I have planted various peppers, gardenias, and vincas in my garden and yard.
The vincas when first, then the gardenias, and now my peppers. It appears
that the plants are being eaten from the bottom up.
The gardenias and vincas have the whole leaves missing while the pepper
leaves mostly have holes in them. Is this because there are two different
problems (or 3 problems) or is it because the pepper leaves are so much
bigger?
Can anyone tell me what this is? How do I take care of it? Thanks in advance
--

Ed

Here in my neck of the woods, when entire leaves are missing, it's usually
the work of rabbits or groundhogs, although they usually eat the more tender
top growth first. With holes in the leaves, my first guess would be slugs.
You can check for slugs by going out after dark with a flashlight.

Is there any "frass", small brownish/blackish clumps of caterpillar poop, on
any the plants? Some types of caterpillars can do a surprising amount of
damage.

You are taking the correct approach in trying to identify the pest or pests
before you attempt treatment.

Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA


"Paid2fish" wrote in message
m...
I have planted various peppers, gardenias, and vincas in my garden and
yard.
The vincas when first, then the gardenias, and now my peppers. It appears
that the plants are being eaten from the bottom up.
The gardenias and vincas have the whole leaves missing while the pepper
leaves mostly have holes in them. Is this because there are two different
problems (or 3 problems) or is it because the pepper leaves are so much
bigger?
Can anyone tell me what this is? How do I take care of it? Thanks in
advance
--

Ed

Thanks for the tip, I went out just now and found dozens of slugs. Is there
an easy way to repel them? Kill them? I would prefer not use a pesticide
unless there is no other reasonable option.

--


"SugarChile" wrote in message
thlink.net...
Here in my neck of the woods, when entire leaves are missing, it's
usually
the work of rabbits or groundhogs, although they usually eat the more
tender
top growth first. With holes in the leaves, my first guess would be
slugs.
You can check for slugs by going out after dark with a flashlight.

Is there any "frass", small brownish/blackish clumps of caterpillar poop,
on
any the plants? Some types of caterpillars can do a surprising amount of
damage.

You are taking the correct approach in trying to identify the pest or
pests
before you attempt treatment.

Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA


"Paid2fish" wrote in message
m...
I have planted various peppers, gardenias, and vincas in my garden and
yard.
The vincas when first, then the gardenias, and now my peppers. It
appears
that the plants are being eaten from the bottom up.
The gardenias and vincas have the whole leaves missing while the pepper
leaves mostly have holes in them. Is this because there are two
different
problems (or 3 problems) or is it because the pepper leaves are so much
bigger?
Can anyone tell me what this is? How do I take care of it? Thanks in
advance
--

Ed

On Thu, 05 Jun 2003 02:32:34 GMT, "Paid2fish"
wrote:

Thanks for the tip, I went out just now and found dozens of slugs. Is there
an easy way to repel them? Kill them? I would prefer not use a pesticide
unless there is no other reasonable option.

http://www.gardensalive.com has a natural (and harmless,
they say) slug killer.

http://www.gardensalive.com/item_dis...uctNumber=2111
(in case this doesn't work, the product is called
'Escar-Go!' - just search on 'slug').

I'm using this for the first time this year, so I can't say
how well it works or doesn't - I put it out two days ago, as
I am experiencing slug damage too (all the rain we've had
must encourage them).

There's also a product called 'Sluggo' (IIRC), which might
be available to you locally. I couldn't find it locally,
but we're in a very rural area and the stores aren't as well
stocked as they might be.

Some people put out saucers of beer and say that the slugs
come to drink it, then drown. When I tried this, it didn't
work. Maybe I was using the wrong kind of beer! Maybe the
slugs prefer imported beer....

Pat

"Paid2fish" wrote in message om...
Thanks for the tip, I went out just now and found dozens of slugs. Is there
an easy way to repel them? Kill them? I would prefer not use a pesticide
unless there is no other reasonable option.


I know this is going to sound crazy, but try beer. A friend suggested
it to me years back, and I set a plate of beer out at night, and the
next morning I had about 15 dead slugs on the plate. It was so
disgusting that I opted to go with the pesticides from then on.

Apparently, they like beer and are attracted to it and then drown in
the puddle. Again, I have only done this once, but it worked like a
charm, assuming you can stomach it.

Good luck,
Chris

work. Maybe I was using the wrong kind of beer! Maybe the
slugs prefer imported beer....


Is this going to start a "the best beer is: fill in here thread??

I personally prefer Mike's hard Lemoande to beer...


email: daveallyn at bwsys dot net
please respond in this NG so others
can share your wisdom as well!

I know this is going to sound crazy, but try beer.


The bad thing about beer is that it will also attract slugs and snails from all
around your garden but not all of them will stop for a drink.

Jack

On 07 Jun 2003 01:53:42 GMT, (Jack1000) wrote:

~ I know this is going to sound crazy, but try beer.
~
~
~The bad thing about beer is that it will also attract slugs and snails from all
~around your garden but not all of them will stop for a drink.
~

The long running radio show BBC Gardeners' Question Time recently did
a survey of beer traps and techniques. Over a two-week period they put
down identical traps (deep saucers or pots with half an inch standing
clear of the surface to prevent 'good' ground beetles falling in)
filled with either stout (Guinness), lager, milk or water.
The Guinness far and away won, dispatching over double the slugs that
the milk did. Lager was third and water was last (as it was the
control, that's not surprising).

In the second week of the trial they caught significantly fewer slugs!
I now have a tin of the eponymous brew waiting to go up to my patch...


Good luck


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

On Mon, 9 Jun 2003 08:07:18 +0000 (UTC), (jane)
wrote in rec.gardens.edible:

The Guinness far and away won, dispatching over double the slugs that
the milk did. Lager was third and water was last (as it was the
control, that's not surprising).

You have to wonder how the makers of Guiness view this.
--
Gardening Zones
Canada Zone 5a
United States Zone 3a
Near Ottawa, Ontario

On Mon, 09 Jun 2003 11:02:13 -0400, Jim Carter
wrote:

~On Mon, 9 Jun 2003 08:07:18 +0000 (UTC), (jane)
~wrote in rec.gardens.edible:
~
~The Guinness far and away won, dispatching over double the slugs that
~the milk did. Lager was third and water was last (as it was the
~control, that's not surprising).
~
~You have to wonder how the makers of Guiness view this.

As a good marketing ploy I suspect - I'd never buy the stuff
otherwise! Mind you I don't drink ale or lager either...
Must remember to go up and top up the slug pub reservoir tonight,
having just put out my squashes.

:-)


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!