Isn't it glorious to see how the garden has finally come alive? The cold weather we had earlier did nothing to encourage the plants to do much more than hold their own, but with the warmer weather, it actually seems like things are on the move again.
On that lovely rainy night last week, I was browsing through one of my favorite garden reference books, "Favorite Garden Tips" by Marjorie Harris. It's a great little book, arranged in alphabetical order, with tips on just about everything connected with our gardens.
I turned to "S" to look up slugs, and I'll tell you why. You know how hostas are my absolute favorite perennial; the other day, I was admiring the unfurling funnels of some of our hostas, when what do I behold but holes in the leaves! I couldn't believe that the slugs were already attacking, and our hostas, of all things! The battlelines were drawn, believe me! The garden gloves came on, Marjorie's book came out, and there will be no mercy shown!
What Marjorie writes about slugs is very interesting. She says, "I'm told that if you pick 300 slugs a day you can clear up your garden in three years. I've been at it for 27 years and I'm not sure I've made a dent." Hopefully our slug issues don't loom as large as what she describes, but they are still a force that we gardeners have to reckon with.
Marjorie includes some good information for us. The first is something you and I know already: never put poison on slugs, because the birds eat them and it's definitely harmful to the birds. She also mentions that the smaller slugs do more damage, which surprised me because I thought the big, tough guys were the ones to watch. And she has observed that slugs are good at predicting rain, coming out in huge numbers before a rain.
Here's a recipe she lists, from a Rodale publication, to help get rid of slugs. Take one tablespoon each of brewer's yeast, honey or molasses, and cooking oil, and add 1 1/2 cups water. Put this mixture in a plastic container and sink the container to ground level. We are supposed to replace it every few days, and empty it out every morning. It's definitely not for the faint of heart, but I know we gardeners can be quite determined when it comes to protecting our plants!
There were other tips, like crushing eggshells and scattering them at the base of the plants.
She also mentions that epsom salts spread around lettuce and cabbage will keep the slugs away. And if you have horseradish plants in your yard, Marjorie says that the leaves attract slugs. Scatter a few leaves where the slugs gather, and they'll be lured out to where you will be waiting!
As if you and I didn't have enough to do at this time of year, now we can add "slug-hunting" to our to-do list! But it's worth it!
The Yorkton and District Horticultural Society's next meeting is Wednesday, June 16. We'll be touring Skinner Garden Classics, plus there will be other fun events planned. Call Liz at 782-2830 for all the details. And there are two road trips to look forward to: the one day trip to the Peace Gardens (Liz can tell you about that, too, but book your spot soon!), and the three day SHA bus tour to the south-west corner of the province. It's a great gardener's getaway, and to find out more, call Glen at 783-7040.
So let's get an early start on those slugs; have a good week in your garden and be sure to wear a hat!
