[andtiggertoo]

I have got some great advice on here from previous posts about slug elimination and frogs.

I am really setting my stall out to rid my garden and raised veg beds of as many slugs and snails as possible. I have been plagued by them in the garden for years, but now I'm doing veg as well I want a long term improvement. I'm considering a triple prong attack, copper bands, nematodes and hopefully frogs.

I bought some copper tape which I notice gets mixed reviews on here. It was being sold off at my local garden centre for £3 for 4m, not that cheap but I thought I'd try it all around half of my 13ft long raised beds, plus around my wooden cold frame. I intend to nail a strip all around the scaffold boards of my raised beds. If it works I'll do the other two beds as well. Anyone tied this ?

Then I thought to get rid of the slugs and eggs already in the raised beds to use nematodes. How long do I need to keep applying them to make a long term difference ? If I did 3, 6 weekly applications over all the raised beds just this year what benefit would I get in future years. Do you really have to reapply several times every year as suggested by the suppliers.

I was hoping to introduce frogs into the garden to reduce the general slug and snail population in the rest of the garden, but do the nematodes inside the dying slugs harm frogs that might eat them. Do frogs dig out and eat slugs underneath the earth or just the ones they see on the surface.

I don't have any water features in the garden right now but I have room for a small wildlife pond, I would hope to reuse a huge builders PVC screen that was left behind
after some recent work. I could fold it over a couple of time for extra strength.

What do you all think of this plan of attack ?

Thanks

[karlooben]

i have 2 plots and i made a mini wildlife pond out of a kiddies small sandpit { the plastic ones u can get from argos} it took a few months for it all to settle an last year i had tadpoles etc in it so i am hoping the frogs come back this year as well as the toads.
i dont use anything on my plots to kill the slugs or snails i just let mothernature deal with everything .
this year i am looking at making more animal an insect freindly places.

but i dont know what nematodes is ?? never heard of it before .

[richyrich7]

Nematodes have to be applied when the soil is warm enough but are supposed to be very effective. 

[Rangerkris]

Im gonna be putting in a small pond today with any luck.  Nothing huge but i want frogs to get the slugs.

[chrissie B]

have i been reading incorrectly , i thought that nematodes were the things in the soil that cause the tomatoes roots and some other plants to go lumpy puzzled .have i got this wrong.
Chrissie b

[richyrich7]

Nope nematodes are small in fact tiny worms that are parasitic to a certain species eg slugs

Peas and other legumes have nodules on their roots in which nitrogen fixing bacteria live.

[poultrygeist]

Oooo, now you've asked ! 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nematode

Seems there's one for every occasion. 

Rob

[chrissie B]

im talking lumpy tomatoe roots and some other plants across my garden , with no hope of a cure these root rot nematoades are the kiss of death to my garden .
chrissie b

[richyrich7]

im talking lumpy tomatoe roots and some other plants across my garden , with no hope of a cure these root rot nematoades are the kiss of death to my garden .
chrissie b

Eek not nice is it these ??

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/tomatoproblemsolver/roots/33.html

[mumofstig]

Quote from the link:

Many tomato varieties are resistant, so variety selection is also important.

So wonder how Chrissie could find out what ones are resistant? don't mention it in the variety blurbs do they?

[chrissie B]

i have looked for resistant types for this year but they were mainly american , im not fussy dont think i will manage them this year , but if any onre knows of some reistant tomatoe eeds i can get in uk it would be most apriciated .
thanks for the info .
the roots on my plants look like the pic some are smaller more bead looking .
last year i grew my toms in pots will new soil but used my own compost which i thought would be ok but they didnt do well and they were designed for pots but it was realy hot last year but i will persavere .
 
chrissie b

[poultrygeist]

Is there anything you can rake in to get rid of them or are they resistant to pretty much everything ??

Rob

[Salmo]

Chrissie B - see RHS advice on eelworms http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0801/eelworm.asp

The same eelworms affect both tomatoes and potatoes. If you are using your own compost that is probably why you are getting a problem as the eelworm cysts will be in it and hatch to infect your tomatoes.

You will get better information if you set up a new topic as those with tomatoe/potato eelworm knowledge may not have picked up your question.

[chrissie B]

just had a look at the article on eel worms and my roots don't look like the pic , if you can imagine varicose veins out of the leg.
this year in planting loads of marigolds all over the garden , having planted them last year released how nice they were and have loads of seeds and different types , so I'm planting them between my veg in the hope it will help and i also ground that lots of garden pests don't like them as well so even if there's no tomatoes there will be a bright garden for which i must go and get digging while the weathers good .
thanks for the info
Chrissie b