A plea rings out from gardeners across the country every year for a reliable control for slugs - something that will put an end to their slimy antics.
A plea rings out from gardeners across the country every year for a reliable control for slugs - something that will put an end to their slimy antics. Perhaps I'm in a lucky minority, but despite not having a pond my garden is hopping with frogs and toads. And what's on the menu for these visiting friends? Slugs!
It's been a month of drizzly weather (a typical British summer, but that's another story), and just perfect for salads. The one saving grace is that I haven't needed to find another 30-minutes a day to water a scorched plot, and then made to feel guilty for doing so by the water companies and national press! Warm, wet weather brings salad crops on a treat, but slugs love it, too. Damp weather is perfect for them, and they've been on a feeding frenzy day and night, unhindered by daytime sunshine, if you can remember what that looks like.
But help is at hand. When I pop out to pick my salads each evening I usually disturb a frog or two among the leaves, finding their supper just as I'm choosing mine. Of course, I'm keen to make them welcome, and a dense bed of mixed salad leaves provides the perfect summer residence.
I know the word 'organic' is batted around a lot nowadays, but possibly not always fully understood. Organic gardening isn't just about not spraying with pesticides and making compost. Being organic is also about creating viable and balanced habitats in which you can grow the plants you want with the help of wildlife (I think I'll come back to this topic in a future blog). For now, the important thing to remember is that frogs, toads, hedgehogs and birds can all help the gardener in the battle against slugs and snails, but if you don't have pests to feed these welcome predators they're not going to take up residence. And if you do have the pests then you must put up with some pest damage.
The utopia we aim for isn't so much a garden devoid of pests but one where a balance is achieved. I want to enjoy my frogs and have nesting birds, but they're not going to be around if I resort to chemical sprays to kill off every pest in sight. Yes, I'll find a few nibbled salad leaves, but I'm delighted to be sharing my salad plot with frogs and other wildlife that bring me so much pleasure.
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