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Two of my ‘babies’ murdered by a snail. 😰

(69 Posts)
Witzend Mon 17-Jun-24 10:06:33

Honestly, you’d think they’d be safe enough - outside on a tray, on the table in the sun in the day, inside on the kitchen window sill at night. But this morning, I found two of them decimated, and one blasted snail asleep on the side of one of the peat pots.

Zinnia seedlings, I’ve been nurturing them in the hope of some late summer colour in our titchy little garden.

NannaBarbra Thu 20-Jun-24 11:49:49

If you have problems with snails and slugs eating plants in pots or containers put some copper tape around the top of the pots, a tip I saw on TV suggested by David Domoney, I have tried it for the first time this year and it seems to be working, you can get the tape from Amazon

rowyn Thu 20-Jun-24 11:54:20

Would anyone like to borrow my front door?
Every other day when I get up and go downstairs I will see a snail at the top of my front door - on the part that is glass. I've no idea whether its the same one each time , and why it should ascend, as there is absolutely nothing edible up there. I'm afraid I usually pick it off and throw it onto the road. Apologies to tender hearted readers !

vivvq Thu 20-Jun-24 12:00:19

We're fighting a war against slugs. DH is employing the King Charles Highgrove method, out with a torch, picking them off the plants We don't have any servants to do it. I've applied nematodes. Between the two we seem to be reducing numbers.

Spiritual Thu 20-Jun-24 12:03:23

Thank you for that. I have never thought of Vaseline. I must admit I am a vegan and hate to kill anything but they have killed all my lovely Alstromeria plants which I have spent hundreds of pounds on and this is war now! I have tried copper wire, salt, home made friendly solutions, plastic bottles, paid hundreds of pounds for slippery plant pots, on plant supports, egg shells, coffee grounds, beer, etc., etc., Vaseline out it comes. Thanks

heavenlyheath Thu 20-Jun-24 12:04:29

With me its slugs eating everything despite loads ending up in beer traps its the wet weather suits the pesky slugs

Annma Thu 20-Jun-24 12:07:23

I save eggshells,wash them and break them up and scatter them around endangered plants. Snails can’t cope wth th sharp bits of shell. It’s easy and free from chemicals.

Kartush Thu 20-Jun-24 12:21:05

We don’t have snails but we have possums. My husband was trying so hard to grow herbs in pots on the back deck and the other day he went out to find all four pots reduced to stumps. Evidently possums like herbs, who knew?

knspol Thu 20-Jun-24 12:43:58

This year my garden is swamped with snails but on the plus side very few slugs. What with these and the rabbits I'm just feeding the local vermin. Any new plants I put slug pellets around them and spray them with stuff that's supposed to deter rabbits but nothing seems to work. The deer have also been in and nibbled the tops of the young trees, I'm really just wasting my time gardening!

Mallin Thu 20-Jun-24 12:44:02

Oops. I murder slugs and snails.
Well salted water in a black bucket and in they go. Dead.

Candelle Thu 20-Jun-24 12:44:57

I am also trying Vaseline smeared around the top of each of my tubs and planters. I think... it is working. I have found snails on the sides of these planters but none actually eating the hundred or so new plants put in over this week.

It is too early so say for sure but it is a relatively cheap trick - it took me about half an hour to smear fifty pots with the Vaseline (working like stink!).

I have a large tub of slug pellets but hate using them as the birds eat the dead slugs/snails then suffer and we have several birds nesting around the garden..

I will update in a week or so, advising if the sticky stuff worked or didn't.

Wiser Thu 20-Jun-24 13:09:14

My husband came home and said there were huge numbers of slugs and snails on the street and that we should check our front garden. We collected six jam jars full in a short time. I put water and washing up in the jars so ( sadly) clean dead snails and slugs. We still lose plants to the remaining critters.

Philippa111 Thu 20-Jun-24 13:18:54

Don’t talk to me about slugs and snails. I was unwell for a couple of week during which time literally dozens of snails had climbed up my small apple tree and eaten every bit of blossom. Result not one apple forming on the usually abundant tree. Next I nurtured some coriander seedlings which were doing well. One morning completely gone! I do dispose of them humanely….but grrrrr.

GrauntyHelen Thu 20-Jun-24 13:34:23

Sad to see the English language being murdered in terms of inappropriate use of the word decimated by several grans .

leeds22 Thu 20-Jun-24 13:35:56

I've discovered that the answer to snails is to have a visiting thrush. Every morning the low retaining walls have more smashed snail shells, there really can't be many left. We also have a young hedgehog, so that may be helping too, I think they eat slugs too.

MadeInYorkshire Thu 20-Jun-24 13:43:03

Terrible things!

I love my Seneccio Angles Wings and they have done their best to destroy them no matter how many pellets I put out! Bought a pretty, cheap Dianthus the other day, put a ring of egg shells around it and all was good for a few days - went out yesterday and there are no flowers left! They even eaten my Lobelia and have never had that issue before.

Mt roses though are MAGNIFICENT! They have loved the weather;3my peonies though definitely haven't liked it at all! One plant had 5 buds, 2 of which turned black, one had 1 bud which I have cut, and the other 3 plants had nothing!

Witzend Thu 20-Jun-24 13:57:24

GrauntyHelen

Sad to see the English language being murdered in terms of inappropriate use of the word decimated by several grans .

As a fully paid-up grumpy old pedant, I feel entitled to quote my huge fat Oxford dictionary’s entries.

It says that says the killing of one in ten (as a punishment) was the historical meaning,

Whereas the first meaning quoted is, ‘kill, destroy or remove a large proportion of…’

Moogalmum Thu 20-Jun-24 14:11:27

I have several hostas in pots, using crushed egg shells and home made Garlic wash (recipe from You Tube) So far so good. Slugs don't like the taste. No worries about poisoning the birds and resident hedgehog, who enjoy a slug for breakfast. Also sprayed it on roses, seems the aphids don't like garlic either. No garlic smell in garden after spraying which is a bonus!

PilgrimQuill Thu 20-Jun-24 14:41:33

I like the Vaseline idea - I have just paid out for a big bottle of slug/snail repellent gel which does the same thing. I bought this because I carefully put a thick ring of woodash all round my new dahlia plants. In the morning, there was a gap in the ring and all were eaten to stalks. Are they learning to use tools, I ask myself ... if so they can start on the weeding ...

Ailsa43 Thu 20-Jun-24 14:41:36

I just sprinkle salt around the pots....

Greyjoy1953 Thu 20-Jun-24 15:02:56

I use sheep’s wool around my hostas nd other plants that snails and slugs attack. You can purchase it from garden centre and it really works.

Frannygranny Thu 20-Jun-24 15:46:04

Mallin

Oops. I murder slugs and snails.
Well salted water in a black bucket and in they go. Dead.

Me too. And when I come across any eggs I crush them as well. Still plagued with them though!!

Cagsy Thu 20-Jun-24 16:12:12

I've found coffee grounds do help but one hosta is like lace, a right mess, some dahlias gone too and now some lovely miniature roses in a pot are totally destroyed, I've had them for years too.

Livey Thu 20-Jun-24 16:19:57

Witzend

Honestly, you’d think they’d be safe enough - outside on a tray, on the table in the sun in the day, inside on the kitchen window sill at night. But this morning, I found two of them decimated, and one blasted snail asleep on the side of one of the peat pots.

Zinnia seedlings, I’ve been nurturing them in the hope of some late summer colour in our titchy little garden.

My condolences.
I find the little blighters everywhere in the garden
Grrrr

polnan Thu 20-Jun-24 17:20:37

Greyjoy! you and me, you and me babe!! I bought what I considered an expensive clematis, compared to the cheap ones in my local supermarket.. argh!! slugs,, slugs and more slimy creature slugs... then I read about wool pellets, and I am inclined to be careful with my money, o.k mean! but I am so pleased I found wool pellets, I will keep on buying them,,slugs and I assume snails,, won`t venture on to them

a knighthood or something similar for whoever discovered this!

Zaran Thu 20-Jun-24 17:29:35

Toads. They love the slimy ba**** .We had toads in the garden, long after we got rid of a pond. Last year we did a lot of remodelling and the toad habitat was lost. Hence my lacy hosters! My SIL puts crushed egg shells round her plants, but I’ve never found it effective.