My hosta that I planted last year is about 5 inches out of the dirt, yay! I've read so much about hostas and slugs. Is this something common in alberta too? What can I do to prevent them? I have my beds mulched and so my beds stay pretty moist and have alot of clay in them. I'm worried that this will attract the evil doers.
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Please Murano, don't do pesticide/poison with those things as you have a dog as I recall (and they will eat slugs) and kids. That stuff is deadly to them if they eat it or the slugs that have eaten it.
Here is a page that has some tips [url]http://homepage.ntlworld.com/luminance/rgaa/Slugs.htm[/url]
I can tell you from speaking with a neighbour who declared all out war with the things that the copper strips (just put in the soil like a little fence ringed around the plants they loved) is what she now swears by. They eventually go green too so they don't look out of place.
Thanks girls! I do have bark mulch so that's why I'm concerned! I've been doing of digging in my beds and having come across any signs, or munched holes. I just want to prevent them. I will look into the pesticide. I wonder if there's an earth friendly one.
Oh yes, AB has slugs. Be cautious as any poison slug bait you put in your garden is also poisonous to pets and kids. If you want non poisonous get the copper strips from Lee Valley or some other store. it's no fuss, no muss, install and walk away with no need to pay much attention after that. I don't think you can use pennies as they are not pure copper anymore.
BTW slugs love anything they can hide under so bark chips etc. will just help them along. You can tell if you have them in your garden as you will see slime trails at night or early in the morning (and may see the munch marks on your plants). In the fall clean up all your leaves in your beds or you will have them next summer.
What about the placement of copper pennies circled around the base of the hosta ?
Hi Muranogirl. It usually rains so often here in spring that it doesn't pay to try to sprinkle things or leave open containers of beer or whatever, so I just go for the good ol' liquid slug bait. You just drip it around your plants a couple times early in the season (after a rain or after watering in the evening when they are likely to come out) and you will have very very few slugs for the rest of the summer. The key is to get them early before they have babies. It's kind of gross for a few days because it attracts them all and then they just shrivel up right there, but it's better than seeing your hostas eaten to bits! :rolleyes: