Slugs Prefer Sunshine Over Rain, and Aren't Adverse to Copper? False - Dispel Common Misconceptions About Slugs That Every Gardener Needs to Be Aware Of: 12 Erroneous Ideas About Slugs
In the world of gardening, slugs have long been considered pests, but a retired academic and lifelong gardener, Jo Kirby, challenges this notion with her book, The Good Slug Guide. The book aims to dispel myths about slug control and offers an alternative perspective on these often-maligned creatures.
Slugs, it turns out, are not strictly vegetarians. They scavenge on dead animals and faeces, and some even hunt live food such as earthworms. Contrary to popular belief, removing dead plant material does not deny slugs food, but rather leaves them with no choice other than to eat green plants.
So, what can gardeners do to control slug populations without resorting to traditional methods like flinging slugs over the garden fence, smearing pots with salted Vaseline, or snipping a slug in half?
According to Jo Kirby, the key is to work towards accommodating the natural enemies of slugs in the garden. Instead of removing dead vegetation, it is better to leave it, providing a home for the 75 natural enemies of slugs that can live in our gardens.
The book does not recommend the use of copper tape or bands, as they do not work against slugs. Instead, Kirby advises adding more plants and organic matter, pruning and digging a little less, and encouraging wildlife such as hedgehogs, frogs, toads, and birds to your garden, which prey on slugs.
Physical barriers like copper tape around pots and garden beds, or beer traps to lure and drown slugs, are also suggested. Removing slug hiding places, such as stones, dense ground cover, and damp debris, can help deter slugs.
Applying mulch types that slugs find less attractive, such as coarse materials or sharp-edged mulch, can also deter slug movement. Growing slug-resistant plants or plants that repel slugs near vulnerable crops can also be effective.
Despite their reputation, many garden slugs are harmless and provide ecosystem services, such as processing decaying material. In the average garden, there are only five main mollusc pests: the common garden snail, the grey field slug, the Budapest keeled slug, the blue-black soil slug, and the Spanish slug.
Jo Kirby's 30-year quest to understand the ecological processes at work in gardens has led her to estimate that the average garden in the UK might contain up to 35,000 slugs. While the book does not recommend iron phosphate slug pellets, it is worth noting that they are less effective against the Spanish slug, a common garden pest.
Slugs are not fond of rain and will take shelter from it. This fact can be used to our advantage, as regular hand-picking slugs from plants, especially after rain or in the evening when slugs are active, can help control their populations.
In conclusion, Jo Kirby's The Good Slug Guide offers a new approach to slug control in gardens, emphasizing the importance of accommodating the natural enemies of slugs and adopting non-chemical methods to manage slug populations. By understanding the ecological roles of slugs and adopting these methods, gardeners can create a healthier, more balanced garden ecosystem.
- The environment in our gardens can be improved by accommodating the natural enemies of slugs, as suggested in Jo Kirby's book, The Good Slug Guide.
- Instead of removing dead plants from the garden, it is beneficial to let them stay, as they provide a home for the 75 natural enemies of slugs.
- To control slug populations without traditional methods, gardeners can encourage wildlife such as hedgehogs, frogs, toads, and birds into their gardens, as they prey on slugs.
- A healthier and balanced garden ecosystem can be achieved by adopting non-chemical methods to manage slug populations, as stated in Jo Kirby's book.
- Understanding the ecological roles of slugs and adopting the methods proposed in The Good Slug Guide can help create a health-and-wellness lifestyle, both for the garden and its inhabitants.
