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Time to sort out the snails
We are still a few weeks away from getting stuck into some seasonal pruning but early February allows us the opportunity to deal with one of the more common garden problems - that is slugs and snails.
Not, I'm afraid the most stimulating of subjects with which to introduce myself but one that needs addressing now.
We need to get in early here and that means protecting the plants for this year and breaking up their breeding cycle so the threat is reduced for future years.
This may all sound a bit gruesome, but my view is to approach it with a sense of engagement and preservation. Gardening not only requires a depth of knowledge and applying the techniques but also understanding the reasoning behind them, and the treatment against garden pests is no different to the cultivation of plants.
And so to the slugs and snails, where the best method is to address the problem as a whole and that means knowing their behaviour and curtailing the population. In short, they are hermaphrodites in that they carry both male and female reproductive organs, so just like the aphid can be very tricky customers.
Their habit is to feed and breed and their eggs can be laid from early spring for immediate hatching, through to late autumn for overwintering in the soil. Either way come February/March there will be a deal of juvenile molluscs becoming active at a time when tender green shoots start emerging. This is not good!
The unforgiving approach to their business means we need to adopt an aggressive attitude towards them and the most effective way of doing this is to use a molluscide (slug pellets). Before this is done, borders must be cleared of leaves and debris and then the pellets scattered lightly over the whole area, this must start early February and then be repeated early March and early April. If this practice is maintained over a few years then the breeding cycle will be broken and their numbers will drastically reduce. The pellets contain properties which will attract the molluscs but they also contain a poisonous ingredient Metaldehyde.
There are other pellets available that are marketed as being organic and these contain the naturally occurring ingredient Ferric Phosphate. They act in a similar way but not quite so effective.
The more commonly grown plants that are most susceptible are tulips, hostas, delphiniums and lupins and for anyone with a vegetable plot would happily add brassicas and potatoes. Some of my customers are against the use of herbicides and pesticides but are much more relaxed about the use of pellets. It must be said that slugs do not possess many appealing qualities and when you add in their sorry trail of sorrow tolerance levels tend to dip.
Natural predators such as the hedgehog, frogs and nematodes (parasitic worm) are all worthy adversaries; the first two need to be encouraged and the latter can be bought, Nemaslug being one brand name that springs to mind.
There is also the physical removal of these creatures and this includes the cluster of eggs.
These are easily identifiable as being small, round and transparent for slugs and more milky white and egg shaped for the snail.
They are generally laid in the soil and become visible following a session of light hoeing or forking. Beer traps, slug rings and vaseline around pots offer protection but the threat will represent itself the following year. I once saw Geoff Hamilton apply layers of calcified seaweed to protect his lettuces so without doubting the great man I would say this is another suitable alternative.
And finally of course there are the plants that are more resistant to attacks and none more so than Hosta 'Silvery Slugproof ' - honest!
The gardening year starts now, so February may well be a time for your loved ones but don't forget those unloved ones.
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Weather for Hemel Hempstead
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -8 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -5 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
