Slug defence gel

Two new products available now for those of you who have slug problems and don't want to use poisons. Organic Slug Defence Gel can be applied on flat or verical surfaces and forms a clear odourless barrier to slugs and snails. Similar product is Slug Mini Pellets. These poison nothing, but act as a physical barrier if you sprinkle them around vulnerable plants. The idea is that as they do not poison slugs, you will not be poisoning the creatures that eat poisoned slugs. So your natural allies will increase rather than decrease. I can't claim to have tried them bcause I do not have a slug or snail problem

Available from www.harrodhorticultural.com

 

It works like this:
"Slug Granules 3kg Pack �£4.95
Used to protect individual plants, whole beds, or container plants. The granules form a physical barrier to absorb slime and mucous from slugs, making it impossible for them to move towards the plant. Harmless to children, pets and wildlife and suitable for organic gardening. Available in easy to pour 3.kg containers."

 

I have used some white pellets that supposedly deter slugs and snails. It's very powdery in texture and should be difficult for them to move on, but I found they coped! I haven't tried the gel.
I find that copper works well. I was wondering if incorporating small copper shavings or grindings into pottery pellets would work. I have a brother in law with a metal working lathe and I could join a pottery class to get access to a kiln. :D

 

Like your idea with the copper Liz, but unless you have a free source of copper, it would be an expensive way to do it if you want a lot of it. You can certainly turn down a copper blank to make shavings (what a waste!) you cannot grind copper, its too soft and would clog the grinding wheel.

But putting copper swarf (shavings to you) into pottery sounds interesting. I think you would have to handle them very carefully, copper is surprisingly fragile in this form and protruding pieces would easily snap off.

Perhaps you only want to give them a shock and not stab them to death as well! :D

 

Liz, forgot to mention when handling metal swarf you should always wear appropriate gloves; don't know if this would conflict with your pottery?

If you put on a heavy cut on a lathe it will produce a thick spiral that will easily penetrate the skin.....take care.

 

Thanks for that info, DAG, I suppose it would be a waste of copper... also I don't know how long it would take before corrosion overcame the conductivity. I might try it on a small scale using chopped up copper from scourers and Fimo [modelling clay that hardens in low temp. oven].
I did find matting containing copper which sounds good:
http://www.greengardener.co.uk/slugextra.htm
I can't find out what's in the gel other than 'entirely natural products'!

 

Another source of copper is old appliance cable. Strip the outer cover off to free the wires. Cut into lenths about 18" long, bare an end, wrap it around a pair of pliers so you can get a good grip and firmly pull the wire from the sleeve. Be carefull as friction can make it quite hot!

Idealy you want flexible 13amp cable with lots of very fine wires, not hard domestic wiring cable and it should be bright copper not tin plated.