Ask any veg grower what their number one challenge is in the garden and the answer will inevitably be “slugs.” If this is you, then don’t give up on your veg patch this year…there are a few things you can do (without resorting to chemical slug pellets) that will really make a big difference, and it’s a simple case of using a combination of different tactics.
Firstly, we have to say that the most effective thing you can do is a nightly slug patrol during the growing season, particularly when the ground is damp or if there is rain forecast. Grab a bucket and a head torch, put on a pair of gardening gloves and set off into the veg patch. Pick up any slugs or snails that you see and pop them in the bucket. What you do with the detainees afterwards is up to you. We find that our chickens are more than happy to help out by eating a few unwanted visitors, but you may prefer to dispose of them in other ways.
In conjunction with the nightly slug patrol, we’d recommend building a slug trap. Our new slug busters are brilliant, or you can make your own by sinking an old cup into the earth. Fill your slug trap with cheap lager, or a lettuce and salt water mixture. The slugs won’t be able to resist a sneaky aperitif before visiting your veg, but they’ll soon learn the error of their ways and will never make it as far as your salad patch.
For those that slip through the net, bypassing the slug traps and hiding out of view during the nightly patrol, a barrier of something gritty around the base of vulnerable plants is a good technique. A lot of people break up cleaned eggshells and sprinkle them around the base. We prefer to use something a bit chunkier though. You could try our Slug Deterrent.