snails & slugs

could some one tell me the best way to stop snails and slugs getting at my plants, i have put my plants out now in the garden but can only put then in tubs as my garden is not very big and i have no boarder, a couple of busy lizzie plants has been damaged by snails or slugs last night 07/05/07 some of the plants have got the buds on them ready to open up and flower, please help if you can with problems with snails and slugs, thank you paul walker.

 

Hi Paul
I saw some copper tape in Wilkinsons today (don't know if you have one there, but they should sell it in other places with gardening stuff). You put it around the pot and it gives little shocks to the slugs/snails so they won't cross over it. I have never tried it (although I am going to when I get my pots sorted!)but it might be worth a try.

 

Hi Paul,

DB's suggestion I would recommend too. Also, try a mulch in your pots like gravel, bark or even crushed egg shells that they won't like crawling across. Mulch will also help with water retention in the pots. I hope I've used the right phrase there as it sounds a bit like a condition of pregnancy!

Please use pellets as a last resort not only because of the consequences to the environment but slugs and snails are also an essential part of the food chain.
Good luck.

TO

 

can i recommend a night time patrol. i let my dog out before bed and have a wander down to see how my beans n stuff are getting on. any slugs and snails meet a unhappy end, using something heavy. i tried the nematode approach which doesn't seem to have worked and don't want to use any nasty chemicals. not pleasant and your not guarenteed to get them all, its also time consuming and gruesome.

 

I can recommend the night time patrol also, especially on a warm damp evening, caught over 100 of the little s***s once!

Copper tape is also very effective, I use it around my potted hosta and it has never been touched by them.

 

Hubby and I patrol too but we use a different method - a bucket of salty water. Drop the little horrors into it and they are killed very quickly.

Paul, the beer traps you posted elsewhere work but they also have a bad drawback. Slugs love the smell of beer and so you get not only your own slugs coming for a free drink but also all the ones from various neighbours.

 

I totally agree the night time patrols are the best method, however, I am such a wuss I would be more likely to then drive them out to a field and set them free!

:rolleyes:

TO

 

I use the copper tape on my pots and haven't had any problems so far. But you have to make sure that there is nothing overhanging the pot and that the foliage and pot is not touching, or too close to anything!! The b*ggers can really stretch from a wall or other pot :eek: On my night time stealth missions, my garden resembles a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean round the Hostas, with slugs swinging in to avoid the gravel, copper tape, snipers,landmines,mustard gas... :D
I have to admit that I've had to resort to the odd slug pellet in the borders...the swines have had 3 of my clematis, a Crown Imperial, 3 Sea Hollies,seriously mauled 2 Day Lilys....I could go on and on

 

Alan Titchmarsh did a really usefull slug trial on TV - can't remember the show. He used Holly leaves, oatmeal, Grapefuits, Egg shells, gravel and beer. The only thing that came near to working was the grapefruit but that wasn't that good! Copper tape is definitely the thing to use. Also, for bedding plants, you can buy microbore copper tubing, which you can bend really easily to make little hoops from and place them over the plants. Its does work, but its quite expensive. Thanks for the Wilkinsons tip. I'll pop in one tomorrow

 

Aha! I have a large roll of microbore copper tubing, dating from a central heating system installed in the 60s. It has accompanied my every move in the belief that it will come in useful one day- now where is it....?
Has anyone tried the matting with copper woven into it? It sounds good. I'm waiting for someone else to try it!

 

Liz you can get very thin copper sheeting you can stand your favourite pot plants on this or cut it into strips .
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/COPPER-SHEET-sculpture-slug-deterrent-HUMANE_W0QQitemZ120118635265QQihZ002QQcategoryZ50365QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

That sounds excellent! :D :D :D I wonder if he has a continuous supply.
I hate killing them.

 

A good five minutes work....How many?

 

Snails at play... :D

 

can i suggest packing them into a box and sending them to france. you'd earn a small fortune