I have been wondering why it is that we never seem to find any weeds
being chewed by slugs.
I know that a lot of slugs have a natural diet of dead and decaying
plant matter, but you'd think that things like nice young chickweed
would be nice for them.
David @ the showery end of Swansea Bay

On Sun, 01 Jul 2012 11:37:42 +0100, David Hill
wrote:

I have been wondering why it is that we never seem to find any weeds
being chewed by slugs.
I know that a lot of slugs have a natural diet of dead and decaying
plant matter, but you'd think that things like nice young chickweed
would be nice for them.
David @ the showery end of Swansea Bay

But that would be too 'healthy'...

JonH

On Sun, 01 Jul 2012 11:37:42 +0100, David Hill
wrote:

I have been wondering why it is that we never seem to find any weeds
being chewed by slugs.

It is probably because weeds and slugs have evolved in a balanced
relationship. Our garden plants are recent and are not part of the
balance with slugs.

Steve

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On 01/07/2012 12:39, Stephen Wolstenholme wrote:
On Sun, 01 Jul 2012 11:37:42 +0100, David Hill
wrote:

I have been wondering why it is that we never seem to find any weeds
being chewed by slugs.

It is probably because weeds and slugs have evolved in a balanced
relationship. Our garden plants are recent and are not part of the
balance with slugs.

Steve





Also, we expect our plants to be far superior and productive compared to
weeds, so they are generally grown in better conditions than weeds,
making them more succulent and inviting.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

On Sun, 01 Jul 2012 15:12:39 +0100, Spider wrote:



Also, we expect our plants to be far superior and productive compared to
weeds, so they are generally grown in better conditions than weeds,
making them more succulent and inviting.

Are you implying that my hostas and dahlias, which are entirely
un-nibbled, have been grown in worse conditions than weeds in order to
make them less succulent and inviting? I would challenge you to
pistols at dawn but you would have a minimum advantage of 2:1

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East End of Swansea Bay. We don't yet have a
"dah dah dah dah dee dee deeee" theme tune but we're working on it.

Can't tell astilbe from aranthus
But I can from an acanthus!

On 01/07/2012 15:26, Jake wrote:
On Sun, 01 Jul 2012 15:12:39 +0100, wrote:



Also, we expect our plants to be far superior and productive compared to
weeds, so they are generally grown in better conditions than weeds,
making them more succulent and inviting.

Are you implying that my hostas and dahlias, which are entirely
un-nibbled, have been grown in worse conditions than weeds in order to
make them less succulent and inviting?


Yup!! Must be so. :~)) Of course slug treatments would make them less
inviting, however succulent.


I would challenge you to
pistols at dawn but you would have a minimum advantage of 2:1


Oh, easily, and I could lasso you with my web. Bet you'd look dead cute
wrapped in silk :~)).



Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East End of Swansea Bay. We don't yet have a
"dah dah dah dah dee dee deeee" theme tune but we're working on it.

Can't tell astilbe from aranthus
But I can from an acanthus!

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

On Sun, 01 Jul 2012 19:12:21 +0100, Spider wrote:



Of course slug treatments would make them less
inviting, however succulent.

The only slug treatments here are provided by the occasional nocturnal
expedition with bucket of salty water to locate those not already
dealt with by the healthy resident population of hedgehogs, frogs and
toads. I've noticed blackbirds flying off with the odd slug too!

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East End of Swansea Bay. We don't yet have a
"dah dah dah dah dee dee deeee" theme tune but we're working on it.

Can't tell astilbe from aranthus
But I can from an acanthus!

David Hill wrote in news:a5anjcF7piU3
@mid.individual.net:

I have been wondering why it is that we never seem to find any weeds
being chewed by slugs.
I know that a lot of slugs have a natural diet of dead and decaying
plant matter, but you'd think that things like nice young chickweed
would be nice for them.
David @ the showery end of Swansea Bay


I always assumed that is one of the reasons why weeds survive so well.
I never see any insect damage on weeds either.
Also rabbits prefer my friends brassiccas rather than dandelions on his
allotment.
Some people say that a weed is just a flower in the wrong place. Could be
true I suppose. I have my doubts. I have probably the biggest and varied
collection on this planet :-(
Well, it seems that way.

Baz