Slugs And Snails.

[melv16]

Why don't they eat weeds?
Eg. I've got bind weed on my allotment..they don't touch it. Yet, I've sown some morning glory (which is the same family) and they've scoffed it:-(

[bhg481]

Perhaps it's for the same reason that some human beings will eat cabbage but not Brussels Sprouts - they may be the same family but they taste different.

[Old_Geezer]

Weeds have evolved to survive by being unappetising to wildlife. Plants are forced to be beautiful for us and have no history of needing to evolve to be unattractive to slugs & snails. There are far too many of the slug & snails this year. Can't step in the garden without crushing some underfoot.

[Jennykenny]

Did a midnight raid on one plant pot outside the back door last night and scraped eleven slugs out of it!

[Togo]

As Geezer says weeds have evolved with a range of pretty nasty chemicals in their foliage to deter plant eating creatures, slugs included. Also don't forget that a lot of the crops and flowers, that we now prize for their nutritional or aesthetic quality, have been have been selectively cross bred or if you like genetically modified by us over the centuries. This programme will have reduced the potency of the inherent deterrent of the original "weeds" that we now rely on for food and our garden blooms. Just a tip, did you know that slugs and snails love flour? Plain flour or cornflower laced with slug pellets will clear the blighters away from you pots and flower beds but does make a damn mess if it rains on it before you have chance to clean it up.

[melv16]

I've got 400 sq mts of allotment, Togo. So I'd need a few sacks of flour to cover it:-) I've come to the conclusion that it's going to be one of those years and try to make the best of it.

[Togo]

Good size that melv take some working for sure. You need hedgehogs melv.

[Togo]

With a plot that size melv it is nearly worth putting in a little pond and encouraging toads or frogs. You could also try a nematode treatment. You own compost heap will also naturally develop nematodes and the resulting compost is a barrier against slugs. Another possible control is scatter citrus peelings or melon rinds in one corner which will attract them to that area giving you a chance to blitz them if you are out late or very early doors.

[melv16]

Hedgehogs, I need warthogs!:-) I've looked into nematodes, Togo. Nematodes only duff up the small slugs that live in the soil, they don't touch surface living ones or snails. Thankyou for your input.

[alavahalf]

This year has been a bit of a damp one with all the rain,ideal if you are a slug though. I seem to have solved the slug problem by surrounding any thing they like to eat with seaweed. It goes crispy in the sun and they wont cross it, I expect the salt on the seaweed also deters them. The beans and courgettes have all survived with this treatment.

Funnily enough I did a bit of an experiment a month ago and planted 4 extra cougettes without the seaweed surround ... and only 1 has survived.

[Togo]

Nice tip alava, I live in sight of the sea. My courgettes have been flowering for 2 weeks all male flowers, only today is there any sign of what could be female flowers. I need some sunshine.