What Annuals Won't Slugs Eat?

[Jenny]

I'm still experimenting to see what I can grow around my new house. We have a once-wooded area that the builders covered with about 6 inches of chopped wood mulch. It has the best sun on our property so I have been clearing the mulch away and amending the miserably rocky soil bit by bit and putting in flowers there. Daffodils did very well this spring and the perennials I planted have survived for over a month, but slugs have destroyed all the marigolds and salvia I planted--stripped the marigolds of leaves and put big holes in the salvia leaves They've also seem to have eaten the summer bulbs I planted.

I've read up on slugs online and since we're on the edge of a large forest and the ground is quite damp at this time of year, I think I'm going to have to live with them and plant things they won't eat. The fun is going to go out of gardening very fast if I have to collect slugs every morning. Trouble is, when it comes to things they won't eat, I don't really know what they are, and buying flat after flat to find out gets expensive.

So far, they have left the verbena and alyssum alone. It is too soon to tell if they will leave alone the portulaca and the impatiens that I planted in shadowy areas. I really want something that is bright and colorful and can be seen from a distance. Any one have any suggestions? I'm in Western Massachusetts right on the border of VT.

-- Jenny

[Vox Humana]

really

You might consider getting some iron phosphate based slug killer. The stuff is safe for pets and wildlife unlike the metaldehde products like Bug Getta. You can find the safe stuff sold as "Sluggo," "Escar-Go!" and "Worry Free" slug and snail bait. I live on the edge of a wooded area and slugs are an issue since I have a couple hundred hostas. The slugs have never bothered my annuals so I would wait to see if the slugs eat your stuff before applying the slug killer. The iron phosphate killers cost a bit more but one teaspoon treats a square yard and last two or three weeks, depending on how much it rains.

[William Wagner]

Any source for Iron Phosphate ?? Since the active stuff is about 1% the rest Carb's I'd like to make my own. I asked before.

Bill who will go with the nasty poison unless you green's answer.

Nah... I'll still go with the Esgargo stuff. Though a rip off!

[culprit]

i've always used beer traps (a shallow bowl of beer near the tasty plants attracts slugs, who drown in it), but this page has a whole list of ideas to rid your garden of slugs:

[Vox Humana]

It definitely costs too much, but I was lucky to find two huge boxes ( 50 pounds total) at 75% off on clearance. I think it came out to about $8 for both boxes.

[Michelle]

[Jenny]

Michelle,

I finally broke down and threw a "Party" for the slugs, putting little plastic cups of yeast-and-sugar water in the ground all over what is left of my garden. This morning each cup had dozens of them, in all shapes and sizes.

I'm hoping if I do this for a week or two I'll cut the numbers down to where my annuals have a chance. The slugs sure are gross and dealing with them up close and personal takes a lot of the fun out of gardening.

I read about using yeast instead of beer online and it looks like it does work as well as beer. I mixed one packet of dry yeast with a pitcher of water and a few teaspoons of sugar, let it sit for two hours and then filled little 5 oz cups about 2/3 full . I did seven cups and have half the yeast mixture left. This is a lot cheaper than beer and worked just as well. (We tried the beer first to see if the slugs would respond.)

-- Jenny

really