but seriously, if anyone knows an easy way to stop slugs eating sunflower seedlings without any cats getting hurt in the process please let my wife know. It’s the sole topic of conversation at home these days.
↓ Transcript
1. (what have you got there?) [it's a cucumber]
2. (why?) [aha! it's my new campaign against slugs]
3. (to use as a sacrificial decoy?)
4. (it'll never work! you'll just attract more of them to eat your sunflowers)
5. [that isn't _exactly_ what I planned)
6. THAT NIGHT -- BIFF [and that makes fifty six...]
2. (why?) [aha! it's my new campaign against slugs]
3. (to use as a sacrificial decoy?)
4. (it'll never work! you'll just attract more of them to eat your sunflowers)
5. [that isn't _exactly_ what I planned)
6. THAT NIGHT -- BIFF [and that makes fifty six...]
That looks easier than the normal method of throwing pellets at them
easier, yes, but it makes the cucumber sandwiches slimy afterwards.
What about putting some kosher or rock salt around the sunflower seedlings? maybe on top of weed paper so the salt doesn’t penetrate in? Slugs are really gross after a-salting… hehehe I punned:)
hmm, if it rained wouldn’t the salt just leech into the soil? Seems bad for the soil. Thanks for the suggestion
Crush eggshells (preferably after eating the egg) and encircle each seedling with a thick layer. The slugs don’t like crawling over the sharp edges.
Alternatively, put a slug pellet or two into the bottom of an empty pill canister or some such container, moisten the pellet, then lie the canister on its side near the stem of the seedling. Birds, cats and hedgehogs can’t get at the pellets but the slugs crawl in and stay there. (Film canisters are ideal, but digital camera sensors don’t work as well as cucumbers!)
nice ideas — thanks!
Use the hedgepig from comic 159 ?
I heard that copper tape works, but haven’t used it myself. That would need your seedlings to be in pots though …
Copper tape protects Maple seedlings very well, which slugs like at least as much as sunflower seedlings!
Thanks for all of the suggestions.
I asked the hedgpig but it was rather busy with the cheese and pineapple parties.
My original idea of planting lots of sunflowers, seems to have worked. There are 52 surviving seedlings so far. Soon ………. x number of 10 foot high giants. mmmmmmmm ……not sure how big x will be yet !
Set a disposable pie tin flush in the ground near the plant and half-fill with beer (any cheap beer will do). You could get fancy and create a “roof” several inches above, using popsicle (lolly) sticks and another pie tin. Slugs love beer! They’ll crowd in and die a happy boozy death. Just lift out the corpses (they compost nicely) and top up the beer. Also, I have used zinc strips (roofing supplies) around the sides of my raised garden beds — slugs don’t like zinc any more than copper, and zinc is cheaper.
thanks — she tried a saucer with cider in. I don’t think we caught any!