Garden Tips

Slugs

They're gray, they're slimy, they feed at night leaving holes in the leaves of your favorite hostas, tomatoes and other garden plants. Yes, you guessed it -slugs.

So grab your flashlight and beer and head for the garden. The flashlight will help you confirm that slugs are the problem. They feed at night and hide in cool dark damp places during the day. So head out to the garden at dusk and look for these gray slimy snails without shells.

Pest hunts are fun for kids and make your neighbors wonder. Or check in the morning under rocks, boards or other areas that make good hiding spots for slugs. Now comes time for the beer. Pour some beer in a shallow can. Sink the can in the ground so it is even with the soil surface. The slugs are attracted to the fermenting yeast, crawl inside and drown. Better yet empty half a bottle of beer and lay it on its side. Now you have a built in roof. The bottle prevents the rain from diluting the beer so you won't need to replace it as often. Tuck the cans and bottles under the leafy plants to keep your garden looking neat and tidy. Or take advantage of the slug's love for the shade. Place boards or rocks between the plants. Slugs will attach themselves to these during the day. Each morning turn over the rocks or boards and kill the slugs.

A new product sold as Sluggo or Escargot is an environmentally friendly chemical control. It contains iron phosphate that acts as a stomach poison and kills the slugs. Sprinkle it on the soil around the plants. The slugs will eat the product, slime away and die out of sight. Reapply as needed. My friends in the hosta society have reported good fairly long lasting results. Whichever method used - persistence and a little drier weather will keep your plants growing faster than the slugs can eat.