[RichardA]

I spotted an article on keel slugs recently that said that rotavating ground several times a few days apart in the spring before planting potatoes or other crops can reduce keel slug damage later in the season by as much as 75%.
Is that borne out by experience ?.
I am particularly concerned to reduce damage to potatoes - not at all severe here just annoying but perhaps not unexpected as I am using ground that has been neglected for many years. I have a lot of hedgehogs and do not want to use poisons but doubt that hedgehogs are tackling the underground slugs as well as they do the surface ones.
Has anyone experience of tackling slugs and consistently winning the battle
R

[RichardA]

perhaps the question was lost in the explanation - I was interested if knowing if rotavation was in fact an effective way of controling keel slugs.
Any views ?
R

[RichardA]

Really am surprised that no one has an opinion on the proposition that extensive use of rotavators especially in the few weeks in spring before putting in such things as potatoes will reduce the population of keel slugs (and others) and so reduce damage without using poisons.
With all the dig versus non dig and dig versus rotavator debate that flies about - how about it folks -- does frequent disturbance of the ground reduce slugs ??
Is it a good thing or will it harm other organisms as well??
R

[corynsboy]

I can't say I've ever used the rotivator in the knowledge that it will reduce the slug population.  I rotivate the beds that will be dormant through the winter at this time of year then prep the soil with compost and manure and let the worms get involved.

In the Spring about two weeks before I start to plant my earlys.  Either me or my Dad will dig a trench and fill it with horse manure then fill the trench for a coupe of weeks before planting, but we keep weeding the area.  I imagine that will do the same as a rotivator.  I have to say that I noticed significantly less slug damage on the harvest of all the spuds this year but that might because much of the summer was quite dry and our soil is very sandy and free draining.

I'd be interested to see the article.  If a quick moving the soil around in spring when the earlys go in can half my slug pop.  I'm sold.

[RichardA]

I should have posted the link - sorry

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/biosi/staffinfo/wocs2.html

much of the article is about chemical controls but towards the end it discusses barriers and cultivation methods.
Hope it helps
R

[madcat]

Certainly moving the soil - by digging or rotovating - will bring slug eggs to the surface to dry out and maybe murder ( ) the odd slug that gets in the way of the blade, but it is a lot of work if that was all you were doing it for.  Slug eggs aren't laid that deep and hoeing plus general hygenie (looking under stones, keeping the place tidy and clearing weeds etc) would be more effort effective, I would have thought.

But as an extra benefit to digging in mulch/manure/compost and preparing the beds in the spring (I note the writer is suggesting that is when to plan the attack, not now) to a fine tilth, the idea is definating encouraging.