[Martin]

Slugs completely ruined my Maris Piper, and even the Sarpo Axona is quite badly affected. Wondered if anyone has experience of using nematodes? (John, I believe you said you were trying them?). Seem expensive - anyone find a cheap source?

[milkman]

Hallo Martin - I've not tried nematodes mainly because of the expense and also the fact that the slugs seem to find a way of returning to colonise the same patch of ground anyway.

My suggestion would be to try growing spud types that can be dug up by late August / early September so the slugs are never given a chance to really get stuck in to them.  For example I grow Valor - an early maincrop which I usually have dug out by early September.  Blight resistant, good for mash and roasties and I find keeps very well in store.  

Also, not sure if you use a crop rotation, but I always grow my spuds in a new spot every year.

[John]

I didn't get around to using nematodes this year as planned - things went a bit pear shaped this year on the allotment for lots of reasons in my life - but  I did use them some years back in the back garden plot.

They work really well if you use them as instructed
You need to make sure the weather is warm enough and they don't work as well on heavy clay soils.

Expensive - yes but they are safe, so the slug eating creatures won't be hurt by your use of them and they get the blighters under the soil so are more effective than anything else.

Long term - well you've seen the slug trails. They re-colonise any cleared area so you need 2 applications a season.

As gardeners we loathe slugs but do need to remember that they are a vital part of the ecology and wiping them off the face of the earth wouldn't be good. Still hate the little bees though!

[ytyynycefn]

I've used nematodes for slugs, and was pretty pleased with the results.  I only applied them once, in July, and had negligible slug damage - in fact I'm only just beginning to see slugs about on the plot now, so I guess they worked.

The plot next door uses pellets, and is plagued with the little sods  :twisted:

I just cut any slugs I find in half with scissors and leave them for the birds and hedgehogs to enjoy.  I've hung a few nesting boxes around and about, and will be putting fat mess  soon too, so hopefully the birds will get a lot of the pests over the winter.

So I'll definitely use nematodes again next year!

[greenie]

I've been on the look out for natural slug deterrents and came upon garlic as being effective.....said to kill them and also destroys their eggs. I had already planned to grow garlic for its own merit but this just means I will be growing additional as companion plantings.