Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:153420

Please help!

I have just been into my garden and removed around 20 slugs and snails from
just two window boxes of lettuces. One half of one of the boxes was eaten
in just 2 nights.

The little bu**ers are also eating my courgettes in the ground - around
these I have a number of beer traps and also some organic stuff that is
supposed to stop slugs and snails in their tracks (its really a box of
broken egg shells!).

What can I do to save the remaining courgettes and lettuces? My garden is
inundated with them and I don't really like using slug pellets as my two
cats are daft enough to eat them.

Many thanks,

Lee.

On Wed, 09 Jul 2003 23:42:53 GMT, "Lee BARRASS"
wrote:




What can I do to save the remaining courgettes and lettuces? My garden is
inundated with them and I don't really like using slug pellets as my two
cats are daft enough to eat them.


it may be too late for this year's crop, but Nemaslug (TM) nematodes
will reduce the population of slugs drastically, and if usd regularly
from the time the soil temp. reaches the min. recommended, will
effectively control slugs year-round. not claimed by suppliers to work
on snails but 'some users report a reduction'.

also these other 'biological' controls may help:

kill corvids to increase the song-thrush population

keep hens and let them 'graze' the veg plots in winter - they LOVE
slug and snail eggs and will scratch them up from their overwintering
hide-outs.

try the 'green gardener' website Nemaslug and for things like copper
tape for your window-boxes.
--
Derek Turner

Outlook Express is worth precisely what you paid for it.

In article , Derek Turner
writes
On Wed, 09 Jul 2003 23:42:53 GMT, "Lee BARRASS"
wrote:




What can I do to save the remaining courgettes and lettuces? My garden is
inundated with them and I don't really like using slug pellets as my two
cats are daft enough to eat them.


it may be too late for this year's crop, but Nemaslug (TM) nematodes
will reduce the population of slugs drastically, and if usd regularly
from the time the soil temp. reaches the min. recommended, will
effectively control slugs year-round. not claimed by suppliers to work
on snails but 'some users report a reduction'.

also these other 'biological' controls may help:

kill corvids to increase the song-thrush population

Except that it won't.

keep hens and let them 'graze' the veg plots in winter - they LOVE
slug and snail eggs and will scratch them up from their overwintering
hide-outs.

Best idea, provided you train your cats to leave them alone.

try the 'green gardener' website Nemaslug and for things like copper
tape for your window-boxes.

--
Malcolm