|
|
|
Veggies11 May '06 12:58 am
Hello any one got any tips for growing veggies especially keeping nasty  slugs at bay!? I've planted beetroot, lettuce, peas,sweetcorn, herbs and rocket.
Also how do you keep cats and bouncy dogs of my newly planted seeds? |
|
 |
|
|
|
moosey
head gardener
Cats and Dogs and Veggies11 May '06 9:42 am
Well, you could try growling. Might stop the bouncy dog, but won't have the slighest effect on the cats! Seriously, I've heard of saucers of beer put out for for the slugs. Not sure, though - might get lapped up by the dog and cats! Other sensible suggestions will be welcome! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sjoerd
nominate your own title
Hoorn, the Netherlands
22 May '06 9:31 pm
Hiyah Claireyhairy,
Glad to hear that you've started with a veggie patch. I have a lottie that is divided into a flower section and a veggie one...so I do both.
About the slugs: you know over the years, I heve heard so many different suggestions about dealing with slugs and snails. I have tried a number of them, but it seems that they are like an un-ending wave that just keeps on coming, heh heh. Sadly I can only report that slugs can be only kept at bay with these techniques (on a very small scale, and locally).
You must have heard of placing containers with beer in them over your garden and placing small flower pots or other recepticals on their sides or turned upside down or one side propped-up on a stone or something---the slugs crawl in here, then you just "harvest" them and then throw them away. I have even used plastic coffie cups cut in half and turned upside down around the base of new plantlets just planted out. This keeps cutworms away as well. I sort of sink it into the ground a bit.
What it really comes down to in the end is that if you want to seriously combat snails you either have to use poison pellets (some can be harmful to birds) or make use of a green house, coldframe-like structure or a poly tunnel. Useing a structure means that you can rid the area of slugs and snails and to a great degree keep them out the rest od the season. We use small tunnels with a gauze covering and a green house. The rest I just search for and remove by hand in the veggie patch.
I periodically make the rounds in the flower garden, cos I know where they hide and just pluk them off. In addition to this, there are thrushes and blackbirds that help me out here. I really appreciate their help and wish more of these birds would stay in the same territory. hahaha.
My wife runs the veggie patch and I, the flower one--- but we both help eachother with our respective plots. We have learned through the past few years what will work and what won't on our veggie plot, so we grow mostly the same things year after year (sensibily rotating them, of course). Our freezer is always full and our larder full of fruit jams. In fact we never have to buy a veg at all, except if we get a yearning for a particular veg that we don't grow ourselves.
The actual culitvating of these veggies: We have learned different techniques from others over the years and sort of developed our own way of doing things (like most gardeners, I think). I am slowly starting to place some of these methods on my website in case someone would want to try a different way of doing things. Our way is not necessarily the best way...just simply the way that WE like doing things, that's all. We like trying out new techniques when we come across them...as well as new plant sorts-- it stays interesting that way. 
Well, I realise that this isn't specifically what you were asking for, but I suppose it's ment to give you encouragement...encouragement in battling these little garden pests...and encouragement in gardening in general.
Please keep us updated with your progress... with piccies too, if you have the time. That's always nice in addition to words.
Success.... |
|
|
|
|
|
janbay
distinguished helper
slugs19 Jun '06 10:34 pm
hi there veg people i heard that if you put pine needles around your plant the slugs will stay off i would also try fresh sawdust it also keeps the weeds down put on thick then by the time veges have matured you did it in then start all over again best of luck |
|
|
|
All times are GMT + 12 Hours
|
Page 1 of 1 |
|
When they rampage through the veggie patch nary a slug to be seen