What Annuals Won't Slugs Eat?

[Jenny]

I'm still experimenting to see what I can grow around my new house. We have
a once-wooded area that the builders covered with about 6 inches of chopped
wood mulch. It has the best sun on our property so I have been clearing the
mulch away and amending the miserably rocky soil bit by bit and putting in
flowers there. Daffodils did very well this spring and the perennials I
planted have survived for over a month, but slugs have destroyed all the
marigolds and salvia I planted--stripped the marigolds of leaves and put big
holes in the salvia leaves They've also seem to have eaten the summer bulbs
I planted.

I've read up on slugs online and since we're on the edge of a large forest
and the ground is quite damp at this time of year, I think I'm going to have
to live with them and plant things they won't eat. The fun is going to go
out of gardening very fast if I have to collect slugs every morning.
<shudder> Trouble is, when it comes to things they won't eat, I don't really
know what they are, and buying flat after flat to find out gets expensive.

So far, they have left the verbena and alyssum alone. It is too soon to
tell if they will leave alone the portulaca and the impatiens that I
planted in shadowy areas. I really want something that is bright and
colorful and can be seen from a distance. Any one have any suggestions?
I'm in Western Massachusetts right on the border of VT.

-- Jenny

[Vox Humana]

"Jenny" > wrote in message
...
> I'm still experimenting to see what I can grow around my new house. We
have
> a once-wooded area that the builders covered with about 6 inches of
chopped
> wood mulch. It has the best sun on our property so I have been clearing
the
> mulch away and amending the miserably rocky soil bit by bit and putting in
> flowers there. Daffodils did very well this spring and the perennials I
> planted have survived for over a month, but slugs have destroyed all the
> marigolds and salvia I planted--stripped the marigolds of leaves and put
big
> holes in the salvia leaves They've also seem to have eaten the summer
bulbs
> I planted.
>
> I've read up on slugs online and since we're on the edge of a large
forest
> and the ground is quite damp at this time of year, I think I'm going to
have
> to live with them and plant things they won't eat. The fun is going to go
> out of gardening very fast if I have to collect slugs every morning.
> <shudder> Trouble is, when it comes to things they won't eat, I don't
really
> know what they are, and buying flat after flat to find out gets expensive.
>
> So far, they have left the verbena and alyssum alone. It is too soon to
> tell if they will leave alone the portulaca and the impatiens that I
> planted in shadowy areas. I really want something that is bright and
> colorful and can be seen from a distance. Any one have any suggestions?
> I'm in Western Massachusetts right on the border of VT.
>

You might consider getting some iron phosphate based slug killer. The stuff
is safe for pets and wildlife unlike the metaldehde products like Bug Getta.
You can find the safe stuff sold as "Sluggo," "Escar-Go!" and "Worry Free"
slug and snail bait. I live on the edge of a wooded area and slugs are an
issue since I have a couple hundred hostas. The slugs have never bothered
my annuals so I would wait to see if the slugs eat your stuff before
applying the slug killer. The iron phosphate killers cost a bit more but
one teaspoon treats a square yard and last two or three weeks, depending on
how much it rains.
http://eesc.orst.edu/agcomwebfile/garden/pestsandpesticides/slugbait.html

[William Wagner]

>>You might consider getting some iron phosphate based slug killer.

Any source for Iron Phosphate ?? Since the active stuff is about 1% the
rest Carb's I'd like to make my own. I asked before.

Bill who will go with the nasty poison unless you green's answer.

Nah... I'll still go with the Esgargo stuff. Though a rip off!

--
Zone 5 In South Jersey USA Shade
Consider all sorts of music at http://xpn.org/
"No Progress without contraries" William Blake.

[culprit]

"Jenny" > wrote in message
...
> I'm still experimenting to see what I can grow around my new house. We
have
> a once-wooded area that the builders covered with about 6 inches of
chopped
> wood mulch. It has the best sun on our property so I have been clearing
the
> mulch away and amending the miserably rocky soil bit by bit and putting in
> flowers there. Daffodils did very well this spring and the perennials I
> planted have survived for over a month, but slugs have destroyed all the
> marigolds and salvia I planted--stripped the marigolds of leaves and put
big
> holes in the salvia leaves They've also seem to have eaten the summer
bulbs
> I planted.

i've always used beer traps (a shallow bowl of beer near the tasty plants
attracts slugs, who drown in it), but this page has a whole list of ideas to
rid your garden of slugs:

http://www.ghorganics.com/page13.html

-kelly

[Vox Humana]

"William Wagner" > wrote in message
...
> >>You might consider getting some iron phosphate based slug killer.
>
> Any source for Iron Phosphate ?? Since the active stuff is about 1% the
> rest Carb's I'd like to make my own. I asked before.
>
> Bill who will go with the nasty poison unless you green's answer.
>
> Nah... I'll still go with the Esgargo stuff. Though a rip off!

It definitely costs too much, but I was lucky to find two huge boxes ( 50
pounds total) at 75% off on clearance. I think it came out to about $8 for
both boxes.

[Michelle]

I have a milion slugs and they always seem to ignore my petunias ?
go figure but they don't eat them at all wish the same could be said
for my vegies

On Wed, 5 May 2004 15:20:09 -0400, "Jenny"
> wrote:

>I'm still experimenting to see what I can grow around my new house. We have
>a once-wooded area that the builders covered with about 6 inches of chopped
>wood mulch. It has the best sun on our property so I have been clearing the
>mulch away and amending the miserably rocky soil bit by bit and putting in
>flowers there. Daffodils did very well this spring and the perennials I
>planted have survived for over a month, but slugs have destroyed all the
>marigolds and salvia I planted--stripped the marigolds of leaves and put big
>holes in the salvia leaves They've also seem to have eaten the summer bulbs
>I planted.
>
>I've read up on slugs online and since we're on the edge of a large forest
>and the ground is quite damp at this time of year, I think I'm going to have
>to live with them and plant things they won't eat. The fun is going to go
>out of gardening very fast if I have to collect slugs every morning.
><shudder> Trouble is, when it comes to things they won't eat, I don't really
>know what they are, and buying flat after flat to find out gets expensive.
>
>So far, they have left the verbena and alyssum alone. It is too soon to
>tell if they will leave alone the portulaca and the impatiens that I
>planted in shadowy areas. I really want something that is bright and
>colorful and can be seen from a distance. Any one have any suggestions?
>I'm in Western Massachusetts right on the border of VT.
>
>-- Jenny
>

[Jenny]

Michelle,

I finally broke down and threw a "Party" for the slugs, putting little
plastic cups of yeast-and-sugar water in the ground all over what is left of
my garden. This morning each cup had dozens of them, in all shapes and
sizes.

I'm hoping if I do this for a week or two I'll cut the numbers down to where
my annuals have a chance. The slugs sure are gross and dealing with them up
close and personal takes a lot of the fun out of gardening.

I read about using yeast instead of beer online and it looks like it does
work as well as beer. I mixed one packet of dry yeast with a pitcher of
water and a few teaspoons of sugar, let it sit for two hours and then filled
little 5 oz cups about 2/3 full . I did seven cups and have half the yeast
mixture left. This is a lot cheaper than beer and worked just as well. (We
tried the beer first to see if the slugs would respond.)

-- Jenny


"Michelle" > wrote in message
...
> I have a milion slugs and they always seem to ignore my petunias ?
> go figure but they don't eat them at all wish the same could be said
> for my vegies
>
> On Wed, 5 May 2004 15:20:09 -0400, "Jenny"
> > wrote:
>
> >I'm still experimenting to see what I can grow around my new house. We
have
> >a once-wooded area that the builders covered with about 6 inches of
chopped
> >wood mulch. It has the best sun on our property so I have been clearing
the
> >mulch away and amending the miserably rocky soil bit by bit and putting
in
> >flowers there. Daffodils did very well this spring and the perennials I
> >planted have survived for over a month, but slugs have destroyed all the
> >marigolds and salvia I planted--stripped the marigolds of leaves and put
big
> >holes in the salvia leaves They've also seem to have eaten the summer
bulbs
> >I planted.
> >
> >I've read up on slugs online and since we're on the edge of a large
forest
> >and the ground is quite damp at this time of year, I think I'm going to
have
> >to live with them and plant things they won't eat. The fun is going to
go
> >out of gardening very fast if I have to collect slugs every morning.
> ><shudder> Trouble is, when it comes to things they won't eat, I don't
really
> >know what they are, and buying flat after flat to find out gets
expensive.
> >
> >So far, they have left the verbena and alyssum alone. It is too soon to
> >tell if they will leave alone the portulaca and the impatiens that I
> >planted in shadowy areas. I really want something that is bright and
> >colorful and can be seen from a distance. Any one have any suggestions?
> >I'm in Western Massachusetts right on the border of VT.
> >
> >-- Jenny
> >
>