Hi Everybody! It seems we're all having problems with slugs. I believe the Ferric iron phosphate pellets only seem to affect the larger slugs. My main trouble is with the very small ones. I've tried lime and various other substances which do help but they are not the answer. I've just bought some collars impregnated with copper. Expensive but I'll try anything. Any results from anyone?
Since compost is now mainly peat free (and I've tried most of them) I find the multi-purpose composts tend to have a PH of about 5 or less and are too acidic for most purposes. I've tried mixing with John Innes with some success but in desperation I'm using ordinary garden soil with liquid feed mixed in. I suppose I'll get more weeds than flowers!
Hi Tony, welcome to the forum.
I garden somewhere very damp & slugs and snails are a big issue here. After many years of trying all the remedies I have come to the conclusion that the only good way of beating slugs is to use all the methods, all the time, all at once!
I find buying slug-resistant varieties to be very helpful, especially when it comes to potatoes.
I grow native trees and hedges and leave a rough edge of wild flowers round the margins, to attract slug-eaters. A wildlife pond helps massively too, if you have space.
Ferric phosphate seems to work more slowly than the older, toxic stuff. I get some benefit from it if I sprinkle a bit down a week before planting up an area of the plot, so it has time to do a bit of a clear out before the tasty plants arrive. I use a bit at a time & renew it regularly because it seems to go mouldy quickly.
Harden plants off well before putting them in the danger zone. If you have spare seedlings to sacrifice put them at the edge without hardening off, surrounded by some pellets.
Hand picking slugs at night has great benefits if you happen to be a patient insomniac. If you have a strong stomach don't remove them, just keep a pair of slug scissors for the job & chop them in half & drop them where they are. Much faster and that way you will feed & encourage slug-eaters.
Leave a big flat stone, slate or plastic sheet on the ground near plants that are getting eaten. Look under it each morning. Slugs don't move far from their food source to sleep out the day.
Whatever other methods you know of, do them
as well not instead of other methods.
Good luck,
Windy