Snail Trail

Oh Wow, I've hit on a topic that generates serious interest.  Snails and Slugs.  Isn't it always the way of things? The least sexy subject is possibly the most important.

Peter . I use my thumb and pointer after rain with a torch then put them on the ground and use my shoe . It works and no dust to inhale or pellets for the animals  Laurie  

Laurie sums up the general feeling and I've a suspicion that he finds this therapeutic.  John (vegie plot King) had a detailed and valuable contribution as usual.  Snails are like annual weeds, they lay eggs that wait for favourable conditions to hatch.  Favourable?  I don't have detail but I guess Spring rain is pretty good so John's suggestion is to set baits early and catch the babies as they hatch.  John also suggested a salt solution poured over the plants in the afternoon, then washed off next morning.  I have concerns about using salt in the garden, rotten stuff accumulates in the soil.



I did find that Kendon Chemicals produce a spray on snail repellent Escargo (gotta love the name).  Escargo is not listed on their web site, but I'm told it is effective and long lasting so long as the area sprayed doesn't get too wet.  If you followed the link to the non chemical snail controls last week you may have noticed that gastropods don't like copper (pic above).  Copper is the active ingredient of Escargo which is available in 1l spray bottles at quality garden centres (Thanks Rob). Please keep in mind this is a chemical solution and should be treated with care.  A couple of readers pointed out experiences that show Multiguard is not quite as environmentally friendly as promoted.

However, not everyone agrees:

I was at a funeral last week of a lady I have known for some time. During the Eulogy by her daughter her love of snails was mentioned, not that she loved them in her garden, but she didn't like to kill them. So when they gardened she would gather all she could find in a bucket and then take it down to the park at the end of the street and empty them there.
Cheers,
Jenni

Segue. Chooks are a terrific way to control all manner of garden pests as long as you're prepared to put up with their own destruction or manage the process (our chooks have massacred our back yard over winter).  If you would like some chooks, here's your chance.  Visit Gippsland Chook Rescue they are offering as many 'girls' as you like for a flat fee of $10.00.  Offer is open until Tuesday only!

 

Of Slugs and Snails

Peter,

This year many of my plant leaves have been eaten by baby snails. These tiny snails live on the plants and so are not eating the snail bate on the ground. They are easy to pick off but they are not noticed until holes start appearing in the leaves etc.

Is there a spray or powder that can be put on the leaves? Year's ago snail killer was available in a powder form, but nowadays only in pellets. I have thought a putting some pellets through an old food processor to grind them up.

Any suggestions?

Jeff 


Ahhh, I don't know.  However, a quick search provided these non-chemical solutions to the snail and slug problem. I did like the site that suggested "You use little tiny hammers, lovingly made by leprechauns, and paid for with dew".

I do have some considerable experience with snails and slugs. My 21st birthday cake had a large, marzipan 'Leopard Slug' on the top.

Oh yes we can produce some beauties at the nursery.

Sadly I have rushed to the vet's on more than one occasion with a dog who has found the Blue pellets left lying around.  Poor old Molly survived on both these occasions but it's an experience I never want to repeat.  And that's actually the first thing that I thought of when I read Jeff's enquiry, this is poison you are planning to grind up in the blender!  Please treat any garden pesticide as dangerous.  The snail bait Mesurol (blue pellets) is available as a powdered form for spraying (commercial only), it is also effective on Fungus Gnats and Thrip.  In fact the only reason we ever used this stuff was to control Western Flower Thrip under instruction from the DPI.  Mesurol was the most toxic chemical we kept at the nursery.

The point I am labouring is that despite this knowledge I am forever catching staff using snail baits without proper protective equipment: it's "just snail bait".  We have changed to using Multiguard pellets which use Iron to kill the snails and slugs so are less harmful to the environment, pets and children, but I'm uncomfortable about grinding pellets to dust.  Interestingly when I Googled Slugs and dust the top 4 items were about the danger of dust from commercially available snail pellets.

Sorry Jeff, not much help but you can probably tell it's a subject that I'm pretty passionate about.

Of Earwigs and Garden Shows

Regular correspondent Laurie has taken me to task in the past for defending Earwigs.  I've always treated earwigs as predators that help control other bug populations.  Laurie hit me with:Peter . I was shocked to hear you praise Earwigs . The bastards are destroying my garden , Vegies and flowers . I kill about 10 to 20 a day and I am losing the battle . I am spraying and leaving pieces of water pipe laying aound and empty each morning . The only other problems are white butterflies and the occasional snail or slug .
and more recently
Why can earwigs eat rhubarb leaves which are poison to humans?
I don't know Laurie! But just after I received this enquiry I found an article titled "Not all Earwigs are pests" and it would appear that both Laurie and I are both correct.  Native, Common Brown Earwigs (Labidura truncata, how's that for professional!) are predators... good for your garden. They love caterpillars, codling moth, cut worms, budworms, Slugs and even other Earwigs.  Common Brown Earwigs are big, up to 3cm long and have a distinct orange triangle on their backs.
The bad guys are nasty, European, imported interlopers. Smaller, darker, harder bodied and I imagine they have bad moustaches and terrible accents. So Laurie, please take a little care when you next go hunting for those wascally earwigs!  (Thanks to Hort Journal, August 2010)
Spring is almost here so the fete and show season is also starting:

It's Camellia Time and the flowers are blooming in great profusion!

Camellias Victoria and Waverley Garden Club are holding their annual Camellia Festival to celebrate their favourite flower plus lots more.

On Saturday, 21st August from 1 - 5 pm and Sunday, 22nd from 10 am to 4.30 pm. in the Mount Waverley Community Centre, Miller Crescent, Mount Waverley (Opposite the Railway Station).  There will be hundreds of beautiful blooms on display, along with general garden exhibits and also the Inaugural Winter Floral Art Championship, where some of Melbourne's best floral artists will compete for the top prize.   There will be plant sales of many different varieties of camellias and Devonshire teas when you have finished looking at all the exhibits.

Enquiries Shirley on 9802 3771.

Crafty Grafted Tomatoes

I receive a daily "Dirt du Jour" newsletter by email.  Much less long winded than I am. Every now and than I get a real surprise: "Grafted Tomatoes. Alice Doyle at Log House Plants says they’ve been doing it in Europe for ages. The benefits are many. Tomatoes grafted onto sturdy rootstock resist disease, resist nematodes, resist cold and provide a bumper crop from fussy heirlooms even in depleted soils. Every tomato she’s trialed has been bigger and better on grafted rootstock".  

They've been doing it in Europe for ages!?! Is this a new concept in the US?  Anyway after many years of not growing Grafted Tomatoes we are putting a toe back in the water.

Grafting does help enhance Tomato productivity and when Grafted Tomatoes were first introduced to the Australian market by Cousin Fred (Wood) back in the early '80s they were a massive hit.  Of course everyone jumped on the bandwagon and the market became crowded.  I felt they became unprofitable for the level of work required to produce good grafted plants so we stopped producing.  Good grafted plants require specialist equipment and dedication, Floriana used to grow the best and they dominated the market.  Well one of our Seed suppliers, Highsun Express have offered pre-grafted Tomato plugs this season so we're trying them out.  Our first Tomatoes, Grosse Lisse and Apollo (and Eggplants, Bonica) have arrived and I'm pleased to say that the grafts are excellent so we should have plants ready for early September sales. For those in the know these are "V" grafted plants with only the one set of roots in the soil, that's considered the ideal process.

We will sell our Grafted vegies in 100mm square pots and expect they will retail for just under $10.00 per pot.  From our perspective they're worth every cent both for the work involved in production and also for their exceptional productivity. 

Why Crafted?  Just one of those malapropisms that stuck and has always made me smile.  Thanks Landy.

Keen on Bonsai?

The Waverley Bonsai Group is holding it's show next weekend, 14-15th August at the Mount Waverley Community Centre. Displays, demonstrations, experts and sales. Follow the link for full details.