I meant to write a post last weekend and time seemed to run away before I had a chance. This was to update on the jobs I had managed to get done on Sunday. The various peas and beans that had been hardened off were planted in the ground to climb up willow obelisks in the raised beds, the green-sprouting broccoli seedlings were carefully planted out in the ground.
The slugs seem to be attacking stuff in the cold frame, even though we tried putting the guttering on raised blocks which had a band of copper tape on - unfortunately we've lost all but two sunflower seedlings it seems.
The raised beds were treated with nematodes a week before the peas and beans were planted out and a fresh double band of copper tape put around the edges. We added a beer trap in the corner of each raised bed for good measure and it has been a pleasant surprise to find that a week on, not one thing (touch wood) is showing signs of being nibbled! Could this be success in the slug battle?
On the back of this victory, I will be sowing some rocket seeds in one of the raised beds tomorrow and just hope that they will be safe enough.
My tomato plants will soon be ready to go in the ground too and we are getting flowers on the potatoes... I forget what this means. Must look this up. So, on the whole things are doing well. I have some healthy little basil plants growing indoors too. The scent of their leaves is unbelievably strong!
The slugs seem to be attacking stuff in the cold frame, even though we tried putting the guttering on raised blocks which had a band of copper tape on - unfortunately we've lost all but two sunflower seedlings it seems.
The raised beds were treated with nematodes a week before the peas and beans were planted out and a fresh double band of copper tape put around the edges. We added a beer trap in the corner of each raised bed for good measure and it has been a pleasant surprise to find that a week on, not one thing (touch wood) is showing signs of being nibbled! Could this be success in the slug battle?
On the back of this victory, I will be sowing some rocket seeds in one of the raised beds tomorrow and just hope that they will be safe enough.
My tomato plants will soon be ready to go in the ground too and we are getting flowers on the potatoes... I forget what this means. Must look this up. So, on the whole things are doing well. I have some healthy little basil plants growing indoors too. The scent of their leaves is unbelievably strong!
3 comments:
I am in SE London too and a beginner at organic gardening. Good to hear you are winning the slug battle. I lost all my sunflowers and marigolds to the slugs. I've now treated the area with nematodes. I put down a home-made beer trap but the foxes dug it up and ran away with it. Also the foxes decided to dig up my runner bean seeds. I am thinking of now protecting the raised beds with chicken wire to stop them digging. Good to hear your veggies are flourishing.
Nice...looks like you are getting some good success...i find that going outside at 10pm with a pair of scissors and a willingness to 'snip' said slugs does a nice job. They then go in the compost bin to be eaten!
I use copper tape too, i think it is working generally, but it is so expensive. Slugs seem to hide everywhere.
On the potato front, when the flowers have died, potatoes are ready for harvest.Unless they are earlies, which can be harvested at any point.
Jonathan - how about an electric fence?!
I agree, the copper tape is pretty expensive and seems to need replacing after a year as it becomes unstuck...
We've been on slug watch a couple of time and have managed to stop a few in their tracks (they are shoveled up with a trowel and also thrown in the compost bin)
Thankfully we don't have a problem with foxes...
Thanks vegmonkey for the potato advice - that means my first earlies might be ready to harvest... I'll go and have a little poke around and see what it is looking like underground - how exciting!
Post a Comment