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Slugs

I have put nematodes into my garden but still having problems with something eating the leaves on Lupins and Dahlia's.  Can anybody recomend anything so use to stop this?

David H

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  • bekkie hughesbekkie hughes Posts: 5,294
    Copper, i used a scouring pads as they were cheap, but you can get proper stuff, bran, dog biscuits, garlic granules, crushed cockle shells, and in dry conditions SAS spray. There are other, more murderous methods which i imagine will be posted shortly image
  • NetfellaNetfella Posts: 54

    I have terrible problems with slugs and snails. I have tried most things but I've had most success in going out with a torch at midnight collecting them up to take for a walk over the park the next morning. What's I've discovered is once a slug finds a plant, he'll revisit that plant every night until the plant is dead, ignoring everything else. The only real answer is to remove the slug from the equation. I also use oats in my greenhouse to some success, I don't put them in the garden as I have a small rat problem.

  • I'm thinking of resorting to Nematodes after seeing how well they've worked on a friend's slug population while my population has exploded this year

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  • bekkie hughesbekkie hughes Posts: 5,294
    At the risk of soundig hugely smug (i am about this!) I havent got much of a slug problem anymore, its taken years but ive managed to get a kind of balance, they do get at the odd thing, especially if its not happy in the first place and i protect my seed trays with SAS spray- really does the trick, fantastic in the greenhouse!

    Hoeing or disturbing the soil around a damaged plant helps as they cant follow their trail back if its not there image
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  • ightenighten Posts: 184

    My nematodes have been in now for two weeks..  Touchwood the population is already down from picking up 30 or 40 every visit to just a few.

  • FleurisaFleurisa Posts: 779

    nematodes work best on slugs that go into the soil. I have read recently that slugs and snails are really attracted to watermelon, so you could put some out and then collect the slugs up

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190

    No good putting nematodes on dry ground, they need to go on damp and kept damp for quite a while, maybe yours have dried out, they do work brilliantly if used correctly

    There are about 20 threads on the go at the moment on slugs, type slugs in the search box and you may find some different solutions. As we go into the dry spell, slugs will diminish.

    Garlic spray didnt work on my hostas, 

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • shazza3shazza3 Posts: 106

    I've read that Earwigs could also be a problem especially with the Dahlias. according to what I've read, you place a cane with an upturned pot filled with straw them remove it next day and you should see a few of these pests. you will see the slug problem getting better the drier it gets, but they do like to hide under dense foliage, so you could also try looking under the foliage of other plants and winkle them out that way. 

  • Garlic spray has worked in previous years, but this one has been so wet it's just been slug nirvana

     

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