Last year the snails did their worst and I want to protect my garden this
year. I have heard that copper repels snails so placing copper rings around
plants should deter then. The cheapest I can find them is
http://www.ferndale-lodge.co.uk/Prod...product=572855
6 small for £13.25. At that price they are not an option. Is there
anywhere you can buy copper strip and make your own? I am aware that copper
is expensive but I hadn't expected it cost this much!

On 22/1/06 16:16, in article , "M"
wrote:

Last year the snails did their worst and I want to protect my garden this
year. I have heard that copper repels snails so placing copper rings around
plants should deter then. The cheapest I can find them is
http://www.ferndale-lodge.co.uk/Prod...product=572855
6 small for £13.25. At that price they are not an option. Is there
anywhere you can buy copper strip and make your own? I am aware that copper
is expensive but I hadn't expected it cost this much!


Plumbing supplies?
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the flowers to email me)

In message , M
wrote
Last year the snails did their worst and I want to protect my garden this
year. I have heard that copper repels snails so placing copper rings around
plants should deter then. The cheapest I can find them is
http://www.ferndale-lodge.co.uk/Prod...product=572855
6 small for £13.25. At that price they are not an option. Is there
anywhere you can buy copper strip and make your own? I am aware that copper
is expensive but I hadn't expected it cost this much!



Does it need to be that size or can it be made from copper wire - strip
the insulation from a piece of mains wiring (the one with the solid
cores and not the flexible type wire)

I suspect that if it does work a good connection with the earth is
required so the two ends will have to be well pushed into the soil and
perhaps an intermediate stake, also made from wire, will be required.
--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

"M" wrote in message
...
Last year the snails did their worst and I want to protect my garden this
year. I have heard that copper repels snails so placing copper rings
around plants should deter then. The cheapest I can find them is
http://www.ferndale-lodge.co.uk/Prod...product=572855
6 small for £13.25. At that price they are not an option. Is there
anywhere you can buy copper strip and make your own? I am aware that
copper is expensive but I hadn't expected it cost this much!

You could try a local builders merchant who should be apply to supply copper
sheet and coils for roof work but you may find that the quantity you need to
buy is prohibitive. An alternative is copper roofing nails which with
imagination can be fashioned to do a similar job.

M wrote:
Last year the snails did their worst and I want to protect my garden
this year. I have heard that copper repels snails so placing copper
rings around plants should deter then. The cheapest I can find them
is http://www.ferndale-lodge.co.uk/Prod...product=572855
6 small for £13.25. At that price they are not an option. Is there
anywhere you can buy copper strip and make your own? I am aware that
copper is expensive but I hadn't expected it cost this much!

Get copper pipe, the 8mm stuff is fairly cheap and easy to work:
http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/123-4116
It's around £6 for 10 metres, you can flatten it into a ribbon (easily done
with any hammer and a concrete surface) then slice it off at whatever
lengths you want, then bend it round into a ring, once it's flattened it
will be about 12mm high, more than enough to stop slugs and snails climbing
over it.

A ten metre roll would give you 50 X 20 CM (about 8 inch) lengths, although
I can't think of many plants that would need anything larger than this, an
eight inch piece will give you a diameter of about 4 inches.

HTH

PS if you don't flatten it, you won't be able to bend it into such a tight
circle, it will simply kink, unless you happen to have the proper plumber's
bending gear.

M wrote:

Last year the snails did their worst and I want to protect my garden this
year. I have heard that copper repels snails so placing copper rings around
plants should deter then. The cheapest I can find them is
http://www.ferndale-lodge.co.uk/Prod...product=572855
6 small for £13.25. At that price they are not an option. Is there
anywhere you can buy copper strip and make your own? I am aware that copper
is expensive but I hadn't expected it cost this much!

I get 4 metres sticky strip for around 6 quids from
organic.catalog.com. I use it raised beds directly on the wood, pot
plants and the rings straight on the ground. A starter pack of 3 small
rings and 3 large ones will last you a life time. I couldn't do without
them for my hollyhocks.

In article ,
(Alan) wrote:

I suspect that if it does work a good connection with the earth is
required

I have never been convinced by the "electrical" explanation for why
copper works. You would need two dissimilar metals.

Another explanation I've heard is that they dislike copper salts
underfoot and that's what they will get if they try to cross some
copper.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com
A useful bit of gardening software at http://www.netservs.com/garden/

M wrote:

Last year the snails did their worst and I want to protect my garden this
year. I have heard that copper repels snails so placing copper rings around
plants should deter then. The cheapest I can find them is
http://www.ferndale-lodge.co.uk/Prod...product=572855
6 small for £13.25. At that price they are not an option. Is there
anywhere you can buy copper strip and make your own? I am aware that copper
is expensive but I hadn't expected it cost this much!

I have a recollection of watching a demo in a crafy shop where somebody
used copeer tape bent round the edge of the glass which was then
soldered the copper-edged glass panels together, vaguely in the manner
of stained glass.

Perhaps a hobby store might have something suitable.

A far easier, cheaper and more permanent solution would be to bury your
old butter cartons, yogurt pots, jam jars etc next to your affected
plants so that the tops are level with the soil and add a little beer.
The snails and slugs will be attracted to this and when they slide in,
they don't come out again (at least they die happy!). It is best to
empty out or disguard the containers after your first 'catch' and
replace it with fresh ones.

Garden Oasis
www.gardenoasis.co.uk

In message .com,
Garden Oasis wrote

A far easier, cheaper and more permanent solution would be to bury your
old butter cartons, yogurt pots, jam jars etc next to your affected
plants so that the tops are level with the soil and add a little beer.

Have you seen the price of beer these days?

--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

In article , M
writes
The cheapest I can find them is
http://www.ferndale-lodge.co.uk/Prod...product=572855 6
small for £13.25.
You could buy direct from www.slugrings.co.uk and save a few pounds -
their prices include postage. They are re-usable for many years I
suspect and are the only things we've found really effective for many
perennials in borders.
Colin
--
Colin Brook - Winchester (UK)

Tel:+44(0)1962-714030 Fax:+44(0)8701641293 Mobile:07976258703

"Garden Oasis" wrote in message
oups.com...
A far easier, cheaper and more permanent solution would be to bury your
old butter cartons, yogurt pots, jam jars etc next to your affected
plants so that the tops are level with the soil and add a little beer.
The snails and slugs will be attracted to this and when they slide in,
they don't come out again (at least they die happy!). It is best to
empty out or disguard

it's discard ;-)

"Alan" wrote in message
...
In message .com,
Garden Oasis wrote

A far easier, cheaper and more permanent solution would be to bury your
old butter cartons, yogurt pots, jam jars etc next to your affected
plants so that the tops are level with the soil and add a little beer.

Have you seen the price of beer these days?
yes, very cheap in ALDI and LIDL

"Colin Brook" wrote in message
...
In article , M
writes
The cheapest I can find them is
http://www.ferndale-lodge.co.uk/Prod...product=572855 6
small for £13.25.
You could buy direct from www.slugrings.co.uk and save a few pounds -
their prices include postage. They are re-usable for many years I
suspect and are the only things we've found really effective for many
perennials in borders.
Colin
I still cannot see why you cannot strip lengths of unwanted flex and coil
the copper wire around the plants. Is this not feasible?

In article ,
wrote:

In article ,
(Alan) wrote:

I suspect that if it does work a good connection with the earth is
required

I have never been convinced by the "electrical" explanation for why
copper works. You would need two dissimilar metals.

Another explanation I've heard is that they dislike copper salts
underfoot and that's what they will get if they try to cross some
copper.

I'm sure you're right there. I've observed snails trying to cross
copper barriers and they certainly don't like being in contact with
the metal. It wouldn't take a lot of effort to run an experiment
with some chemically inert wires with a small voltage, some plain
copper and then some absorbant material soaked in copper solution
an dried out. Of course you'd need an animal experimentation license
and an ethics committee approval.

j