Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: allotmentor on June 19, 2013, 16:42
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I am feeling slightly depressed as I was going to mention using organic slug pellets (which contain ferric phosphate, as opposed to the old metaldehyde with its known toxicity to birds, pets, etc.) in response to @neiljmuk's post about holes in leaves, but thought it might be a topic of wider interest.
I was very excited by these when I first heard about them - they are approved for organic use and Which? has found to be as effective as metaldehyde (see: http://www.which.co.uk/documents/pdf/slugs-and-snails--153707.pdf). Finally, organic growers had a way to control slugs without the use of the various hedge witch strategies to deter or drown them - none of which I am convinced are very effective - or the complexities (and cost) of infecting them with live nematodes..
However, I have just come across another article which, along with a note of caution in the Which? article, means that I'm now not so sure about them: http://www.hostalibrary.org/firstlook/RRIronPhosphate.htm. This suggests that, far from harmless, they may actually be as dangerous as metaldehyde in certain circumstances. This is very much at odds with e.g Growing Success's claim that "Due to the mode of action it can be trusted for use around children and pets" or some shops which even list them as "Child & Pet Friendly". Anyone know anything more about this?
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I know that if you want a reliable way of controlling them, you use pellets, or nematodes. Both work, whereas the other methods, ie beer traps etc have limited effect.
I had the same problem. Didn't like pellets, for large areas nematodes are too pricey so I started using the growing success pellets, I'm happy to use them ( in moderation). Either that or watch my crops disappear overnight.
Totty
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Same as Totty here too. And my soil is "alive" with earthworms !
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I have been using to Wilkinsons own brand of organic slug pellets and have been pleased with the results. It is the closest I get to chemicals on my plot - it is just a shame they are so much more expensive :(
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I've just started using these after trawling the Internet for days trying to find out if they were REALLY safe.
Please don't tell me they are not :(
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That sounds quite worrying. I don't like using them, and won't like it even more now. :(
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I find stripped copper electric wire made in to hoops around plants very effective.
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I find stripped copper electric wire made in to hoops around plants very effective.
Ok for single plants or pots but how could that work for a row of turnips, French beans radish or lettuce ?
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Yeah, a lot of people have mentioned copper, but like Sally said, it uses are limit, and you cant protect everything.