Hints and Tips - General - Pests - Propogation - Watering

Relying on the wealth of knowledge of our Floral Committee and Association members we hope you find the following hints and tips helpful. We would be delighted to publish any tips you may have.

Please send them to our secretary from here: Your Tips
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Hints and Tips on Pests

Slugs & Snails

• Go out late each evening with a bucket of salty water and a pin attached to a stick. Spear slugs and drop them into the bucket, stamp on snails. Do not throw snails over the fence, wall or whatever. They come back! (LD)

• If you can't bring yourself to stamp on snails put them into a poly bag and tie it up before putting it in the bin. If you don't tie the bag closed you will find the snails under the lid of the bin next time you raise it. (LD)

• If you can't bring yourself to spear large slugs pour neat salt over them. You don't have to watch them squirm. (LD)

• There are slug granules available, such as Fito Slug Stoppa, that are not harmful to birds and insects. They need to be reapplied after heavy rain.
Mulches of sharp grit, crushed shells or baked and crushed egg shells can also be tried. (LD)

• Sink a small margarine tub or yoghurt pot into the soil and fill it with beer. Slugs are attracted to the smell, they climb in and die happy (well I like to think so) Stout is better than lager - discerning slugs?????

Leave half an inch or so of the tub above soil level, this is to stop beneficial beasties falling in. Place the slug pubs some distance from plants they like to eat, this way you encourage them to drink and die before they get round to dining. (LD)

• The best thing I found this year was expensive but it works! Copper tape! My hostas (in pots) are usually chomped both before they prodice any leaf and afterwards - this year they were harldy touched. The biggest plants and most flower stems I've ever seen and hardly any hols in the leaves. (GWK)

Wasps

• If you find a wasps nest lightly crush a clove of garlic and place it at the entrance, the wasps will flit in no time.





General Tips - Pests - Propogation - Watering