Slugs on the Red Choi
My planting of Cabbage 'Red Choi' F1 has been suffering attack from something.
It started life with a curtain cover but still some plants looked like this! 
I have removed the curtain now keep a closer eye on things...
I laid some earwig traps and I have been catching a few each day (and lots of baby ones!)
I went out at night to check on what was happening and discovered...SLUGS
We have been getting rain lately and it has brought these pests out!
They can be trapped in old orange peels and here is the collection for that night.
I understand beer traps are good for these pests but we don't drink beer! 
This link has a few other options like port wine, sour milk, vegemite and water or honey and yeast. Might have to try one of those.
When I get these pests under control all the Red Choi can be healthy like this one!
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12 comments:
Infuriating isn't it. We had a plague of snails, there were loads of baby ones just stuck to the side of the water tank so I picked them all off and fed them to the chooks.
Eeek Greenfumb
I usually just squash snails (with wellies on at night)...I should get some ducks for the slugs...but it's way too hot and dry up here for them in summer.
I feel for you.....we just survived a "plague" of caterpillars. They ate EVERYTHING. Cold spring, caterpillars, what next? Ah well, we trudge onward......
Try putting coffee grounds, sand or ashes around the plants, carefully though so none gets on the stems.Works at treat as they don't like gritty stuff!
Hi Sue
Hang in there I'm sure things will get better soon...gardening can be so challenging at times!
Hi eag (another south aussie!)
I forgot all about coffee grounds! I'll have to grab the next lot before Doc feeds them to the worms (I've just got him trained to do that!) ;)
Can't use ash up here our normal soil is too alkaline already :(
I thought the 'don't like gritty stuff' was urban myth.
Snails and slugs secrete mucus and can crawl over razor blades!!!
Have seen the Dinsey Cline (?sp) show with the kids years ago.
Hubby (can't be bothered to log in LOL) ;-)
XXXXX
LOL Doc
I remember that! It was Densey Clyne...we used to watch her on TV with the kids...
I found a video clip of hers all about our lovely Australian spiders Here Argh!
I agree with Eag - I have found coffee grounds to be wonderful at deterring slugs.
I try and tell myself gardening would just be boring without the bugs ;-). Enjoy their challenges.
Cheers,
Tricia
Thanks Tricia
Yes we also have to remember that if we get rid of all the bad bugs the predators will go too without a food source!
My friends the Shingleback Lizards need to have some slugs and snails around to keep them in the garden. See this cutie here.
Snails hate copper - I once protected a basil crop by putting a loose twist of copper wire round the base of each plant. Not sure if it works for slugs too - but nothing crossed the copper barrier. You can strip off old electrical wire to get copper, and reuse it on other crops.
Great hint thanks Rachel!
I've heard about copper but have never tried it so that's great that it works!
It should work on slugs too!
I think the main thing about the coffee grounds is that snails and slugs don't like caffeine. I must get some out there too, my broccoli seedlings have been decimated!:-(
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