This morning I pulled up all but 1 of the remaining heads of cabbage to make room for the next crop.
Broccoli.
The broccoli I planted in the spring did so well, I decided to try it again this fall. Up until this year I had never been too successful with broccoli. In years past I had just plopped the seeds into the ground. But this year I used grow lights and they made all the difference in the world. I think by starting the broccoli indoors it helped to produce hardier plants as well as allow the broccoli starts to get nice and fat so they could defend themselves a little better from the slugs.
I started these broccoli plants about a month or so ago, and in my opinion, I think they look just like the ones you’d find at a nursery. With any luck, we should be harvesting our fall crop of broccoli in about 55 days.
Now, if I can just keep the slugs away everything will be alright. Only time will tell.
How are YOU keeping slugs out of your garden?
Have you tried the old beer in a pie tin trick? Does it really work?
I usually just pick them off and toss them in a bucket of salt. Maybe I need to try something new.
~Mavis
Cindy Wood says
Hi Mavis- we have had great success with the beer in the pie tin method. At one point we were getting 10-12 every night in each bowl.
teri says
Your cabbage is HUGE! Mine never got any bigger than a tennis ball and never would become a “head” of cabbage, just a bunch of leaves. Oh well. Maybe I will have better results next year.
Good luck with your slug problem 🙂
Jeannette says
I pick off the slugs and toss them in the chicken coop. My hens love slugs – I figure converting slugs to eggs is a pretty good deal.
Elena says
I have had good luck with sluggo. It is aproved for organic gardening.
Micaela says
This may sound kinda gross, but do you think your chickens would eat the slugs you find? I once had a duck that would greedily eat all the caterpillars and hornworms I found in my garden.
Desi says
My professor is college suggested the same thing only he used tuna cans.
indio says
Defiitely feed those slugs to the chickens. It’s a great source of protein. When my hens see me coming with the flower pot full of tasty treats they come running for it.
Erin Wilson says
If you circle your plants with crushed egg shells, that usually works. Slugs don’t like to crawl over that. Hurt their bellies.
Denise says
My chickens turn up their nose at the giant tiger slugs, too big. Raw compost nearby works as a decoy. Banana peel, orange peel, etc.
Denise says
also, if you have a slug problem, get rid of the mulch. A tip from northwest gardening guru Steve Solomon.
Mavis says
Really? I am going to look into the that. Thanks for the tip!
Laura says
The beer in tuna cans work great. I bury them to the rim and you’ll be amazed how many slugs you’ll get. I’m sure your hens would eat them. We have box turtles that love them.
Mavis says
Okay, I’ll try the beer. I hope it works.
Random Person Named Melissa says
I heard somewhere that eggshells around the plants keep them from getting near the plants themselves. Never tried it personally so I have no idea if it works or not.
Heather says
I do use broken up egg shells around many things in my garden and I do not have a problem with slugs. So maybe it is true they can’t climb up over the broken shells and get up to your plants. It is a trick borrowed from my grandmother.
Dana Laughlin says
I recently got some copper tape to put around the edges of my raised beds; haven’t done it yet, but it’s supposed to shock the slugs and keep them from crossing it. I’ll let you know how it works once I get it set up!
Kim says
Slugs won’t cross copper. Attach a narrow strip of copper to the outside of your boxes.
Stephanie says
Go to home depot and buy copper WIRE. The slugs won’t cross the copper because it zaps them. The copper tape isn’t as effective. We tried the egg shells, didn’t work at all. We got the copper wire at HD and then put a small ring of it around the bottom of the plants. It works wonderful and for some reason, the copper did magic for our garden. It was almost dead when we put the wire down and now our tomato plants are almost falling over because they are doing so well!! I was thinking it might be adding nutrients into the soil?
Stephanie says
Plus, th copper wire was only .38 a foot!
Lori says
sounds like several people said broken up egg shells….just one more way to utilize those beautiful hens. ;o)
I will be trying it myself. I won’t be losing the mulch around my home because I do not need to spend hours and hours weeding and watering…both of which the mulch cuts down on. :o)