|
One of the most horrid experiences for the enthusiastic gardener is to find that the plants he has been carefully looking after for a long time are completely ruined by slugs. Slugs are garden pests that are present in almost every garden. They do not lie dormant throughout the fall and winter months, but are ready to strike all through the year. What plants do slugs eat? There are many. Slugs eat new shoots, tender stems, new vegetable growth, bulbs and roots and can completely ruin plants in a short period of time.
So, what plants do slugs eat? Slugs eat a wide variety of plants, from ornamental garden plants to vegetables grown for consumption in all stages of development. There are species of slugs that live near the roots of the plants, and can attack roots or bulbs underground. If this is the case, the problem is that you may not notice something is wrong until it is too late.
What plants do slugs eat? Some of the plants that are most affected by slugs are Hostia, Petunias, Tulip bulbs and many other bulbs in your garden, lettuce, cabbage… the list goes on indefinitely. However, there are certain plants that repel them, so it could be a good idea to plant those in between the plants prone to attack. These plants include begonias, portulaca and zinnias, which can also be colorful additions to your borders.
Slugs are capable of eating many times their weight every day, so they need to be carefully controlled. Since slugs will eat anything, they are very difficult to get rid of. There are many methods to get rid of slugs, and though you will surely not terminate the problem for good, you can reduce their number and save your plants. One of the ways to reduce slug numbers is to hand-pick them at night, when they are actively eating off your plants. Grab them and place them in a bucket, then decide how to remove them from your garden. If this method does not appeal to you, you can buy or make your own slug traps. One of the traps consists of using stale beer to attract them. They will drink the beer and die. There are many commercial products available for controlling slugs. Poison comes in many forms, but it would be unwise to use this poisoned bait if you have small animals, dogs or cats in the garden. What plants do slugs eat that you can use to attract them? You can attract them with plants you are not particularly fond of, or with vegetables like lettuce and cabbage, and get them when they are attacking those. Also make sure you reduce the number of hideouts and places that provide protection, like leave cuttings and other material, or stones and pieces of wood they stay under during the day.
There are many ways of getting rid of them, and save the plants slugs like from their attack. Try one or two of the methods presented above, and you will see their number reduced. Remember, if you know what plants do slugs eat, you will be more able to fight them!
|
Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about Pest and Disease and gardening articles at GreenThumbArticles.com!
Didn't really find what you were looking for?
|
|
|
| |
|
|