Vert 14 Autumn Col 09.1.3

Who I Am : "Orice are forma, poate fi definit. Si orice poate fi definit, poate fi invins". Sun Tzu, 500 BC

Who I Am : "Orice are forma, poate fi definit. Si orice poate fi definit, poate fi invins". Sun Tzu, 500 BC

Vert 14 Autumn Col 09.1.3

Melcii de gadina

27 aprilie 2012, 16:18

nelucraciun spunea...Buna ziua domniilor voastre, celor pasionati de prima cultura a omenirii, agri-cultura!

Interesant cu melcii aia din gradina. Si eu am melci in gradina de la oras, i-am adunat in primavara cu

galetusa, dar tot au mai ramas destui. Pana acum n-au atacat cele cateva cuiburi de fasole, nici fasolita. In

schimb mi-au nenorocit multe plante de craite, din vreo doua nu a mai ramas decat o bucata de tulpina

cat un bat de chibtit. Pe cele mai afectate le-am acoperit cu partea superioara a unor pet-uri, pe care le tin

fara capac, in speranta ca vor regenera.

7 iunie 2012, 17:18

gioni spunea...Nelucraciun,Agricultura biodinamica spune ca sa pui cativa melci morti intr-o galeata cu apa si sa-i lasi la "macerat"doua saptamani. Dupa aceea se dilueaza zeama si se stropeste pamantul printre straturi. Se zice ca melcilor nu le

va placea deloc si vor "fugiiiii".Numai bine!

8 iunie 2012, 08:16

nelucraciun spunea...Multumesc. Voi incerca.

http://vasi-gioni.blogspot.ro/2012/04/plantarea-rasadurilor-de-fasole-sfaturi.html

Nelucraciun

Combaterea melcilor din grădinile organicePosted on martie 16, 2013by nelucraciun

http://nelucraciun.wordpress.com/2013/03/16/combaterea-melcilor-din-gradinile-organice/

Melcii cu cochilie şi limacşii se numără printre cei mai comuni dăunători din

grădinile noastre. Pentru cei care practică grădinăritul intensiv, utilizând chimicale

de sinteză, există o serie de produse special concepute pentru combaterea

acestrora.

Pentru cei care practică grădinăritul organic, redăm, în continuare, mai multe

metode de prevenţie şi combatere.

Mai întâi trebuie să ştim că în grădina organică melcii pot fi mult mai prezenţi

decât într-o grădină obişnuită. În primul rând datorită absenţei produselor toxice

dar şi pentru că umezeala de sub stratul de mulci şi din grămezile de compost îi

atrage. Pe cât posibil, grămezile de compost se vor amplasa măcar la 5 -10 m

distanţă de grădină.

Distrugerile provocate de melci pot fi foarte însemnate. Aş aminti aici doar un caz

din experienţa proprie.

În urmă cu mai mulţi ani, când cochetam cu pasiunea realizării de mobilier şi

obiecte pentru decoraţiuni din lemn sălbatic, am încercat

cultivarea imortelelor (Helichrysum bracteatum) . Strat după strat, utilizând

seminţe provenind de la diverşi furnizori, totuşi plantele refuzau să răsară. Până

când, la un capăt de rând, am observat un şir lung de vreo doi metri de codiţe.

Codiţe goale, fără frunzuliţe.

M-am lămurit repede. Eclozaseră ouăle melcilor şi puii lor căutau hrană pe

măsură. Puteam eu, mult şi bine, să acuz calitatea seminţelor, puteam să reiau de

nenumărate ori semănatul, cauza era alta.

Odată depistaţi vinovaţii, mi-a fost uşor să găsesc o soluţie. Am trecut la obţinerea

de răsaduri în jardiniere, sub geam. La sădire plantele erau măricele, bebelaşii

melcilor aveau suficientă papa la îndemână, ca să mai şi rămână. Mai ales că

începusem şi o campanie de adunare a lor, de pe plante, în fiecare dimineaţă. Erau,

poate, mii.

Acum, până nu apucă să se înmulţească, este momentul să-i rărim pe flămânzii

melci. Eu merg, noaptea, cu lanterna, după ploaie, ori chiar pe ploaie, sau când

pământul e doar umed, printre straturi, şi-i adun. Acolo unde am poteci amenajate,

pavate cu cărămizi, cu pietre de râu ori, pur şi simplu, cu bucăţele de crengi

tocate.

Dar să enumăr principalele metode şi să vă povestesc câte ceva despre acestea, ce

am aflat şi eu de la alţii.

Bariere formate din materiale zgrunţuroase, plasate în jurul plantelor care plac

melcilor, sau în jurul straturilor, vor împiedica trecerea acestora. Pot fi folosite coji

pisate de ouă , coji sfărâmate de nuci sau de alune, nisip grosier, rumeguş, tărâţe

de ovăz,pleavă de grâu, paie tocate (şişcă), scoarţă de copac mărunţită, pământ de

diatomee,păr de animale, ace de conifere, zaţ de cafea. Sunt păreri conform

cărora cofeina rămasă în zaţ alungă melcii. Nu sunt chiar convins.

Mulciul din resturi vegetale uscate, precum urzici, frunze de tătăneasă, frunze de

roşii,frunze a diferite soiuri de ferigi, frunze de stejar, poate fi, de asemenea, util.

Cenuşa de lemn, funinginea, varul hidratat, utilizate ca bariere, pot fi utilizate mai

ales în perioadele de timp fără ploaie. După prima ploaie mai sănătoasă vor fi

împrăştiate şi integrate în sol.

Un mulci făcut din tulpini și frunze de plante puternic mirositoare, cum ar

fi pelinul,menta, vetricea, roinița, crenguţe de rozmarin, va ajuta la alungarea

melcilor.

Pirul târâtor (Agropyron repens, familia Gramineae), afectează sistemul nervos al

melcilor care se hrănesc cu acesta. Se poate toca şi utiliza ca mulci.

Din păcate pirul târâtor este foarte invaziv, o singură bucăţică de rizom putând

duce la proliferarea acestei plante periculoase şi foarte greu de stârpit. Eu

personal nu aş recomanda nimănui utilizarea acestei plante în grădină.

Pentru cei care au grădina în apropiere de mare le pot fi de ajutor algele bine

spălate cu apă dulce.

Benzi din cupru, late de cca. 5 cm, puse în calea melcilor, dar şi sârme din cupru,

încolăcite în jurul plantelor ameninţate, par a fi eficiente. De asemenea, fâşii din

folie neagră din polietilenă (decupate din banalii saci de gunoi), fixate la sol cu

ţăruşi, pot constitui o piedică în calea melcilor.

Există, de asemenea, garduri speciale, utilizate în fermele pentru creşterea

melcilor.

Prădătorii: Sunt foarte utile măsurile simple de atragere a prădătorilor naturali ai

melcilor, precum aricii, gândacii răpitori, larvele de licurici, şerpii de

casă, broaştele,păsările etc.

Broaştele şi broaștele râioase, salamandrele, reptilele precum şerpii de

casă, șopârlele,broaştele ţestoase pot fi încurajate prin prezenţa unor adăposturi

răcoroase şi umede – cel mai uşor de obţinut prin împrăştierea, în grădină, a unor

pietroaie sau resturi de betoane. Deşi acestea atrag şi/mai ales, melcii.

Broaştele, chiar şi cele râioase, se înmulţesc doar în mediu acvatic, de aceea este

utilă amenajarea, în grădină, a unui mic iaz, populat cu câteva plante acvatice.

Chiar şi un rest de butoiaş din plastic, îngropat în pământ, poate juca rolul iazului.

Trebuie doar să avem grijă să înlocuim periodic apa evaporată.

Păsările, de exemplu găinile, sunt vânători deosebit de harnici. Din păcate, pe

lângă melci, acestora le plac şi plantele şi, mai ales, râmele. Sunt utile pentru

curăţarea grădinii, imediat după recoltare.  Mierlele, ciorile, bufnițele, pescărușii,

graurii, precum şi sturziisunt atraşi de aceste concentrate de proteină care sunt

melcii. Raţele alergătoare indienesunt prădători deosebit de eficienţi care pot

curăţa rapid grădina de melci. Am auzit că prin Austria pot fi chiar închiriate în

acest scop.

Carabus auratus se hraneste cu limacşi şi melci cu cochilie, dar şi cu insecte şi

larve de insecte precum viermele merilor şi perilor (Cydia pomonella L.), gândacul

de colorado (Leptinotarsa decemlineata), gândacul dungat al castraveţilor

(Acalymma vittatum) şi, din păcate, cu râme. Carabus auratus în greutate de 0,640

g/individ consumă 0,875 g pradă.

Există studii care sugerează că aceşti gândaci realizează şi un control biologic al

buruienilor. Pentru atragerea cărăbuşilor aurii este bine să se păstreze zone

înierbate necosite. Plantele aparţinând genului Phacelia, originare din America, îi

atrag. Faceliaeste una dintre cele mai bune plante melifere, care este şi

îngrăşământ verde fixator de azot, plantă furajeră, având, de asemenea, acţiune

antipoluantă şi antinematodă. Facelia este rezistentă la boli si la secetă, este un

erbicid natural (sufocă buruienile), se autoînsămânţează.

Nematozii Phasmarhabditas hermaphrodita sunt deosebit de eficienţi în lupta

împotriva melcilor. Sunt crescuţi intensiv în Marea Britanie şi comercializaţi sub

denumireaNemaslug. Dacă sunt eliberaţi în grădină, se vor infiltra în sol, odată cu

apa de ploaie şi vor ataca şi ucide melcii care, în proporţie de 90 %, se ascund în

pământ. Fişa produsului afirmă că, utilizat oricând, între lunile aprilie şi octombrie,

când temperaturile sunt mai ridicate, scapă grădina de melcii într-o perioadă de

până la șase săptămâni. Solul trebuie să fie menţinut umed pentru ca nematozii să

poată supravieţui. Sunt livraţi într-o pungă sigilată şi pot fi păstraţi în frigider până

la două săptămâni.

Masuri culturale: Săpatul pământului cu hârleţul, deşi nu este recomandat în

grădinăritul organic, poate contribui la reducerea populaţiilor de melci. Dacă solul

este afânat, chiar înainte de apariţia gerului, pe o adâncime de 20 cm, melcii

adăpostiţi pentru perioada de hibernare vor fi scoşi la suprafaţă şi vor îngheţa.

Primăvara limacşii şi melcii cu cochilie îşi ascund ouăle în gropi săpate în pământ.

Săpând solul după depunerea ouălor, acestea vor fi scoase la suprafaţă şi se vor

usca.

Ceaiuri pentru stropit: Plantele pot fi stropite la plantare cu fiertură

de lavandă,begonii sau coacăze. Ceaiul de pelin respinge, de asemenea, melcii.

Este, mai ales, util pentru a fi pulverizat pe sol, toamna, când melcii îşi sapă

adăposturile pentru iernare. O infuzie de rădăcină de hrean tocat, frunze mărunţite

de muşcată şi boia de ardei iute Cayenne (Capsicum annuum L. var. cayenne),

peste care se toarnă 3 litri de apă fiartă şi se lasă să se răcească cel puţin o oră,

pulverizată pe plante, respinge melcii.

Sulfatul de fier îi ucide prin contact. Se amestecă 2 linguriţe de sulfat de fier cu 2

litri de apă şi se pulverizeză pe plante. Cenușa de lemn și funinginea ucid melcii

rapid în special pe vreme uscată. Un efect similar îl are şi varul hidratat.

Din pir târâtor se poate face şi un ceai, prin macerarea în apă caldă timp de 24 de

ore. Se pulverizează pe pământ, nu pe plante.

Culturi capcană şi momeli

vegetale: Fasolea, hreanul, tătăneasa, gălbenelele, salata verde, varza

albă, crăiţele, patlagina și cârciumăresele pot fi utilizate ca şi culturi de

sacrificiu pentru protejarea altor plante.

Hreanul şi tătăneasa sunt plante puternic invazive, însă se pot utiliza numai

frunzele lor tăiate, ca momeli. Frunzele de tătăneasă conţin mai multe proteine

decât frunzele oricărei alte legume, ceea ce explică atracţia lor. Se fac grămezi din

frunze, care se inspectează periodic şi se adună melcii prezenţi la ospăţ. Frunzele

acestor plante se pot împrăştia, ca o barieră, în jurul straturilor cu culturi

vulnerabile. Se mai pot încerca napii şi cartofiităiaţi felii.

Alte capcane: Mâncarea pentru câini, înmuiată cu apă, se aşează grămăjoare în

grădină. Se spune că atrage melcii, precum stârvul atrage muştele. Ghivece de

flori din lut ars, răsturnate, sprijinite pe o pietricică, astfel încât să rămână destul

loc pentru intrarea limacşilor.  Ghivecele se plasează în locuri umbroase şi liniştite

din grădină. Bucăţi de lemn putrezit, îmbibate cu apă, împrăştiate prin grădină,

sunt bune adăposturi pentru melci. Resturi de covor umed împrăştiate prin grădină

vor atrage melcii ca un magnet!  Jumăţati de citrice, golite de miez şi aşezate pe

sol, cu partea secţionată în jos atrag, de asemenea, melcii. Nişte vase de plastic

speciale, cu acoperiş, în care se toarnă bere, pot fi cumpărate din magazine

specializate şi se spune că atrag melcii.

Toate aceste capcane se inspectează periodic, adunând melcii găsiţi.

Cultivă plante evitate de melci: Melcii ocolesc plantele

de usturoi, arpagic, cicoare,andivă, varză

roşie, ghimbir, mentă, salvie, chimen, asmaţui, conduraşi, floarea-soarelui şi altele.

Intercalate între plantele vulnerabile, ţin melcii la distanţă.

Alte măsuri: Felii de castravete puse intr-o farfurie de tabla din aluminiu emana un

miros neplacut pentru melcii care  vor părăsi zona din apropiere.

CENUSA - Melcimarți, 5 iunie 2012

Musafiri nepoftitiDe vreo doua saptamani,frunzele de salata,mustarul rosu urias,mai nou si frunzele de fasole arata ciuruite rau...am banuit la inceput ca sunt melci,dar am cautat si nici urma de melci.....Am dat sfoara in tara

,la persoane mai avizate decat mine in ale gradinaritului si am aflat care sunt musafirii nepoftiti...puricii negri...niste ganganii mici care adora sa se infrupte din frunzele fragede de salata...

Am cautat solutii...nu dorim sa renuntam la ideea de gradina bio,deci din start am spus NU insecticidelor de tipul Carbetox.....solutia a venit de la o vecina ,care de ani de zile imprastie cenusa din soba in gradina,si nu are nici urma de salata ,sau fasole ciuruita...cred ca micutele insecte s-au mutat cu mic cu mare la noi in gradina,unde au gasit mediu propice....si gradinari de treaba,si mai ales milosi...

http://gradinariscusit.blogspot.ro/2012/06/musafiri-nepoftiti.html

Cum ne protejam gradina impotriva melcilor

Invazia melcilor trebuie prevenita din timp. In luna martie distrugerea lor este mult mai usoara comparativ cu lunile mai si iunie, cand acestia se combat mult mai dificil. 

http://www.casamea.ro/gradina/sfaturi/lucrari-de-sezon/cum-ne-protejam-gradina-impotriva-melcilor-10009

Trebuie sa cunoastem cauzele pentru care acesti daunatori ne creeaza atatea probleme in gradina.

In primul rand, prin anii 60 ai secolului trecut, in Austria au fost importati cu diferite transporturi de

alimente limacsii spanioli. Datorita verilor umede si conditiilor de viata prielnice, acestia s-au inmultit

exagerat si pe teritoriile tarilor vecine.

In al doilea rand s-a observat ca modul de intretinere a gradinilor s-a schimbat mult in ultimul deceniu. Pe

vremuri, in gospodariile taranesti si in gradinile de langa casa se tineau pasari de curte, care savurau ouale

melcilor si melcii mai mici. Cel care renunta la cantatul cocosului in zorii zilei trebuie sa aiba in vedere ca

infiintarea unei gradini bine amenajate si intretinute presupune mai multi daunatori.

Dusmanii naturali

Peretii de piatra plasati la soare reprezinta un adevarat paradis pentru dusmanii melcilor - soparlele.

Frunzele ramase sub arbustii cu flori sau garduri vii constituie un bun adapost pentru speciile de Carabus.

Crengile taiate se lasa la marginea gradinii pentru ca ele pot fi un adapost foarte bun pentru arici.

Culegerea limacsilor existenti reprezinta un bun exercitiu, dar si o metoda de combatere si prevenire.

Combaterea pe cale chimica

Gradinarii amatori utilizeaza foarte des granulele si praful pentru melci. Atentie! Este foarte important ca

acestea sa fie "prietene cu natura". Substantele se imprastie pe zona afectata, dupa care in cazul folosirii

prafului se uda suprafata respectiva.

Limacsi se retrag in crapaturile solului si mor, deci sa nu ne suprinda daca nu ii gasim. Combaterea se face

primavara devreme. Se are in vedere ca substanta toxica sa nu ajunga pe legumele destinate consumului.

Articol preluat din cartea "12 luni in gradina", Editura Casa.

2 craite pt. 6 tomate

vineri, 29 iunie 2012

Rosiile atacate de daunatoriIeri ,in timp ce eram in gradina si legam rosiile pe spaliere,mi-a atras atentia o rosioara care era intepata de ceva...10-15 intepaturi,una langa alta......am banuit paianjen sau viespe....am verificat si alte rosii...dezamagire totala...toate rosiile din gradina au urme de intepaturi...problema este ca rosiile incep sa devina maronii si sa se pateze in locul intepat.....

Acest lucru nu se intampla cu tomatele plantate in solar....M-am tot gandit...inafara de zeama bordeleza -remediu considerat natural impotriva manei nu vreau sa folosesc insecticide care de care mai toxice....Un bun amic mi-a dat si solutia....Craitele-Tagetes Patulus sau Vazdoagele,cum li se spune in popor.Craitele secreta substante nocive pt. insecte si nematode.Sunt suficiente 2 craite pt. 6 tomate, pt. a le apara de daunatori.-se recomanda plantarea langa varza: inlatura musculitele-pot fi folosite ca ingrasamant natural-au proprietati antifungicide, antivirale, antibacteriene si nematicide-frunzele si florile inlatura tantarii-gainile care mananca frunze si flori de craite, au galbenusul oualor mai galben (America de Sud)-industria alimentara le foloseste pt. arome si coloranti-ceaiul de craite este recomandat ca adjuvant in miopie, retinopatie diabetica, infectii oculare, ochi obositi, pentru ten acneic, riduri, in profesii care solicita ochii.-Tagetes Lucida- tarhonul mexican- are o aroma placuta si dulceaga, intre tarhon si anason.Se foloseste la aromarea otetului, se asorteaza cu carnea de pasare.

Posted by Codrina at 06:20 2 comentarii: Links to this post

PRASITUL – La Rosii

Epsom

Dealing with Slugs!I've never been very patient. Lee on the other hand, could be holding a screaming baby,  waiting for a huge document to download, while listening to my grandma talk about her bunions and still have patience to spare. I, however, have no patience at all. It's something I'm working on, but frankly, I'm getting impatient with how long it's taking ;).

Where am I going with this? We have intruders and I have completely LOST my cool when dealing with them . . . I'm talking about SLUGS!Those slimy little (excuse my french) BASTARDS are eating my hostas!!! I tried the "beer trap" didn't work, apparently

they aren't big drinkers.I tried the upside down grapefruit half, NOTHING! (Apparently slugs will hide under the grapefruit halves to hid from the sun). 

I was ready to break my Green promise to my yard and break out the hard chemicals, I wanted to NUKE those little SOBs (again excuse my language).My mom (her thumb is so green it looks like it belongs to the hulk) suggested Epsom Salt. I was concerned that it would harm the plants but she insisted that it wouldn't, in fact some of the minerals would be good for the soil! I added a ring of salt around the base of each plant,

 and sure enough first thing the next morning I found 3 slugs under the grapefruits, hiding from the salt. We got rid of those three, since then haven't found anymore and the hostas don't look like they've incurred any more damage either. Hopefully that will be the end of the All you can Eat Slug Smorgasbord! Victory is Mine! hehe

Altele

How To Kill Snails and Slugs - The Definitive Guide

http://www.weekendgardener.net/how-to/snails-slugs.htm

Introduction:

Snails and slugs have been the bane of gardeners for generations. And while over time, many methods have been developed to control these slimy pests, some methods work better than others.

Our goal in creating this "Definitive Guide" was to show all the different ways how to kill snails and slugs, or simply control them, so you can choose which method, or combination of methods, will work best for you in your particular garden or situation.

The snail and slug control methods listed below are not in any particular order, but all of these methods are organic, execept one, (and you'll see its drawbacks when you read it). The basic fact is that all these methods work to varying degrees, and after reading this guide, slug and snail control will be much easier for you, and you'll be able to implement something quickly and easily, and you won't have any further problems. Won't it be nice to have healthy, uneaten plants once again!

Quick Identification First

Before we get started, let's take a quick look at the difference between slugs and snails which is probably apparent to you, but let's take a quick look anyway. It is always easier to get rid of a pest when you understand it, its habits, and its lifecycle.

DescriptionAdults are soft-bodied, land-dwelling mollusks. Snails have coiled shells on their backs and are 1 to 1-1/2 inches (2.5 to 4 cm) long. Slugs are without shells. Garden slugs are 1/8 to 1 inch (3 to 25 mm) long (longer when stretched out); banana slugs may be up to 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) long. Most slugs and snails are dark or light gray, tan, green, or black; some have darker spots or patterns. They leave a characteristic slimy trail of mucus behind them. Eggs are clear, oval, or round, and are laid in jelly-like masses.

Plants AffectedAny tender plant or shrub.

DamageBoth slugs and snails feed mostly on decaying plant material. They also eat soft, succulent plant tissue and rasp large holes in foliage, stems, fruit, and even bulbs. They can completely demolish seedlings and severely damage young shoots and plants. Snails, and sometimes slugs, can climb into trees and shrubs to feed. Both have higher numbers and cause most damage in wet years, and in regions with moist conditions, or high rainfall.

Life CycleAdults lay egg masses in moist soil, or under rocks or containers, or garden debris. Eggs hatch in 2 to 4 weeks. Slugs grow for 5 months up to 2 years before reaching maturity; snails take 2 years to reach maturity.

Snail:

Slug:

Damage:

Eggs:

1. Hand Picking

Hand-picking and disposing of slugs and snails (including stomping on, throwing in the street, dropping in a bucket of salt water, etc.) does work, because if you gather up all the adults before they reproduce, things will get dramatically better, because the tiny ones you miss, don't do the most damage. 

You can do this by day, or go out at night with a flashlight and gather slugs by hand and drop in soapy water in a container they can't climb out of.

Tip: If you're going to do this, use chopsticks or tweezers. Doing it with gloves is very cumbersome, and using your hands leaves a thick slime, so use some other device to help pick slugs off plant leaves.

Note - A Word About Salt and Salt Water: If you want, you can discard snails or put them in a bucket of salty water to kill them - but don't put salt out in the garden directly on the soil, you'll end up ruining your soil! 

Hand Picking:

2. Lures and Traps

This method's goal is to coax snails and slugs out of the flowerbeds into what they think is a safe haven. In reality, it's a haven you're going to throw away every day.

You can do this by laying on the ground:

A flat board

Inverted cabbage leaves Inverted orange, grapefruit, or citrus rinds You can also use an inverted flower pot (prop one edge up slightly)

The slugs and snails will crawl under these items to get away from the light, and heat of the sun, and in the morning all you need to do is dump them into the trash.

Place the pots, boards, cabbage leaves, or rinds in the garden in the evening and check daily. If pests are present throw them out, and put out fresh rinds or leaves. Check traps and destroy pests every morning until numbers drop, then check weekly. 

Citrus Rinds:

3. Beer or Yeast & Honey Mixture

Snails and slugs are attracted to the scent of stale beer or a mixture of yeast and honey.

Put out a saucer filled with stale beer, or the yeast and honey mixture (listed below)

Sink it into the ground so the top of the saucer is at ground level Slugs and snails will get into the mixture and drown.

Keep in mind this will only reliably kill slugs if the trap isdeep enough so that slugs can't reach over the top to get out. So in the case of slugs, use a deeper trap like a deep yogurt container, or a deep plastic cup. Something that is too deep for a slug to climb out of, so it drowns in the beer. 

Check the container daily to make sure a frog or something else hasn't accidentally fallen in, and also to empty and refill every couple of days.

Yeast & Honey Mixture:Now, if you normally don't have beer around, a very effective alternative is boiling some yeast and honey in water. The proportions aren't very critical, just mix some up. 

Once that is made, continue as above. Bury a dish up to the rim in your garden and fill it with this mixture. You’d be amazed at how well this works. The snails and slugs will glide right in and drown themselves. We’ve also heard old grape juice works well, but we have never tried that. 

Beer Trap:

4. Dry Dog or Cat Food

Another good food to lure snails and slugs away from your plants is to use dry dog or cat food. What you do is:

Get a tin foil pie pan and cut a few notches along the rim so that when you set it on the ground you have created a few "doors" for the snails to come in

Pour some dry cat or dog food where you want the snails to come Put the tin foil pan upside down and weight it down with a rock Next morning, you can scoop up the snails, put them in a bag, and toss it in the trash

Note: If you have a problem with raccoons, skunks, or opossums in your area, make sure they are not eating the food. If they are, discontinue and try another method.

Use An Upside Down Foil Pan:

5. Copper Deterrents

Snails and slugs cannot tolerate copper; it gives them a slight electrical shock on contact. Knowing this is great, but keep in mind that it creates a barrier only. It won't kill them, it will only keep them out of an area that doesn't already have a problem.

This can be very helpful for raised beds, trees, containers, flower pots, and other areas in your yard or garden.

After you have applied the copper to the desired area, finish by bending the exposed vertical strands outward. (see pictures to the right)

Note: This works only for slugs if the copper strip or mesh is wide enough so that slugs can't raise their bodies over it. The majority of copper stripping sold in garden shops for this purpose is not wide enough to create an effective barrier, which would need to be 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20cm) wide, or the largest most destructive slugs will hump right over it without touching the copper. If need be, simply put down a double layer of banding to make sure it is wide enough.

Examples Where Copper Works Well:

Tree trunks: Apply a copper band around the base

Flower pots: Apply a copper band around flower pots and they will not cross it

For cold-frames or raised beds: Attach copper flashing to the frames

Greenhouse benches: Attach 3 inch (7.5 cm) wide copper bands around edges 

Now obviously, putting a copper barrier around an entire garden is not going to be practical, but it is an excellent method for protecting very sensitive seedling beds or small containers. 

Copper screen or copper flashing can surround a raised bed, or for small planters, copper foil

(such as Snail-Barr) can be used to wrap the entire container. Shrubs can have a band of copper around the lower trunk.

In order for the copper to continue to work, it needs to be cleaned periodically with vinegar or it will tarnish and no longer work. 

Copper on Tree Trunk:

Copper on Flower Pot:

Copper in Garden Bed:

Commercial Product:

6. Scratchy Things

Scratchy things such as crushed eggshells, sandpaper, cinders, wood ashes, and diatomaceous earth (this will need replacing if it gets wet), work well as a barrier. Again, this method will not kill the snails and slugs, but it will slow them down. 

Another scratchy material they don't like to cross is sandpaper. You can make sandpaper collars to put around your plants if you have the inclination. 

Cut doughnuts from sheets of sandpaper, or use used sandpaper discs from orbital sanders. Cut a slit to the center of each circle, and slip the collars around the stems, laying the sandpaper discs on the ground.

Egg Shells:

Diatomaceous Earth:

Sandpaper Discs:

7. Natural Predators

Possums, chickens, ducks, turtles, tortoises, rats, some birds, and snakes, will prey on snails and slugs. Most people that have chickens and ducks hardly ever see a slug or a snail. 

Obviously this solution will appeal only to those who live in a rural, or favorable setting.

Ducks Love Snails and Slugs:

8. Predatory Snails

A predatory snail called a Decollate snail (Rumina decollata) will feed on young snails and may

be worth a try, but they also may nibble on young plants. 

It takes a little time to get an established group of Decollate snails, but many people have been pleased with the results.

These snails are semi-tropical and don't thrive in temperate or cold gardens; and in some places where they would thrive, they are banned as potentially invasive species. 

They are however, physically attractive snails, and when they do the work effectively for some gardeners, they should be encouraged to keep doing so.

If you want to try these, make sure to avoid any kind of snail bait, organic or other, because it will affect these snails too. 

Decollate Snail:

9. Organic Baits

Two of the best organic snail and slug bait products on the market are Sluggo and Escar-Go which contain iron phosphate. They are safe to use around pets, humans, fish, birds, beneficial insects, and mammals. 

For several other organisms, including earthworms and certain ground beetles, no harmful effects are known. You can also safely use iron phosphate around food crops, ornamentals, lawns, gardens, greenhouses, and berry gardens up to the day of harvest.

Iron phosphate is an organic compound that is found naturally in the soil, and if the bait is not consumed by a slug or snail, the material breaks down into fertilizer for your soil. Iron phosphate is not volatile, and does not readily dissolve in water, which minimizes its dispersal beyond where it is applied.

It is applied to the soil as a pellet that also contains bait to attract snails and slugs. When the pests eat the pellets, the iron phosphate interferes with calcium metabolism in their gut, causing the snails and slugs to stop eating almost immediately. They die 3 to 6 days later. 

Iron phosphate is more effective than Metaldehyde-based chemical products (such as used by Ortho) because Metaldehyde ceases to work when it gets rained on, or if you water the garden, whereas iron phosphate remains active even with repeat wettings, for up to 2 weeks.

Some people will argue that Sluggo and Escar-Go are not as cheap as Metaldehyde-based products, but this isn't necessarily true, because iron phosphate remains active longer, so it requires less to be used to kill more slugs, so in fact it is cost-effective.

What works best is to kill the adult slug and snail population early in the year before they lay their eggs. If you do that, you will be slug and snail free for the rest of the year without further applications. 

The best time for long-term control is to treat the whole garden in the dampness of autumn. That way, in the spring, there will be very few adult slugs and snails to lay their eggs. Another application is useful in late winter or early spring, and again 1 month later. Three applications a year can do the trick. 

How to Apply:

Iron phosphate products are used the same as other bait materials. Simply scatter the granules over the soil's surface, (do not place in piles), where snails and slugs feed.

If the ground is dry, wet it before applying bait. The soil should be moist but with little or no standing water.

Once the slugs have eaten the bait, they immediately stop eating and crawl back under the plants to die. Iron phosphate is slower acting than the synthetic metaldehyde, but is active on the soil surface longer that other baits, and when ingested, the slug stops damaging your plants, which is the whole idea.

Some Basic Facts: 

Sluggo and Escar-Go have a powerful lure that slugs and snails find irresistible. Repeated studies have shown that slugs and snails will eat these baits before they will eat nearby plants. 

Iron phosphate disposes of snails and slugs without mess. You may not see the dead slugs and snails in your garden because they often crawl away to secluded places to die. But you will notice that your plants are no longer being eaten. 

Iron phosphate controls in hard-to-reach areas. because it actually lure snails and slugs from their hiding places, which provides control in any area that slugs frequent, even in mulched beds. 

The only thing beneficial that would be harmed by iron phosphate would be predatory, snail-eating, decollate snails (mentioned above in number 8). If a garden does have these predatory snails, do not use iron phosphate or any other bait. 

Sluggo:

10. Chemical Baits

Methaldyhde-based baits - A word of caution if you have been using a pelleted form of snail bait; it can be dangerous around pets as it looks like food to them. The finer granule type is much safer - but please be careful and read the label and use as directed.

Slug and snail baits with Metaldehyde are sufficiently toxic that such baits are not recommended for use around edible vegetables, and can be harmful to dogs, cats, and fish.

Baits with Metaldehyde work differently than the organic ones with iron phosphate, and since we have already given great detail about how iron phosphate works above in number 9, let's look at Metaldehyde.

Metaldehyde poison dehydrates the snail or slug rather rapidly if it eats the poison. That is a good thing, but slugs and snails can recover from Metaldehyde poisoning if there is rainfall, or access to wet locations, where they will not fully dehydrate and die. 

A slug can lose half its body weight and shrink to a third its size from Metaldehyde poisoning, or by covering it in salt, but if it can get itself to wet soil fast enough, or if it rains, it will recover. 

Because Metaldehyde by itself sometimes isn't as effective as it could be, some products like Ortho Plus include carbaryl to increase its toxicity. Carbaryl kills beneficial insects and therefore should be used with caution.

Another drawback is that after being dampened, Metaldehyde products no longer work, so that means every time you water, or it rains, you will need to re-apply it. 

Many chemical-based baits do work, but be careful how and where you apply them. 

Metaldehyde Snail Baits:

11. Coffee Grounds

The alleged method of slug control using old coffee grounds, we think, amounts to gardening folklore because we have found it doesn't work very well. 

If, however, you are a person who uses this method and swears by it, by all means continue! No sense in stopping something that works for you. 

Coffee Grounds:

12. Spray With Vinegar and Water

Mix equal parts vinegar and water. We have never tried this, but many people have sworn that spraying this mixture on snails and slugs solves the problem for them.

Vinegar:

13. Herbal Repellent

Putting mint or sage in your mulch is reported to do a good job of repelling them. We have never tried this, but many people have sworn by using this mixture to repel slugs and snails. It won't kill them; apparently it just acts as a barrier. 

Mix in Herbs:

If we have missed any, please let us know!

We have tried to be as all-inclusive as possible of all snail and slug barriers, repellents, and toxins. 

There is however, always another idea out there, and if we have not included it on our list, please let us know. We always welcome any feedback. Contact Us. Any additional information sent in will be posted below.

Overall, we hope you have found our "Definitive Slug and Snail Guide" helpful and useful. 

Snail Damage:

1. Additional Information From Visitors:

Good day,

I was reading your article about controlling/killing slugs and snails in the garden. The article was very informative and I thank you for providing this information and this wonderful gardening site for our use. One method of slug/snail control that I did not see mentioned but have found very useful is 1 part ammonia to 4 parts water in a spray bottle. I found this information in several different garden forums I belong to. I have read that the ammonia is not harmful to the plants and have found no ill effect in using it on plants. It literally dissolves the slug or snail when sprayed on the critter. There is some satisfaction in this method when you discover a precious plant chewed to pieces and the culprit is dissolving before your eyes. It is very easy to carry a

spray bottle with the rest of your garden supplies and I have found it to be effective. Last year I was quite diligent in using this method and this year despite the incredibly damp spring we have had here in Eastern Maine, my snail/slug population seems to be diminished. 

If I am making a mistake in using this method, if there is some form of harm I am causing to the environment, I would definitely appreciate knowing.

Thank you, Bonny Slater

Reply from Weekend Gardener Monthly Web Magazine:

Hi Bonny,

Thanks for the additional slug and snail killer technique. I personally have never used this method, but obviously you are using it with great success, and without harming the plants. I have never heard of ammonia harming the environment, in fact it is commonly used in home-made insect killers. I think if it works, keep using it. Thanks for the information, and making this Definitive Guide even better!

2. Additional Information From Visitors:

Hi, just read your guide to slug control. I have recently tried using Nemaslug a product based on nematodes. It's been a big success in reducing slugs in the garden. This year is particularly bad but using nematodes kills eggs and small slugs, only problem I have now is slugs coming in from surrounding areas, as my garden backs onto fields. Hope this helps. Keep up the good work and thanks for the good advice in your guides. 

David

Reply from Weekend Gardener Monthly Web Magazine:

Hi David,

Thanks for the information. I personally have never used Nemaslug, but it's great to pass on your success with the product so others can try it. I love being able to keep improving the Definitive Guide to Slugs and Snails. Thank you for writing in and contributing!

3. Additional Information From Visitors:

Hi, I use household ammonia mix 4:1 or up to 10:1 slugs hate it and die quickly. and the plants love the ammonia it is pure nitrogen (and some H3). Give it a try and let me know. 

Jim Mateosky

Reply from Weekend Gardener Monthly Web Magazine:

Hi Jim,

Thank you for writing in and contributing! Ammonia seems to be very popular.

4. Additional Information From Visitors:

Great site, I will pass your link on to my group. I use Jerry Baker's Slug-Out-Slugs Spray from his book. In a hand sprayer bottle mix 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) ammonia, 1 Tbsp. (15 ml) Murphy's oil soap, and 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) water. The soap helps the tonic from running off of their bodies. It is safe to over spray any area where activity is seen, to close the all you can eat buffet. I tried this last fall, and as with the other suggestions using ammonia, it works great. Something to keep in mind, is that ammonia is not bad for your garden. Without it, corn will not properly cobb up on the ears. I had that problem last year, and my uncle knew why just by smelling the dirt. Respectfully, 

David Moffitt

Reply from Weekend Gardener Monthly Web Magazine:

Hi David,

Thank you for taking the time to add your comments and insights. They have been most helpful and others will benefit from them! 

5. Additional Information From Visitors:

Hi! I have been having great success killing the disgusting, slimy banana slugs that have been throwing all-you-can-eat parties in my garden with cornmeal. It desiccates them very nicely!

Gather up some glass jars and put a tablespoon (15 ml) or two or three of the cornmeal in each one. Lay them on their sides near the plants where the evil things are dining making sure to provide easy entrances to the jars. They think cornmeal is a party favor, so they crawl inside, chow down, and die. Empty the residual mess into the trash in the morning. 

DeDe Johnson, Portland, OR

Reply from Weekend Gardener Monthly Web Magazine:

Hi DeDe,

Great suggestion! Thank you, because many people really struggle with those nasty banana slugs.

6. Additional Information From Visitors:

Hello Weekend Gardener! I’m mailing you from a very warm and sunny South Africa. I love your online web magazine and have been a subscriber to the monthly e-zine for some time now. 

Today I was looking for some tips on ferns, but stumbled across your "How to Kill Slugs and Snails - The Definitive Guide". I have been battling with these slimy critters ever since we moved into our house 2 years ago, and have tried many ways of getting rid of them. Recently I have become more sensitive to the fact that all of nature is important in its own special way, so now I tend to feel bad every time I want to stomp a snail or throw it HIIIIGGGGH up in the air so that it crash lands on the road. Now I am looking for more humane, organic and environmentally responsible ways of getting the job done.

A while ago I read in one of our local gardening magazines that Red Bush (or 'Rooibos' as I’ve grown up to know it) is a wonderful deterrent. It won’t kill them, but in large amounts not only keeps the snails away, but also fertilizes the plants. The best part is, it is available off our shelves as a delicious tea that has been known for it’s healing properties and, as I mentioned before: I grew up with the stuff!

Right now I am in the process of switching over from normal tea to Red Bush completely, both for the sake of my garden as well as my own health. I wanted to share this tip with you because I am sure that you would like to share it with your readers!

Keep going with your great website and keep the tips coming! Kind regards, 

Nico Redelinghuys, South Africa

Reply from Weekend Gardener Monthly Web Magazine:

Hi Nico,

Thank you for the very interesting information and kind words. I've never used Red Bush Tea to deal with snails. The only time I've ever heard of it was in the books by Alexander McCall Smith, "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" where Mma Ramotswe's favorite drink is Red Bush Tea. I'm so glad you shared this with all of us, and I wish you the best of luck with your garden!

Slugs

http://www.nemaslug.com/slugs.shtml

Slugs are the gardener's worst nightmares. Impossible to get rid of once and for all, you need to keep up a constant battle to keep them under control. It pays to know your slugs! That way you can combat them effectively with Nemaslug, your natural nematode pest control - environmentally friendly and safe for children, pets and wildlife.

Using nematodes - Nemaslug Know your slugs Slimy slug facts Recognising slug damage

Nature's allies in slug control Other methods of slug control

Using nematodes - Nemaslug: Nemaslug controls all common species of small to medium sized slugs (up to 8cm - 2.5-3 inches). Start your

control regime early and you will be able to target the young slugs growing under the ground feeding on humus. Nemaslug uses the nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, which was discovered by scientists at the

government research institute at Bristol, England. Nemaslug comes in two convenient sizes to treat small gardens and larger gardens or allotments One application of Nemaslug provides 300,000 nematodes for every square metre of soil, giving at least six

weeks control of slugs. This is generally enough time for seedlings and bedding plants to get well established.

Nemaslug is easy to apply [click here for full details] and does not leave any unsightly residues. Slugs treated with Nemaslug will stop feeding in 3 days and die in about a week. The majority of the slugs will die

underground, so don't expect to see dead slugs lying around. Apply Nemaslug to moist soil. The soil temperature should be 5ºC (40ºF) or over (this is also when plants start to

grow). Nematodes are capable of surviving the odd frost; so don't worry if the temperature falls after you have applied Nemaslug. Metaldehyde based slug pellets are reported not to be effective below 7ºC.

Potatoes are susceptible to slug attack later in the season than most other plants. So you can delay applying Nemaslug till 6-7 weeks before harvest, when the tubers are most likely to be eaten by slugs.

Unlike some controls, Nemaslug continues to work well during wet weather - exactly when you need protection against slugs!

Nemaslug might affect water snails. To avoid harming them keep the treatment 15 cm (6") away from ponds. If you have a heavy clay area, ensure you apply Nemaslug to well worked soil. Nemaslug is less effective on

cloggy clay soil, which has not been worked and/or has become waterlogged. Nemaslug comes in two pack sizes to treat small or medium gardens up to 40 sq.m (50 sq.yds) and larger

gardens or allotments up to 100 sq.m (125 sq.yds).

To Order Nemaslug Slug Killer click here.

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Know your slugs:

The Grey Field Slug - The most common and serious slug pest. Highly variable in colour (but usually light grey or fawn) it measures 3 cm (1.5 inches).

 

The Garden Slug - Similar in size to the grey field slug, but with a much tougher skin. Usually darker in colour (grey to black), with their underside a distinctive yellow, which also characterises their slime trail.

 

The Keeled Slug - Grey in colour, with a ridge down the back they are generally larger than the Grey Field Slug (about 2.5 inches or 6 to 7 cm). On the whole they are regarded as mainly

subterranean in behaviour, living and feeding under ground.

 

The Black Slug - This one is a bit of a whopper, measuring up to 8 inches (20 cm) and is black in colour (but the young stages can be yellowish with dark tentacles). As such, it can be very

conspicuous in your garden. Due to its large size, its body volume to surface area ratio is far greater than the smaller slug species, making it less prone to desiccation (dehydration). Therefore, you are more likely to see this slug during the daytime when compared to the other species. This may lead gardeners to conclude that this is the most common slug in their garden and is causing all the damage, when in reality the real menace (the Grey Field Slug and/or the Garden Slug) is resting underground. There are also some sub species of this slug that are similar in most respects, except that they have a distinctive reddish brown to yellow colour.

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Slimy slug facts:

Britain is the slug capital of the world. Our moist climate without the extremes of hot or cold is ideal for them. Each cubic metre of soil contains on average up to 200 slugs. Slugs are hermaphrodite (have both male and female sex organs). Each slug lays about 300 eggs in batches of up to 50 in crevices in the soil. They hatch in 3 weeks in the spring, whilst eggs laid in the autumn can over-winter before hatching. Slug eggs are slightly oval in shape, white in colour and measure 2-3 mm in diameter. Each Grey Field Slug can have up to 90,000 grandchildren. Slugs have approximately 25,000 teeth. Slugs consume around twice their own body weight each day. If you consider that an average slug weighs 0.1 oz,

it will consume an amazing 1.75 lbs of plant material in a growing season. Young slugs tend to stay underground, feeding on humus (decaying organic matter). This creates an unseen

menace, developing out of sight and just waiting for your young seedlings to be planted. Slugs breed all year round. There are two overlapping generations usually with peaks of egg laying in March-April

and September-October. In northern Europe the life cycle takes 12-15 months.

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Recognising slug damage:

Look for irregular holes with smooth edges on leaves. Nearby will be evidence of their slime trials. They are particularly fond of succulent seedlings, which when left

unprotected, can be totally destroyed in a single night. As well as attacking the leafy parts of plants, slugs will also feast on your fruit and vegetable crop. Slugs will chew

holes in your ripening strawberries and tomatoes. If your seeds do not seem to have germinated, it is possible that slugs have devoured the emerging seedlings

underground. Slugs love potatoes, which are of course grown underground, so you cannot see them being attacked.

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Nature's allies in slug control:

Don't forget that using nematodes will not harm wildlife, so will work in harmony with nature. Many song birds thrive on a slug diet Therefore, you can make your garden attractive to them by providing nest

boxes and areas of dense shrubbery (shelter for them to escape from their own predators, like sparrow hawks). Hedgehogs love feeding on slugs. Their nocturnal activity means they easily capture slugs feeding on plants at

night. Hedgehogs need ground cover to rest and hibernate. A favourite resting place is the compost heap, so take care when moving your heap and check there are no hedgehogs.

Frogs and toads have a high dependency on slugs in their diet. Providing a garden pond helps to encourage them into your garden.

Some insects are also important predators of slugs, for example, ground beetles. Ground beetles represent a number of large ground dwelling beetle species, which are usually black in colour. These fast running insects are voracious feeders on slugs and their eggs. They can also be present in large numbers providing a substantial army targeted against the common foe. Because they feed on slug eggs, they can reduce slug populations before they have inflicted any damage whatsoever. To encourage these important insects, you should provide areas for them to shelter like logs and stones scattered around the garden and possibly under bushes.

The effect of all the above can have a significant impact on the slug population. However, it is important to ensure that your garden is safe for these allies. Of particular concern are chemicals as some can be toxic to these animals. Therefore, if you use them in your garden and/or leave them lying around, you run the risk of harming them and their ability to contribute to controlling your pests.

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Other methods of slug control:

Most slug killers are applied to the surface of the soil. Slugs spend most of their time underground, coming up at night to feed. Sometimes they won't come up at all if they can feed on potatoes and newly planted seeds as they germinate.

Most slug pellets contain metaldehyde, which irritates the slug causing it to produce more mucus leading to death by dehydration. However, slugs can lose up to half of their body weight by dehydration but can still recover within two hours of exposure to water.

Some slug pellets contain methiocarb. This chemical is a non-selective carbamate that acts as a stomach poison and is generally more toxic to other organisms such as birds and hedgehogs.

Slug pellets can provide good localised control at the point of application, but beware:o They need to be re-applied at regular intervals to replenish the active chemical, taking up valuable

gardening time.o There maybe some limitation in the effectiveness of these products during wet weather.

There are increasing concerns about the effects of these chemicals on wildlife and pets. A guide dog has died from eating slug pellets.

o Take care not to apply pellets over the recommended rate on the packet if you want to lower the risk to pets and wildlife.

o These products have clearly labelled warnings stating they can kill if eaten and that they should be kept away from children and pets. It is therefore, important to store and use chemicals safely.

There are also various barrier and capture methods, some of which work better than others. However, they nearly all rely on the slugs being above ground to be effective.

Nemaslug Slug Killer, part of the Nemasys range, is the simple solution for slug control in your garden that is safe for children, pets and wildlife.

A regular regime of using Nemaslug every six weeks is the best way to keep slugs at bay throughout the growing season.

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