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Stomping Snails And Non-Toxic Dandelion Killers

hughe — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 11:28:31 +0000

A few weeks ago I wrote about an English gardener who was investigating the homing instinct of snails. By marking their shells with a little spot of nail varnish she was able to check whether snails she had moved a certain distance were able to find their way back. It turned out that thirty yards was the critical distance. If you remove the snails further than this you will not see them again.

Heather Hacking from Chico CA has a different approach. For her the most satisfying form of organic pest control is snail stomping. Having decimated the snail population in her own yard she now scours the sidewalks in her neighborhood after rain in search for more of these pests. Read more..

“Non-Toxic Dandelion Killer” sounds great – just what I need I thought. Dandelions in the spring are hard to get rid of, particularly in the lawn. Read on and you discover that “Your kitchen and bathroom are the first places you should look for non-toxic options for killing dandelions in your yard. You might be surprised to learn about what you already have in your home that can be used as a non-toxic weed killer”.

Several homemade recipes are suggested, but it is not too clear as to how effective they are. But then you can always use your shovel to dig them out making sure that you don’t leave any of the root behind. Finally the counsel of perfection – don’t allow any to go to seed! Read more..

Finally a suggestion for a homemade activity which is both creative and could solve your Christmas present headaches. These eco planters are made from cement and vermiculite using common household containers for the moulds.

“I started making these eco planters for gifts a year ago and haven’t stopped. They are simple, stylish and downright lovable. Each pot is unique and has an organic, handmade feel. It is not an instant gratification project and you will have to commit, but the results are well worth it. I like to make about six at a time.”

Slugs And Snails And How To Save Your Plants

hughe — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:41:15 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

One of a gardener’s pet hates is the common slug and of course the second is the snail. It is infuriating to find that your plants have been damaged by these pests. There are many products designed to eradicate these pests ranging from the notorious slug pellets that you scatter beside yor plants to various kinds of traps. While many of these products work to a greater or lesser extent, it is clear that there is no perfect remedy, otherwise there would not be such a huge range of products designed to solve the problem.

I was give a book for my last birthday called “50 ways to kill a slug”. This listed all the popular remedies together with a few fatuous suggestions designed more to satisfy the blood lust of the annoyed gardener than to be effective in removing the slugs. But one thing I have noticed as the years roll on and each new season unfolds is that slugs prefer certain plants. I suppose this is not really so surprising since we humans have our likes and sdislikes, but perhaps we should observe and learn from the behaviour of our local slugs and snails. For instance I like to grow lupins, but they ar e they one flower that is always decimated by slugs in my garden.

This year I created a new herbaceous border with about a dozen new plants. Out of these two were attacked mercilously and the remainder were ignored. Pyrethrum and liatris were the victims. I was able to rescue the liatris by attaching a collar around its stem, but the buds on my pyrethrum were all damaged before the flowers could open. Another plant that I no longer grow is the hosta because its large and attractive leaves attract slugs by the dozen. And a hosta with shredded leaves is not a pretty sight.

The conventional wisdom is that you should grow plants that are native to your area and so perhaps this should be extended to taking notice of the habits of your local slugs.

Cuttings, Gadgets and Escargots

hughe — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:51:00 +0000

Why is it that whenever you take a particular fancy to a plant or shrub that you have read about or seen in a neighbor’s garden, you find that your local garden center does not sell that variety? In “Growing new plants from old” Maureen FitzPatrick suggests a way round this problem by reminding us of the gentle art of taking cuttings. This is a useful article full of practical tips. Read more..

Slugs and snails are one of the more annoying garden pests because of the damage they cause to flowers and vegetables. I listen to a weekly radio program where a panel of gardening experts answer questions sent in by listeners. Last week the panel were surprised to be asked how to encourage snails into the garden. It turned out that the questioner enjoyed eating escargots and wanted to be able to “grow his own”. In case you are interested here is the recipe for a snail farm. Take an old laundry basket and place inside some plant pots for cover and soil for the eggs. Provide water and feed your stock lettuce and paper. Bon apetit!

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk

I’ve found a couple more garden gadgets, both solar powered so with green credentials. Depending on your point of view the first one is either exceptionally cool or the height of tackiness. “The Amazing Solar Powered Whirling Sunflower” – when the sun shines it spins! Wow!
The second gadget is more practical. If these “Garden Solar Insect Zappers” work as claimed, then they sound like a worthwhile investment.

And finally the August issue of my monthly newsletter Garden Ramblings is now online.