Late to this thread! I have intense slug pressure on the west coast of Vancouver Island, so I've started to seed everything in the greenhouse and then plant things out so I can keep an eye on the plants. (With direct seeding I never know whether the culprits are the seeds or the evening slug marauders!) Spinach, arugula, mesclun mixes, kale, and lettuces are all doing well. I've pretty much given up on most brassicas because of cabbage moth pressure, but perhaps I should give it another go. Oddly — since they're supposed to be so easy to grow -- I also have a lot of trouble with radishes. (I love French breakfast radish!) And carrots are also tough. I've heard of people transplanting carrots, but I that wasn't advisable for root veg. Any tips/experience in that regard?
beets and carrots do very poorly if transplanted. Have you tried crushed egg shells against slugs? beer traps? I grew up in the Lower Mainland so I am no stranger to slugs. Sigh. They can be daunting.
I have also heard that copper strips around a raised garden bed can work. I haven't tried that but I did try copper mesh dug a bit into the ground around direct seeded areas and that did give me much better results than most other efforts. Pricey though. You can get it in a roll.
Yeah, I've tried it all — and begrudge wasting good beer on slugs! I've been on this plot for over 30 years and, honestly, the best defence seems to be hand picking. (Or a duck, which I can't have!) The worst are the tiny, milky ones that I think come in with transplants. I'm currently on a remote part of the coast and have been clearing up a garden that is blissfully free of slugs. I found one banana slug under a tarp, but it wasn't interested in the garden like the introduced ones are! I never have native slugs in my Tofino garden, just introduced ones.
Interesting! Yes my ducks love slugs, but in the garden they love the vegetables too. At least I can and do give them the slugs I find. I don't have many here where I live now in Lillooet. But in recent years I am noticing more than in the past. So far no introduced ones - just native species and as you say, they don't invade the garden the same way.
Late to this thread! I have intense slug pressure on the west coast of Vancouver Island, so I've started to seed everything in the greenhouse and then plant things out so I can keep an eye on the plants. (With direct seeding I never know whether the culprits are the seeds or the evening slug marauders!) Spinach, arugula, mesclun mixes, kale, and lettuces are all doing well. I've pretty much given up on most brassicas because of cabbage moth pressure, but perhaps I should give it another go. Oddly — since they're supposed to be so easy to grow -- I also have a lot of trouble with radishes. (I love French breakfast radish!) And carrots are also tough. I've heard of people transplanting carrots, but I that wasn't advisable for root veg. Any tips/experience in that regard?
beets and carrots do very poorly if transplanted. Have you tried crushed egg shells against slugs? beer traps? I grew up in the Lower Mainland so I am no stranger to slugs. Sigh. They can be daunting.
I have also heard that copper strips around a raised garden bed can work. I haven't tried that but I did try copper mesh dug a bit into the ground around direct seeded areas and that did give me much better results than most other efforts. Pricey though. You can get it in a roll.
Yeah, I've tried it all — and begrudge wasting good beer on slugs! I've been on this plot for over 30 years and, honestly, the best defence seems to be hand picking. (Or a duck, which I can't have!) The worst are the tiny, milky ones that I think come in with transplants. I'm currently on a remote part of the coast and have been clearing up a garden that is blissfully free of slugs. I found one banana slug under a tarp, but it wasn't interested in the garden like the introduced ones are! I never have native slugs in my Tofino garden, just introduced ones.
Interesting! Yes my ducks love slugs, but in the garden they love the vegetables too. At least I can and do give them the slugs I find. I don't have many here where I live now in Lillooet. But in recent years I am noticing more than in the past. So far no introduced ones - just native species and as you say, they don't invade the garden the same way.