[Sideways]

I have now lost two rows of broccoli, three rows of cabbage and two rows of sprouts, all chewed down by slugs. 

The plants were all grown from seed and grew to between 2~5 inches high. They were covered, the only thing that could have got to them is slugs, its so frustrating! There is slug slime everywhere.

My first year, my first allotment, I thought I would give the organic approach a try, I have certainly underestimated the slugs.

The gloves are now off 

Battle plans are being drawn. I will start again, wiser, stronger. Slugs are the enemy.

Its them or me (or my Brassica's) 

War does not determine who is right - only who is left.  ~Bertrand Russell

[compostqueen]

  Don't get mad - get even!  he who dares wins.  They will outsmart you at every turn. Know thy enemy

If you are concerned about slug pellets being eaten by hedgehogs or dogs etc (aren't we all) use them as instructed on the packet and don't chuck loads down (as some folks do  )  I put mine in plastic boxes (either small milk cartons or wash detergent boxes) with a hole made in the side, tight fitting lid, put the pellets in that and partially sink in the ground (hole above soil level obviously)  The slugs enter via the hole and die but no mammals get harmed    You empty the resultant gunk carefully into your home bin.  I place these around my beds, particularly around vulnerable brassicas and the seedling rows

[Salmo]

If you opt for slug pellets you only need two or three pellets at the base of each plant, there is no need to plaster the whole area. Also use them under the covers to protect wildlife.

The better option would be to apply slug nematodes which you apply over the whole area with a watering can. The soil must be kept damp for a day or two to allow the nematodes to get into the soil and start eating slugs. Protection is reportidly for up tp six weeks.

[compostqueen]

I think they're deffo worth a try. Expensive initally but worth their weight in gold if they do the job 

[Sideways]

So slugs actually like to eat slug pellets? And then it kills them?

I thought the pellets were a deterent, the slugs got one whiff of them and scarpered. 

[mumofstig]

No they have to die ( or they'd only eat something else of yours)............death to the enemy.

But the thread shows how a lot of people (if not most) say they are organic except
for slug pellets We have to have something to eat or it's not worth all the effort

[Kate and her Ducks]

I have gone for biological warfare and the ducks do the dirty work! They eat the eggs too! Only problem is unless you pen them out they eat your plants too!

[mumofstig]

  if you end up with no plants it wouldn't matter about the slugs

[Sideways]

My Kale plants seem to be surviving at the moment.

Did you know?
Kale contains four times more Mg (magnesium) and five times more Ca (calcium) than Brussels sprouts
17 times more Vitamin C than carrots and four times more than spinach
Nearly double the magnesium of spring greens
More folate than broccoli
Seven times more carotene than cabbage

Is Kale the answer?

[mumofstig]

My Kale plants seem to be surviving at the moment.

Did you know?
Kale contains four times more Mg (magnesium) and five times more Ca (calcium) than Brussels sprouts
17 times more Vitamin C than carrots and four times more than spinach
Nearly double the magnesium of spring greens
More folate than broccoli
Seven times more carotene than cabbage

Is Kale the answer?

They might be surviving cos the slugs find kale as unapetising as a lot of people find it :blink:

[Oliver]

No they have to die ( or they'd only eat something else of yours)............death to the enemy.

But the thread shows how a lot of people (if not most) say they are organic except
for slug pellets We have to have something to eat or it's not worth all the effort

We are not 'organic' - we just grow stuff like we always have done (nearly 40 years), and cover things where necessary against serious attack (pigeons on growing brassicas) but we have always used slug pellets (Growing Success are the ones we use, not the blue jobbies). When seedlings are big enough to cope we stop.

We leave upturned plant trays around for snails to congregate under, then we collect them and dispose of them. Really big ones too. I suppose this would be like the burried pots with stuff in. Or we collect slugs and snails after rain. If there are Thrushes around we let them do the job. This year there are two -  so we leave tiles and rocks for them at the most likely places.

 It's a never ending battle fighting these things, but has to be done! Now pigeons and Muntjacs - that's another story

[Oliver]

Is Kale the answer?

We had a wonderful population of snails on one kale plant last year (they came over from the neighbouring plot's (pallet-structure full of junk, but gone this year, thank heaven!) - you could see their trails), the other plants were OK.

Kale - lovely. Much nicer than spinach. It does not bolt so readily, stands over winter and cooks better than spinach. But snails still like it when they find it. Glad to hear it has all those goodies - especially magnesium. Thanks for that!
Oliver

[HLS]

Is Kale the answer?

I think that probably depends on what the question is! ;-)

I'm giving Kale a go myself this year - my first brassica (apart from radishes), so fingers crossed...

[Sideways]

Oliver, some recipes-
http://www.discoverkale.co.uk/kale_recipes.html

Its strange, a couple the 'old boys' on my allotment gave me a funny look when I pointed out my rows of Kale, one commented - 'Don’t they feed that stuff to cattle?'

When you consider its history and nutritional value I’m surprised more people don’t grow it. I love spinach & kale, particularly in stir-fry’s, soups and with cheese & potatoes cakes.

[Oliver]

Oliver, some recipes-
soups and with cheese & potatoes cakes.

Thank you! The 'cakes'  - they look lovely. 

We also grow a lot of Swiss Chard (we don't eat the mid-rib as it's tasteless without a hefty sauce) - which works pretty much the same, but has a different flavour. Try it in place of spinach too.