SLUGSSSSS!

Liparis · Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:12 pm Post subject:

They love cat and dog food, but do you know they actually have a benificial effect? They also love (apologies to the squeamish) doggie poo. If you have dogs and miss a lump during your clean up, the slugs will help. But, I suppose the other side of that coin is, dn't miss any on your clean-up, you may attract them in!
Bill.

walltoall · Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:13 pm Post subject: tulips from Nostradamn and a bit

Loopy,
Put "beer slug traps" into Google and be amazed. Next year willya ever bury the tulips down a few inches. I have some tulips under my gravel path and the slugs never get them, but 'er indoors has a hosta fornenst the wall and you can hear the bxtardts chomping it to bits in the Summer. Last year I even put sharp sand around the hosta for her but I think the slugs abseiled in. Slugs don't burrow do they? Or do they come up outa the ground ready for action?

By the way the further down you bury tulip bulbs the later they come up and the other way round works too. I had some that were thrown on the ground last autumn during a major bit of work. They got covered with about an inch of earth and now they are all up. I don't know what they are doing for nutrition and it'll be a while til they flower but they seem to be going for it. The deep ones are only just showing their first tips as I write

By the way beer means BEER not lager. I think the black stuff might do if there's no Smithwick's or McArdles left in Ireland. Go for it

James Kilkelly, was GPI.

walltoall

Sorry GPI,
You are so totally right. But you are in there immediately with the reminder! It took me quite a while to realise that my computer supports specific searching of this site once you are logged in. As soon as I get off this post I am going to do exactly what you say on the tin! I am going to Google this site and I am going to try to remember to give it first priority in future searches. But will I find my giant panda?

Liparis · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 1:00 pm Post subject:

PennyG · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 1:15 pm Post subject:

Hi everyone, Very Happy

If you are having troubles with snails/slugs eating your plants, add coffee to your gardens, if you have a coffee machine, add the used grounds to the soil and leave a layer on top around the plant....snails HATE that stuff and your plants will love it, its really good for them.
It also helps deter ants as well.

walltoall

Thanks for that Penny. I grind my own coffee and I got ants, though they have not surfaced this year yet. What exactly does it deter them from?

PennyG · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 5:01 pm Post subject:

Hi there,

My guess would be the coffee smell and they stay away, i tried coffee grounds with my plants and veggies last year and they LOVED it.

Here's a link for you
www.bluegrassgardens.com/coffee-grounds-in-the-garden.htm - 9k -

I have even been told that if you have a patch of grass that needs a "pick me up", sprinkle some of the grounds on that area, and it makes that area nice and green, although i havent tried that one yet myself Wink

PennyG · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 5:03 pm Post subject:

One more link. Very Happy

www.ehow.com/how_2128557_use-coffee-grounds-garden.html

loopy · Hazel Tree Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 40

Thanks everyone..yes I will dig those tulip bulbs way further down for next year! The coffee grounds thing is interesting, must try that. PLus the beer traps!

Liparis · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:12 pm Post subject:

[quote="loopy"]..yes I will dig those tulip bulbs way further down for next year! quote]
A good rule of thumb (green or otherwise) when planting bulbs, plant them twice their own depth down. So if you have a bulb two inches tall, then plant it four inches deep.
Bill.

foxroxks · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 9:12 pm Post subject:

Would it be 2 easy 2 wrap copper wire around the base of a greenhouse ......or does it need to be around the trays, pots etc

Liparis · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 10:39 pm Post subject:

mor_rigan · Hazel Tree Joined: 26 May 2009 Posts: 6 Location: Kerry

I've had some success with lime. I put a semicircle of lime inside the doors of the greenhouse and around outside plants. They can't cross the lime as far as I can see. My brother said that using lime also boasted his carrot crop.

So I lime and beer trap the greenhouse and so far I've only lost one plant so I'm plenty happy with that!

robertsboyle · Hazel Tree Joined: 22 Jun 2009 Posts: 5

hi all - interested in the coffee grounds idea and going to give that a try, already have copper tape around but still seem to be getting affected.

has anyone used the nematodes as opposed to pellets, what's the feeling on those?

basically my broccoli was destroyed and the one surviving plant is still having the leaves eaten - would this definitely be slugs (can never find any in there since the tape was put on) or would weevils and their beetle also be responsible here? (have found the grubs is the top soil I got for my raised garden).