreetreetreetreetreetree either but i did ping one across the garden to show his mates the force they are up against.

Egg shells dont seem to stop them. Would copper tape on the stalk damage the plant? Does it even work?

They've started to attack my french beans too :(

For all its war, I cannot bring myself to kill them... I guess I could put salt on the eggshells too but it seems so evil.

I dont have any beer to let them drink themselves into a stupor and I doubt my partner would give up some of his precious gold to save the broccoli anyway...

Does anyone have any helpful tactics in the war against slugs?

 

My sympathies Moopants, all that drought & then the slugs.

Copper tape might work but I don't know how long it would take the plant to absorb it(copper is toxic to plants)

A band of grease or vaseline round the stem might be more efficient.

A salt solution sprayed on the broccoli might deter them, but only if it stops drizelling.

cabbages and broccoli can tolerate salt spray as they evolved by the sea.

Otherwise, its Mr Snuggles the Lumphammer i'm afraid.

 

If you don`t like the look of slug pellets, then treat the plants with LIQUID slug killer.:D

 

I used to hate the thought of killing them but can just about snip them in half now with kitchen scissors, making an eeuw sound at the same time. I just got fed up of battling with them, when my veg for my family were at stake! Maybe you need to steel yourself a few times then you'll get used to it!

 

Ok so I purchased some slug stoppa (organic granules not sure what it does) and they appear to have clambered over it and killed off the last (and best) of the broccoli.

Beer traps produced nothing.

There are millions of them. Invading.

I can't use slug pellets as I have a toddler who puts everything in mouth and family pets that are similar.

Is there anything else I could try? Am gutted as my wee broccoli was getting bigger and they knawed the head off it.

I also wonder about my potato soil. Will it be inundated with slug eggs? How do you rid soil of eggs before reusing?

 

I can easily snip them in half too liz, no quams! or fling them off as far as they'll go! But what a shame youv'e lost your broccoli.

 

Next year you could always try Nematodes they are an effective slug killer and I can recommend them.

Also, make a wildlife pond...this will attract frogs and Toads...they eat Slugs, so are on your side.

Steve...

 

I think nematodes will be the way of the future for me.

I cant have a pond as my garden is on a steep slope and I have a toddler who is obsessed with splashing. No and dont go there isnt in her voluntary vocabulary. I would love to have one too. Maybe when she's older and when the water wont end up running down a hill.

 

get her a water slide for the hill:WINK1: then plan your pond while she's playing and learning, have fun.

Plant Potty.

 

I have a pond with hundreds of frogs, but they don't eat my slugs and snails! I now use empty milk cartons and cut off the top and bottom, and staple copper tape around the outside about halfway up. I then use that as a sleeve around the base of my plants - making sure the bottom is securely pushed into the soil. It seems to be working. :yess:

I found last year by stapling copper tape around my wooden raised beds, I had very little damage done to my vegetable seedlings.

Copper tape isn't cheap - but at least it is saving my plants! I also go round the garden and collect as many snails and slugs as I can find - they tend to sleep together under pots and plants.

 

The Slug Stoppa seems to work reasonably well but I think the heat and dry weather has helped too.

It seems to stick to the slugs and they die. So far only one wee baby one has been caught but the broccoli has started to really flourish in their absence. It even looks like broccoli!

I'm sure they'll be back when the rain returns :(

I looked into nematodes and it said that they're really bad for garlic. I'm growing loads of garlic and would worry it would damage it. Anyone know about this?

Im loving the idea of the waterslide but neighbours at bottom have jaggy bushes - not the best buffer!

Thank you all :D