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Sun, Jun 8, 08 at 13:41
| I just put raised vegetables in my backyard (way north California, on the coast) and am enjoying my first organic vegetable garden. But the slugs are eating my chard! They haven't found the lettuce yet, but I'm sure it's only time. I've researched the various barrier/bait options and have a question about maintaining a copper barrier. At $.79 per linear foot, this would be an expensive option, but I'd be willing to do it if I would get a low-maintenance solution that would last for years. My question is whether it is still effective once the copper tarnishes and once installed, how long it would last. I'd appreciate your feedback. Thanks. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by aftermidnight Z8 V. Island B.C. (My Page) on Mon, Jun 9, 08 at 18:46
| I bought a roll of copper mesh from Lee valley, I've had it around the base of a Ligularia for the last 4 years and it has helped a lot, there are one or two holes in the leaves but at least it doesn't look like swiss cheese. I'm trying the coffee ground thing around my Hostas, from what I've read slugs don't like caffine. A...... |
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| I just talked to somebody who said that copper did help a lot. I have used foil but I think it was not sturdy enough (bought it at Smith & Hawkins) and it did not make an ounce of a difference. After talking to this gardener I am hoping that if I ever try this again, the success rate will be worth the money. |
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| Copper is helping for sure. I got some old copper pipes from plumber, flatten them with hammer and made barrier around each bean plant. they are happy and i too. DE is helping as well, but coffee grounds are not working for me. I brought from Starbucks plenty of grounds and put around cabbages. Looks like slugs enjoy them. I have sprayed my lettice with garlic & hot pepper spray to get rid of tiny slugs. Will see if it helps. |
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| I bought copper roll some time ago.Can someone please let me know how do you place it? I put it once around few plants and the little slugs got to my plants despite it? Maybe they were already there? I would imagine it would go easily around a pot, but if I have lettuce scattered all around other plants so the slugs wont find it how do you apply it ? to individual plants all around the garden? or what? I can cut to size but I am not using it as yet? Any suggestions please and thanks.. |
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| Okay, this may not be as popular an answer, (and the doing it once and leaving sounds better), but you might want to consider Escar-go from Gardens Alive for your really tough slug problem. I had a TERRIBLE time when I first moved here, and this is a product I can easily endorse. Read about it on their website, but I think most organic gardeners would be comfortable using it. Very safe around pets and kids, easy to apply. Be interested what you think of it. |
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| You can also just put a ring of pennies around the plant. |
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- Posted by kneewalker 8 Oak Grove OR (My Page) on Thu, Jun 26, 08 at 1:15
| I'm glad you mentioned pennies because I tried it. I filled a plant saucer with pennies and dropped a slug in it. It just wandered around in there for awhile, then left. No sizzle, nuthin'! Anyway, I gave up on that idea but it seems like it should work as well as a copper strip. |
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| The copper won't kill the slugs. The mild electric shock they get is meant to be a deterrent. Your slug would of course hightail it off the copper as fast as a slug can go! LOL! The idea is that a slug would not choose to CROSS a copper barrier. |
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| I bought the copper mesh from Lee Valley (it comes like a rolled up sock) and cut into two pieces so it would cover more. Either it doesn't work very well or I must have some of the toughest slugs around because today there is one just happily sitting on the mesh and is far from "hightailing it". Maybe by cutting it I reduced the effectiveness? So I might try the copper tape next and, failing that, go barbaric and use slug bait. They've already destroyed my marigolds and are now after my gerber daisies. When's summer? ;) |
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- Posted by arbo_retum z5 ,WinchstrMA (My Page) on Fri, Jul 4, 08 at 17:05
| 3 yrs ago i made 100s of hosta rings from rolled coils of aluminum? sheeting. I cut strips of copper foil and crimped it around the upper half of each ring. i placed these around my hostas, copper up to deter the slugs crawling over. what a waste of a few evenings. Ken A on the hostas forum has said this copper barrier 'solution' doesn't help because the eggs are already in the crowns.also, the slugs can travel from leaf to leaf without hitting the ground. so i've started doing the 10% ammonia, 90%water drench inside the crowns and outside the crowns. so far so good but we shall see. i know he repeats his treatment. i don't know if 10% ammonia would hurt you for edible plants. best, mindy |
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- Posted by charlysgardenplace 7 (My Page) on Sat, Jun 6, 09 at 14:52
| NOT tarnished copper... I was intrigued about slugs and copper, so conducted my own little experiment. I put 1/2" copper pipe in the sun, and a slug so that, with the sun at his back, in his retreat he would be forced to come face-to-face with the copper. He touched it and reared back like a miniature horse! It worked, and I read later that their reaction is caused by a small electrical charge. ---- One drawback about copper I've never seen addressed in forums or blogs, on garden sites, or by garden suppliers: once the copper is tarnished, slugs cross it like it's nothing. I don't feel like cleaning my copper, nor wish to rebuy every season, so I've opted for ducks. They're fun companions (in the country), but the hens can be loud. Better to have a drake in town, if slugs are a problem there. God bless your Garden --CharlysGardenPlace |
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