Posts Tagged ‘slugs’

Cottage Garden Border 2011 Hosta Update

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

blog post – Cottage Garden border circa 2007

another blog post – Cottabe Garden border circa 2007

Four years later …

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Andy’s prize Hostas – use Slug Gone by Grow Aid

Monday, June 29th, 2009

I’ve had a few emails about what type of Hosta, I have in my garden. So I’ve taken a few pictures of each plant and displayed it’s name for easy identification. I have a total of five different Hosta plants, two are a blue variety which are supposed to be slug and snail resistant – this is why I bough them (it’s not true!). I did have a sixth plant Hosta ‘Wide Brim’,but before I discovered Slug Gone by Grow Aid Ltd the slugs and snails ate and killed it. This plant and Hosta ‘fortunei Francee’ both have won RHS Awards of Garden Merit, but that doesn’t exclude them from being eaten by slugs and snails – hardy doesn’t mean slug and snail resistant.

Despite the Gardeners’ World 2009 Reader Awards voting the Hosta into the 3rd place as the Nations most hated garden plant, I like them. Maybe it’s because people who purchase these plants hate them because they look awful after the slugs and snails have attacked and eaten the plant! They’ve obviously not discovered Slug Gone by Grow Aid Ltd.

I’ve now been using this organic product for three years, and have fantastic results in my garden. I previously blogged about it here and here. It was only available mail order, but I’m now see-ing it appear in more and more garden centers. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time, and it will be in B&Q. If your local Garden Centre doesn’t stock it – REQUEST IT – stop using chemical slug pellets in your garden today!(rant mode off!) Otherwise order on-line at Slug Gone by Grow Aid Ltd, and tell Brian I sent you!!!

If you don’t believe me look at my prize hostas, “proof is in the pudding” and I’ve tried everything. If I don’t use Slug Gone, the slugs and snails in my garden eat it!

Click each thumbnail to view larger picture.

Blog Posts in 2007

https://andysworld.org.uk/2007/05/10/cottage-garden-border/

https://andysworld.org.uk/2007/05/15/cottage-garden-border-re-visited/

I’m not associated with Slug Gone or Grow Aid Ltd in anyway, I’d just like to recommend, an excellent organic product to fellow organic gardeners and Hosta growers. Your mileage may vary, it works for me in my garden.

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Cottage Garden Border 2009 Hosta Update

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

An update of how the garden border is progressing two years on. In May 2007 we created a new border at the front of the garden under the trees, which is very shady. We planted hostas, fox gloves and geraniums, and despite the battle with slugs and snails, moving the geraniums, that didn’t do to well in the shade this is the latest update. This year in early spring I moved the fern to the back of the border, because it domninated the border when in full growth. I seem to have lost one of the original hostas, don’t know where it went. I’ve also now used, grit over the entire area to stop the slugs and snails eating the hostas!

Blog posts in 2007

https://andysworld.org.uk/2007/05/10/cottage-garden-border/

https://andysworld.org.uk/2007/05/15/cottage-garden-border-re-visited/

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Slugs the size of pigs!

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

I suppose there a bit like Marmite, not that I ever eaten a slug! You either love them or hate them. These are the size of pigs, I found them hanging around my rootrainers , whilst I was sorting out my flowering plants for the borders. I grow most of my plants exclusively in rootrainers. This year I’ve had very poor germination from Nasturtium majus Milkmaid, the Nasturtium majus Black Velvet I’ve planted I’ve had 100% germinate, but the  Nasturtium majus Milkmaid have been very poor, I think I would be lucky if I’ve got 32 plants out  of 256 seeds planted. I thought it could be because I’ve switched from a peat based seed compost, to non-peat based, to save the peat bogs, but then the Nasturtium majus Black Velvet have been planted in the same conditions. So my mix of black and white plants my struggle again this year in the border, last year Nasturtium majus Milkmaid germinated but turned out to be red and orange Nasturtium majus. I may report the batch numbers to the commercial grower, just to check they’ve not had a major failure!

Tiger or Leopard spotted slugs (Limax maximus)

Tiger or Leopard spotted slugs (Limax maximus)

 I did think it could be these slugs I found…Slugs the size of pigs!

Tiger or Leopard spotted slug (Limax maximus)

Tiger or Leopard spotted slug (Limax maximus)

but I found no seed stalks, where they’d been eaten, and I’ve just not seen any seeds germinate.

Tiger or Leopard spotted slug (Limax maximus)

Tiger or Leopard spotted slug (Limax maximus)

I quite enjoyed photographing and watching these slugs, that I didn’t have the heart to murder them! I’ll probably regret it, as they’ll be back eating me vegetables. So I left them out for the birds!

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