[tagwex]

I was visiting a cousin today and she was telling me that the prize plants in her gardens are her Hostas. But she says she is plagued with slugs and snails damaging them. Do any of you know of an organic method rather than the slug pellets that she doesn't want to use? I had heard of a concoction of garlic, chillie peppers and soap flakes or something similar, can any of you advance on this please.

[tippben]

There are organic pellets , ferric sulphate, I think.

[Greengage]

Maybe we should not be growing hostas then we would not have a problem, Joking.
last year I resorted to collecting slugs and snails at night a collected up to 500+ then gave up counting and let the hens loose in the garden but that created other problems.
You could use copper rings.
Ground coffee ask in starbucks or Costa for leftovers.
I also heard 10% vinigar solution sprayed on with a handsprayer also works.
and finally a hand reared flock of thrushes and blackbirds.

[Good guy]

A healthy variety of wildlife always helps to balanc things. As well as birds, frogs and hedgehogs eat slugs.
After my early lettuce got devastated by slugs while I was on holiday last year (despite coffee grounds, holly leaves, crushed shells and pellets) I used nematodes. End of problem. They are quite expensive, but used on sensitive areas , maybe only once, they should reduce the problem.

[tagwex]

Thank y'all for the input. The 10% vinegar one appeals the most in her situation. Anyone heard of the chillie spray or something similar? I did mention every other remedy that you mentioned in my initial chat with her.

[mountainy man]

If any of you are especially fond of hostas I can recomend this forum which I joined recently, its members are from US and Canada mainly but there are a few of us Europeans, it seems to be the font of all knoledge regarding hostas including slug problems.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/hosta/?