Make your own Slug Killer
In an average garden some slugs will be carrying bacterial diseases or be infected by nematodes, but their low density means that they won’t devastate the rest of the population. Catch and confine the slugs however and, if the disease or nematodes are present, you can concentrate these micro-predators and harness their natural slug-killing power.
Collect as many slugs as you can find. The best time to hunt for slugs is after dark. If stumbling around with a torch is a bridge too far, look for slugs during the day in dark, damp places. Set traps if necessary - scooped out grapefruit halves work well, or a simple sheet of cardboard in long grass. Check your traps daily and gather your slimy harvest into a jar.
Once you have caught your slugs, put them in a bucket with an inch or so of water in the bottom and a few handfuls of leaves to make an edible floating island for your catch. With the slugs safely inside, place a firm cover over the top to seal them in. The bucket is the perfect environment for the nematodes and bacteria to breed. Nematodes spread in water, so check regularly, giving the slugs a stir with a stick. The idea isn’t to drown them but to keep them moist so the nematodes can hunt them out.
At this point you could cheat a bit by using a bought pack of nematodes to “seed” the brew. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of powder into the bucket to help it along. After a fortnight a high level of nematodes will have built up inside the bucket and the slugs will have died from infection.
Now dilute your brew by filling the bucket with water to the top. Remove the weed mixture and reserve it. Fill your watering can with the liquid and water around vulnerable plants. The raised nematode population will seek out resident ground-dwelling slugs and see them off. Like the shop-bought version, this slug killer gives up to six weeks of protection.
Use the weed mixture to start off your next nematode brew.
Collect as many slugs as you can find. The best time to hunt for slugs is after dark. If stumbling around with a torch is a bridge too far, look for slugs during the day in dark, damp places. Set traps if necessary - scooped out grapefruit halves work well, or a simple sheet of cardboard in long grass. Check your traps daily and gather your slimy harvest into a jar.
Once you have caught your slugs, put them in a bucket with an inch or so of water in the bottom and a few handfuls of leaves to make an edible floating island for your catch. With the slugs safely inside, place a firm cover over the top to seal them in. The bucket is the perfect environment for the nematodes and bacteria to breed. Nematodes spread in water, so check regularly, giving the slugs a stir with a stick. The idea isn’t to drown them but to keep them moist so the nematodes can hunt them out.
At this point you could cheat a bit by using a bought pack of nematodes to “seed” the brew. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of powder into the bucket to help it along. After a fortnight a high level of nematodes will have built up inside the bucket and the slugs will have died from infection.
Now dilute your brew by filling the bucket with water to the top. Remove the weed mixture and reserve it. Fill your watering can with the liquid and water around vulnerable plants. The raised nematode population will seek out resident ground-dwelling slugs and see them off. Like the shop-bought version, this slug killer gives up to six weeks of protection.
Use the weed mixture to start off your next nematode brew.
Submitted by Isabelle, plot 15
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