Hi Kathy,
Hmmm? Anyone out there with plenty of slugs and knows what these nasty little critters stay away from? I think they will eat almost anything that isn’t rough or spiny. Certain perennials come to mind that are rough in texture but I can't think of an annual. Ahhh! I just thought of two, zinnias and statice are rough in texture. You could also go around the garden center touching the plants to look for rough ones.I love annuals and would hate to have to grow only those that they don’t eat so I try to control them instead. If you sprinkle coarse swimming pool-filter sand around your plants the slugs won’t cross over the tiny little rocks. You have to get the coarse type though. Diatomaceous Earth sprinkled around the plants also works but the pool filter sand doesn’t have to be reapplied after a rain. There are also slug preparations that have iron phosphate as the killing agent, which doesn’t harm the environment, pets or other insects. One I use is called Escar-Go! That one is availble through Gardens Alive, (click on 'Market Place' on our Home page) Another one is called Sluggo.
Don’t get the Ortho product or similar ones that contain metaldehyde. It is a toxic material that you don’t want in your soil or around your pets.
Happy Gardening,
Diane
Printer-friendly copy
Email this topic to a friend
