Gardening

[Mrs M]

Hi there, we are making a vegetable patch for us and the children. Obviously we won't be using slug pellets but does anyone know what we can use instead?
Thanks :D

[crazybones]

Ive just done the same thing. Havent transplanted the seedlings yet because of the same worry. I would be interesting in any answers too.

[Polly2]

Me too as the slugs have just eaten my sunflowers :mad:

I am going to plant marigolds in between my carrots as it stops carrot fly aapparantly. Worth a try anyway

[sarah707]

According to this... it seems toads are the answer! :laughing: Lots of other natural ideas too...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2876862

[breezy]

putting broken egg shells round plants helps as the slugs cant "slime" over them.
beer traps are good at killing them! (just make sure kids don't drink it!)

Basically I think anything dry and gritty they don't like crawling/sliming over! not sure if anything is 100% though!

Salt kills them too, one of my 11 year old sons favourite activities is pouring salt onto slugs and waiting for them to explode!! Great til I go out there in bare feet:eek:

[Noodles]

i got some slug pellets from home bargins that are child and animal friendly they also had a spray too

[Dragonfly]

child and animal slug pellets sound really good, but where did you say you got it from? never heard of home bargins,would you know if you can get it elsewhere? slugs and snails are a pain exspecially getting the childrens prize sunflowers!!!!

[crazybones]

child and animal slug pellets sound really good, but where did you say you got it from? never heard of home bargins,would you know if you can get it elsewhere? slugs and snails are a pain exspecially getting the childrens prize sunflowers!!!!

Oh wow pellets that get rid of children and slugs. ;) Sign me up for them.:thumbsup:

Sorry:o
http://www.homebargains.co.uk/

Not sure if they are in your area or not.

[sarah707]

I would never buy slug pellets, no matter what they say on the box, after they killed my friend's beautiful labrador...

Ok she shouldn't have left them unattended and the dog should have been better trained, but it was a tragedy :(

[Dragonfly]

Probably not, theres not that much round here apart from antiques !! thanks I'lly have a lookat the site though.

[Tatia]

Try garlic juice. I just saw this on Gardener's World. Boil some water with 2 entire crushed bulbs (bulbs, not just cloves) of garlic, strain it and keep juice in a n airtight jar. Use 1 tablespoon of garlic juice mixed with 1 gallon of water and then sprinkle over plants from a watering can. The lady who suggested it grows hostas, which are a snail and slug delicacy. I'm gonna give it a try but she wasn't specific with amount of water to start with so I'm gonna have to experiment. I'll probably start with 3 or 4 pints.

I'm sure the house will smell lovely!:laughing:

[crazybones]

Thanks Tatia, I will try that one. Love garlic smell.

[Tatia]

Me too, Annie. I'll be craving pasta, garlic bread and prawns!