Why has Nik been disappearing in to the darkness with a torch every night before bed? If you're a keen gardener or ever tried growing anything particularly juicy or succulent you'll probably be able to take an educated guess; slugs.
Of course, every creature has its place in any garden with an healthy ecosystem and it would be a sorry thing not to cultivate at least a bit of gratitude to the humble slug for their role in breaking down dead and decaying matter and returning it to the soil. With an ability to eat up to forty times their own weight in a single day, they're a valuable aid to a rich and fertile mulch; if only they'd be content to turn their attentions to the compost heap it would be a happy thing indeed! Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work like that and we've had such a dreary, wet spring so far that the seedlings are struggling enough as it is to put on any growth, let alone cope with the ravenous advances of the burgeoning slug population, who are positively thriving in the damp, cloudy weather.
Of course, every creature has its place in any garden with an healthy ecosystem and it would be a sorry thing not to cultivate at least a bit of gratitude to the humble slug for their role in breaking down dead and decaying matter and returning it to the soil. With an ability to eat up to forty times their own weight in a single day, they're a valuable aid to a rich and fertile mulch; if only they'd be content to turn their attentions to the compost heap it would be a happy thing indeed! Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work like that and we've had such a dreary, wet spring so far that the seedlings are struggling enough as it is to put on any growth, let alone cope with the ravenous advances of the burgeoning slug population, who are positively thriving in the damp, cloudy weather.
 | There are various things you can do to discourage them. Back in my allotmenting days, I found a hearty ring of fresh nettles around my plants a good deterrent, where Nik used to use pieces of copper, including pennies, which they find equally unpleasant to traverse. Then there's the good ol' Slug Pub! Slugs and snails have a taste for ale it seems and it's sometimes very effective to leave containers of (cheap!) beer close to your crops. The guzzling gastropods can't help make their way to the bar instead of to the salad (we've all been there...) and tend to end the night in a sozzled puddle rather than benefiting from a good feed. Yes, it's a sad end for the slug but much better for the rest of your garden than slug pellets. |
We, however; seem to be hosting a unique species of teetotal slugs. Or perhaps, since they are quite little, they're just not old enough to hit the bottle yet...
In the long term, we're planning a pond to encourage the services (as well as the happy company) of frogs, toads and newts but for the time being it seems we just can't beat the good old 'seek and remove' strategy and as they prefer the darker hours, Nik needs a torch for that!
In the long term, we're planning a pond to encourage the services (as well as the happy company) of frogs, toads and newts but for the time being it seems we just can't beat the good old 'seek and remove' strategy and as they prefer the darker hours, Nik needs a torch for that!
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