how safe are they round veg?

I want to be as organic as possible but the buggers are just
everywhere.

TIA

Nicholas

I'm an avid listener to R4 gardeners question time and one week the panel
totally agreed that the only way to effectively control slugs was to use
pellets!
If I remember correctly even Bob Flowerdew agreed!!!

Badger


"Nicholas" wrote in message
...
how safe are they round veg?

I want to be as organic as possible but the buggers are just
everywhere.

TIA

Nicholas

Hiya, You can get organic slug pellets now. I got some from the garden
center last week.
Karen

Karen
Do they work as well as chemical pellets?

Badger


"karen" wrote in message
...
Hiya, You can get organic slug pellets now. I got some from the garden
center last week.
Karen

how safe are they round veg?

I want to be as organic as possible but the buggers are just
everywhere.

TIA

Nicholas

Slug pellets are the only pesticide I use on the veg patch. I never found an
effective economic alternative.
After wiping out the majority of the population on the veg patch, I regularly put
pellets in the surrounding flower beds and base of the hedge. This "ring of death"
seems to work quite well and minimises the pellets needed around the veg
themselves.
--
Drakanthus.


(Spam filter: Include the word VB anywhere in the subject line or emails
will never reach me.)

In article , Nicholas
writes
how safe are they round veg?

I want to be as organic as possible but the buggers are just
everywhere.

We never use slug pellets in our organic system. We encourage plenty of
wildlife to our garden including slug predators such as birds, frogs,
hedgehogs etc. We still have a resident population of slugs, but they
are not enough to cause any particular problems. If we do find a plant
being attacked, we cut lengths of bramble and layer those round it to
deter the slugs. It works for us.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

In message , Nicholas
writes
how safe are they round veg?

I want to be as organic as possible but the buggers are just
everywhere.

If you've got such a heavy infestation then an application of nematodes
may be worthwhile - see http://www.nemaslug.com/

--
dave @ stejonda

October 7 Bush Iraq Speech Analysis http://www.accuracy.org/bush/

I also use pellets in a Ring of Steel approach around the veg and
greenhouse.
I tried not to use any pellets the year before last but the veg (mainly
lettuce) and the marigolds were very badly affected.
I regularly get upwards of 20 frogs in the pond at this time of year and in
a garden of about 25' x130' I thought that they would spread out quite well
and eat most of the frogs and snails...wrong.
I also used 3 beer traps which certainly attracted and collected a lot of
slugs but the damage to the plants went on unabated. They even laid their
eggs under the traps (slug-x)!

This year I will go back to the ring of steel approach placing the pellets
around the outside of the greenhouse and along the edges of the veg patch
with a fair sprinkling amongst the bedding plants.

As to the original question of how poisonous they are I do not know but I
would imagine that if eaten they will cause some stomach discomfort and that
after a few days/weeks on the ground they probably become less and less
poisonous.

AndyP

--
"Wisest are they that know they do not know." Socrates

"Nicholas" wrote in message
...
how safe are they round veg?

I want to be as organic as possible but the buggers are just
everywhere.

TIA

Nicholas

karen wrote:

: Hiya, You can get organic slug pellets now. I got some from the garden
: center last week.

Presumably these still contain deadly poisons.
--
__________
|im |yler http://timtyler.org/

Hi, I havnt tried the organic pellets yet-havnt had time to get things
planted!! Will let you know how effective they are-I will read the box and
tell you what they have in them.
Karen

Hi

After one of my cats nearly died after eating slug pellets a few years ago
Ive avoided using them. A couple of years ago we moved and this garden has
fewer slugs than any other Ive had and its also got the most frogs Ive ever
seen, so were building a pond for them as they seem very effective at
keeping the slugs down.
I also last year bought some organic slug deterrant which was white
powder/granuales that absorb a lot of moisture and the idea is that you put
a ring of the stuff round your plants and then when the slug touches it runs
away. Well it works but it is also very expensive as I found you had to use
loads - but it saved my newly planted rhubarb, which the slugs all seemed to
be making a beeline for.

Anyway - bring on the frogs!

MegaDaisy
www.nige.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk


"Nicholas" wrote in message
...
how safe are they round veg?

I want to be as organic as possible but the buggers are just
everywhere.

TIA

Nicholas


---
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Use sand, just as effective and much cheaper, although as with
anything you will need to maintain it.

Sand is worth a go. Another thought is would water retaining granules or
cat litter work, its pretty messy stuff when it is wet and the
slugs/snails might object to it.
kate

In article ,
Drakanthus writes
how safe are they round veg?

I want to be as organic as possible but the buggers are just
everywhere.

TIA

Nicholas

Slug pellets are the only pesticide I use on the veg patch. I never found an
effective economic alternative.
After wiping out the majority of the population on the veg patch, I regularly
put
pellets in the surrounding flower beds and base of the hedge. This "ring of
death"
seems to work quite well and minimises the pellets needed around the veg
themselves.
--
I have to confess we use them but I do worry what ill effects they have
on birds & mammals that might eat the dying slugs.
--
Paul Flackett

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--
I have to confess we use them but I do worry what ill effects they have
on birds & mammals that might eat the dying slugs.
--
Paul Flackett


I too am concerned. However I've not come across an economic alternative.
Nematodes are very expensive and the moisture absorbing slug deterrent type
materials sound a lot of hassle to put around every plant - and of dubious
effectiveness.
--
Drakanthus.


(Spam filter: Include the word VB anywhere in the subject line or emails
will never reach me.)

In article ,
Drakanthus writes
--
I have to confess we use them but I do worry what ill effects they have
on birds & mammals that might eat the dying slugs.
--
Paul Flackett


I too am concerned. However I've not come across an economic alternative.
Nematodes are very expensive and the moisture absorbing slug deterrent type
materials sound a lot of hassle to put around every plant - and of dubious
effectiveness.
--
The nematodes didn't work for us. Apparently success is limited on clay
soils like ours.
--
Paul Flackett

Remove _bra to reply by e-mail.