How to Deal Effectively with Slugs and Snails (home composting) in Your Garden
No commentsBy Jeffry Bullock
One of the most common problems faced by gardeners is the one of slugs and snails. Even experienced gardeners tear their collective hair out at the destruction these creatures can cause. So I thought I would give you a few tried and tested tips, and some others perhaps not so well known, to help you deal with them - you won’t get rid of them all together, but at least you will be able to keep them under some sort of control!
They may not all work for you - a lot depends on just how bad the problem is where you live - but it is certainly worth trying some if not all of them.
Barriers:
These methods will be more effective against snails than slugs, as slugs live in the ground and can therefore avoid barriers.
On your garden borders, you can use barriers around plants, such as crushed eggshells, grit, bran, or wood-ash or soot. The theory is that slugs and snails are reluctant to cross these materials and will therefore wander off elsewhere to look for their next meal. Make sure you put plenty down without any gaps.
Scatter oat bran around your plants - slugs love it, but if they eat enough, they expand and die!
Petroleum jelly smeared thickly around the rims of pots has a similar deterrent effect.
You can purchase copper tape with an adhesive backing, which you can stick around the pot sides - this gives the snail a small electric shock as it tries to cross.
Traps:
Use beer traps - very effective at dealing with both slugs and snails, and you can buy these from a garden centre. Place the trap, filled with cheap beer, in a hole with the top at soil level. You can also use out of date fruit juice, or even milk just about on the turn. Alternatively, make your own by cutting off about 3-4 inches off the base of a plastic drinks bottle.
After eating your half grapefruit, cut a small hole and place the skin upside down on the soil. Slugs love it and will congregate inside and each day you can collect them up.
Collect all the slugs and snails you can find in the late evening, when they start to become active and drown them in a bucket of heavily salted water. Plain water will not work - they will simply swim to the surface and crawl out! Or, if you know where they hide out, you can gather them up during the day - try looking under logs or bricks, and shrubs, any dark, damp corner.
And what to do with the slugs you’ve collected? If you put live slugs or snails into your compost heap, they will probably stay there, as there is plenty of matter for them to feast on. You can also put the dead ones in there too, those in the beer traps including the beer - but scoop the dead slugs and snails out of the salty water first.
Predators:
For a biological control, you can use nematodes - microscopic parasites that kill the slugs above and below ground. Obtained from organic garden suppliers, you simply mix the powder with water and spray on to the soil using a watering can. This can be effective for around six weeks.
If you are lucky enough to have the space, adopt some chickens or ducks - they just love eating slugs - and you can have some free eggs into the bargain.
Make your garden wildlife friendly, to encourage the natural predators of slugs and snails to come and visit. Dig a pond to encourage frogs and toads; leave out food for hedgehogs; and put up bird feeders. This will not provide an ‘instant fix’ for the problem, but in the long term will give you a healthier garden with fewer pests.
Till next time, happy slug hunting!
Want to find out about celosia cristata and celosia caracas? Get tips from the Celosia Flower website.
Your Gardening is Calling Out
By Jeffry Bullock
The crocus is almost ready to peek through the partly snow- covered ground. It won’t be long now and the earth will bring out a burst of colors to herald the beauty of Spring as Nature wakes up from its winter slumber.
It’s that time of the year when gardeners can hardly wait for the snow to disappear from the ground. The balmy weather these past few days started to melt some of the snow revealing the brown color of the grass. It is not too early to start thinking of your garden.Take a look at the pictures of your garden of last summer.You did take pictures!
Think of what you liked about your garden.What new projects do you have in mind? Each year, there are wider varieties of plants to choose from. It is very tempting!
Color
The colors bursting from the garden is one of the most attractive features. Be inspired to try a different mix of colors. This can easily be done by looking at the pictures and do a little re-arranging of your plants. I know I have to move the sundrops and the iris and some of the day lilies this Spring. These plants tend to take over the garden. I’d like to have more blue color this year. This is a relaxing color.
Think of the plants that have to be thinned out,or perhaps were in the wrong spot last summer. Experiment with different varieties of plantsfor an exciting display of colors in your garden.
Soil
Is it time to amend your soil? Plants will do better with proper soil nutrients. Compost is a very rich source of nutrients and it is also good for the environment. Do you need to check the acidity or alkalinity of the soil? There are commercial kits, but I find them too expensive. There are tests that you can do to check it yourself. Check out gardening books and the internet. Be sure to pay attention to your window boxes and other pots and planters. It is recommended that the soil in these containers be changed at least every five years.
Design
Do you have a theme or motif in your garden? Something that is a centerpiece of all the centerpieces. This is what’s creative about gardening. It allows you to express yourself and enhance your creativity. This is where you incorporate features like garden ornaments. But don’t make your garden too busy. Do you have a bench or chair where you can sit and relax, or rest as you work in the garden? Do you like the sound of wind chimes? There are endless ideas to enhance the beauty of your garden and turn it to a work of art and a place for you to relax and meditate.
Budget
How lucky for those who do not have to worry about dollars and cents. Gardening can be an expensive hobby. You can start saving a bit for your gardening expenses now. Think outside the pot, to quote Martha Stewart. You can use your imagination and come out with containers that will blow the mind of your family and friends.
Garden ornaments can be costly. I found some good and tasteful ornaments at the dollar shops and at garage sales.
Pesky animals
Be prepared. If a deer has discovered your garden, chances are it will be back every year. There are plants that are resistant to most animals.I know that geraniums and marigolds are safe. Roses attract the deer. There are ways and means to protect your garden from these destructive intruders without causing them harm. You might consider plants that repel these animals.
I gave up planting tulips. The chipmunks love them. There are other Spring bulbs that repel these creatures. Daffodils and other members of the alium family are just as colorful and lovely to look at.Take time to explore the possibilities and experiment.
Happy gardening.
Read about celosia plumosa and celosia plant at the Celosia Flower website.
Your Source For Composting Instructions And Information
Raised Bed Gardening
A Great Way to Grow
By Cathy Jones
Perhaps as you drive around you have noticed beautifully laid out gardens. The ones that are neatly contained in raised planting areas with tidy paths between. These raised bed gardens are not only a joy to look at. They are a very productive way to grow plants.
Raised bed gardening is also called square foot gardening. The original concept was to help gardens grow better and produce a higher yield. This type of planting also cuts down on water consumption, and is a great way to grow a garden in areas that have poor soil.
You begin by constructing a simple raised bed that is four feet by four feet square. A bed this size makes it easy to reach toward the middle from any side. Use wood that is eight to twelve inches wide, this will be how tall your raised bed is. Fill the bed with fresh soil. You will want to mix in some slow release fertilizer. This will feed your plants all summer long and will help increase your crop yield.
There are several different ways to plant your raised bed. You can section the bed off in one foot by one foot sections using string. This will give you nine equal growing spaces. This type of sectioning is perfect for small crops like peppers, herbs, etc. If you plant crops that have larger plants like tomatoes, you will only want to put one or two plants per section.
Another option for sectioning the bed is to just divide it equally in two. This is a great way to grow crops like corn, beans, and potatoes. Large spreading crops like squash, pumpkins, and watermelons will each need their own bed so they have ample space to spread.
As you plant your beds, keep in mind how large each plant will ultimately get. You dont want large plants like corn shading smaller plants. Always keep your plants organized large to small and plant north to south.
This type of planting encourages the plants to grow closer together and so that reduces the room that weeds would have to grow. Close planting also helps to shade the soil so it retains moisture longer and helps you to conserve water. The plants are well fertilized from the slow release fertilizer you mixed into the soil at the start and they have adequate water. They also get plenty of light because you paid attention to their size when planting.
As a result of careful planning, the crops in your raised beds will produce a great yield of fresh produce. You will find that raised bed gardening is easier and more efficient than traditional gardens. The fruits of your labor will be worth it!
Article Source : Article King Pro - Free Reprints and Distribution
Cathy is a self-employed writer who enjoys yard work and the out-of-doors. She enjoys to work in the garden using her folding garden cart to drag all her tools. She critiques popular, garden carts on her website to help other garden enthusiasts find the perfect one!
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010 at 7:00 am and is filed under gardening. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
