SNAILS & SLUGS

 

Snails and slugs are pests in your vegetable garden because they love to eat fresh green seedlings all the way to the root.

 

How do I repel snails and slugs?

 

Place pennies all the way around your plants, making sure they touch each other. Snails and slugs will not cross over the pennies because they get shocked by the copper. 

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Help, I’m sure there was a seedling yesterday, now it’s just a stem!

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Yup, snails and slugs can take out your edible green leaves in a night. So how do you know if it was a slug/snail or caterpillar? If the damage happened overnight or during rain; if there are large, ragged holes in fresh green leaves and flowers; or you see silvery slime on chewed leaves or along the ground, then these pests are the culprits. Go on slug and snail patrol early in the morning, pluck them off and place them in a bucket. Then take them on a holiday to your compost where they can break down dead leaves and matter from the garden. Leaving them out on the sidewalk for a lucky bird is another good solution. Clear out any dead leaves or rotting wood where the pests may be hiding. Make sure to water in the morning so the soil has time to dry. Slugs and snails love moist ground.

 

Factoids

 

Some snails and slugs are so happy in the compost bin that they never go in search of fresh greens. Slugs and snails use their slime to glide along uneven paths, as well as for sticking to leaves.