[scentedstock]

I wouldn't call myself organic but maybe I am, but where is the defination line.

I have always taken organic as being that you don't put slug pellets down, you don't spray chemicals whether to feed them or keep insects off.

But is using slug pellets organic?
Can you spray fertilisers onto the veg? And if so, what organic fertilisers do you use?

I am confussed as to what being organic means but this year I want bumper crops. Help.

[richyrich7]

Think I read some where, that putting slug pellets into plastic bottles with entrance holes is ok  for organic growers.

Personally I'd put having a crop before an organic ideal, I don't use many sprays or chemicals but I do when necessary.

[Wildeone]

I'm with RR7 on that one there were so many slugs about last year i've already started with the slug traps and clean out and top up once a week with Asda lager (22p a can)  I'm getting about 50 a week that way but if they start ruining everything i'll resort to harder methods ie pellets.

[DeadlyNightshade]

50 a week... I wish!!!

I've put out pellets on Thursday and counted 32 dead slugs today!!!!!!! It's in the middle of the winter, they're nibbling at the bottom of my carrots  :shock:

In peak times I've counted 120 deceasing slugs on one morning


Bell

[scentedstock]

i tried nemotodes a few years ago and sprayed in feb, march and apr and didn't see one slug that year.

[Trillium]

Technically, slug pellets are not organic. But if it means losing the crop to slugs, you'll have to bend your ideals slightly.

Fertilizers, as commonly known, are not organic. They're made up of various chemicals or altered by other chemicals. They'll help things grow but they do absolutely nothing to help the soil since they feed only the plants. They're almost never sprayed onto plants, though I think a few are still lurking in cellars.
Organic 'fertilizers' are aged manure, bone meal, compost, green manures, etc, things that came from nature and have gone back to nature.  Not only do they feed the plants, they also feed the soil and add humus which helps keep the soil loose. That's what the organic ideal is - to feed both.

If it's your first year on the lotty, then it's unreasonable to expect true bumper crops. Those come with a number of years of working the soil and learning how to combat the pests without harming the plant, the soil or yourself. You can expect reasonable yields this year, and definitely safer to eat yields, but don't lose heart if your neighbour who's been on the plot for thirty years gets bigger crops. It all takes time and patience, that's what will get bumper crops.  Agreeable weather helps a lot too.

[amblelottie]

We wanted to be organic and not use chemicals when we took on our allotment, but when we couldn't walk past our sprouts with getting covered in clouds of white fly - something had to be done!

We found that we had less slugs in our first year - they don't like weeds, but by the 2nd year they found we were growing salads and veg and have taken up residence ever since.

It's a pity we can't train the wood pigeons to eat slugs!

[agapanthus]

There is a slug pellet that is supposedly used by organic growers.....advanced slug pellets. These are green as opposed to the normal blue or grey. The poison does'nt get passed on to other predators or wildlife.

[flowerlady]

Save coffee grounds and spray seed beds with dilute coffee they don't like the acidity ... also collect egg shells to crunch up and edge the beds.  

I wondered about holly leaves too  :?  ... I use this to dissuade cats in my flower beds !!  :twisted:

[purplebean]

There is a slug pellet that is supposedly used by organic growers.....advanced slug pellets. These are green as opposed to the normal blue or grey. The poison does'nt get passed on to other predators or wildlife.

We used those last year and they worked really well. I did get my hubby to ring the company first to get them to confirm that they were harmless to our resident frogs and newts before using them though

[compostqueen]

I'll have another go with these then cos I tried them last year and had no luck. Maybe they weren't that exact make. I got mine from Wilko

I think you find when folks have massive clean veggies it's cos they're sprayed with every chemical known to man

I don't mind a few slug holes in me lettuce  

Keeping nasties off the veg in the first place is half the battle but it can mean having everything covered which is a bind when you need to weed etc.  Enviromesh is good stuff  

[alan42]

on our allotments the defination of organic seams to be scrufy only two people are claimimg to be organic both women for some reason ? but both have the scrufiest allotments on the site littered with pop bottles compleate 2 ltr bottles used to protect the end of canes ?, bits of carpet, newspaper and cardboard held down with bricks, they look like recycling centeres. little bits of land 3ft by 3ft dig here and there and the rest left to go to grass and weeds, chipboard on the compost heap cos sombody told them it roots down eventualy so instead of throwing the cuboard  away there composting it, and you try telling them anything to the contry and you will get a mouthfull of abuse they have recycled from an episode of shameless.
alan

[Teen76]

I've seen sawdust used to deter slugs and snails.  I haven't had a chance to use this method yet to see if it works.

I also heard about the coffee grounds, but you have to go careful with it as plants don't like it either.  These are also good for the compost bin.

I have heard a more gruesome way of getting rid of slugs and snails.  Get your lawnmower out at night and chop them up.  I couldn't guarantee you wouldn't get splattered.  This method from a College Teacher!

They also tend to gather under things such as slabs, stones etc.  You could be cruel couldn't you, especially when they munch through your lovely veg.

Apparently the best place to apply salt on a slug is where there is a slight bump towards the front of the slug on its back.  Apparently this is an air hole.  Doesn't do nice things to the poor old slug.

[wighty]

I use garllic barrier from Sinclairs, you sprinkle it on the soil and the slugs don't then like the taste plus the plants take it up and then aphids don't like the sap as it tastes of garlic and so it does two jobs.

[Eristic]

I think that working your allotment organically means working in harmony with the surroundings instead of fighting it. There are strict rules for organic producers but down the plot you do what feels best.

Personally I do not want my food contaminated with synthetic chemicals, (Safe or otherwise) and I enjoy watching the wildlife and listening to the birdsong while I work.

There is a large slug problem on the site but this is largely due to the imbalance of natural predators caused by earlier misuse of chemicals. I still manage without slug pellets.