Page 17 - Simply Vegetables Autumn 2024

supply and predators may not be able to find them. It is worth noting that green manure (cover crops as they are often called these days) in the autumn provide ideal conditions for slugs. It is still very worthwhile to grow green manure but dig it in or cut and compost do not leave it on the surface.
• Crop remains – also weeds and unrotted organic matter increase
the risk of slugs as they increase the moisture retention and provide shelter and a food supply. Clear any crop remains and keep areas weed free can help to reduce the slug population. Make sure any organic matter added is well rotted / composted before adding to the soil surface.
using nematodes, these work although
are fairly expensive if you have a large
area to cover and they usually need two applications a year. The nematodes (make sure you get the right species as they do not all control slugs some do different pests) come in a small box and are mixed with water and applied to the area. The
soil needs to be moist as the minute nematodes need to swim and find the slugs and then feed on them. The nematodes are best applied in the spring or autumn and the temperature needs to be between 5 and 20̊ C.
Other cultural controls include sowing your crops, where this is possible, into modules and then planting them out, this avoids the young plants being at the
As slugs tend to feed at night they are often not noticed until any damage is extensive, an old-fashioned remedy is to go out in the evening with a torch and hunt for them and dispatch them to elsewhere!
Slugs are supposed to like bran which they eat and causes them to swell up and stop feeding then die, I am informed that oat bran is the best, but any should work. Finally, garlic sprays are supposed to deter slugs, I am not surprised as I cannot stand garlic!!
I thought I had finished the article when
I found some information from Hogarth Hosta’s I picked up at Chelsea which has some tips to help control them. The first one is worth a try if you live near the coast, they suggest using raw seaweed and pile it up around your plants as a barrier but not touching the plants. Slugs and snails do not like sea salt, so it deters them crossing the seaweed thus protecting your plants.
The next is the use of bran which I have heard of before but not tried it, grind the bran up finely and use as a bait, the slugs like bran and gorge on it they cannot
stop eating and swell up and die of full stomachs. It is also rain proof which is useful in the UK. The leaflet also mentions the usual grapefruit halves scattered around the garden, but you need to remember to check them and remove the slugs. Beer traps and copper bands (see Chris Spree’s letter on page 32) are covered and work at least to some extent.
Finally, the leaflet mentions ammonia, which is a new one to me, apply during the winter to the garden soil when it is bare. It is usually supplied in small bottles so dilute this 1-part ammonia to 10 parts water, stir and water the soil using a rose on the can. It is claimed it will kill every slug and snail as well as their eggs and also release some nitrogen into the soil. This looks to be worth a try, I am not sure how the ammonia kills the slugs but as it is not expensive give it
a go.
So, some useful suggestions on controlling slugs, give some a try and let us know how you get on especially if you use the ammonia.
• Seedbed preparation
– rough cloddy seedbeds provide ideal conditions for slugs and egg laying sites, not to mention your young seedlings when they germinate! Try to produce a fine even crumb seedbed and while doing this you may even kill the odd slug or eggs.
If you have chickens or ducks these are reputed to be partial to a few slugs and you will get some eggs in return!
mercy of slugs at their most vulnerable stage as by the time they are planted out they are larger and more mature so tend to get less damage.
Using barriers is widely mentioned in organic books and magazines,
they seem to have varying degrees of success working for some gardeners but not others; it could be the slug does not know it’s a barrier! The following are often suggested copper strips,
• Germinations
conditions – if
germination is slow
the crops are more vulnerable to slug attack. Delay sowing until warmer weather if possible and cover to keep them warmer and speed up germination. Glass or polythene cloches helps as does thick fleece.
• Monitoring – a good idea of the population of slugs can be gained by trapping and counting them (kill them as well after counting!). As well as the traps mentioned earlier the following can be used, a tile laid on the soil, cardboard sheets (ripped cardboard boxes), hardboard, plant pot saucers
of 25 to 30cm dia. Farmers Weekly recommend baiting the traps with chicken layers mash, approx. two heaped teaspoons per trap; other baits can be used. The slugs visit the traps at night to feed and stay to the morning when they can be counted. Depending on the size of your garden / allotment set 5 to 8 traps in a W pattern over the area, if there are four or more slugs you need to take action, in fact if over two I would suggest you do something.
At present I think there is only one chemical control available which is approved by some organic authorities and that is Ferric Phosphate which affects the digestive system of the slugs and stops them feeding. The slugs die 3 to 6 days later usually underground and there should be a fairly quick reduction in crop damage.
wool pellets, grits, eggshells, plastic bottles put over the plants etc. Other substances suggested are coffee grounds, strulch and diatomaceous earth I have not tried these so cannot comment on their efficiency.
Attracting predators like frogs, toads, hedgehogs, slow worms and some birds as well as ground beetles and centipedes (which eat the slug eggs) is often mentioned in books and other publications and they will work to some extent but will not get rid of all the slugs otherwise they could run out of food, they just reduce the slug population. If you have chickens or ducks these are reputed to be partial to a few slugs and you will get some eggs in return!
The other control method is biological
Strulch mulch
Simply Vegetables 17