|
3. Beer
Slugs are attracted to chemicals
given off by the fermentation process. The most popular bait
has been beer. However, not all beers are created equal. In 1987,
a study at Colorado State University Entomology Professor Whitney
found that Kingsbury Malt Beverage, Michelob, and Budweiser attracted
slugs far better than other brands.
Whatever the type of beer you
use, you can create your own slug trap. Use cottage cheese, margarine,
or similar size plastic containers. Put between 1/2 and 2 inches
of beer in each container and place the containers around your
garden, especially around plants prone to slug damage. Never,
sink the containers with their rims flush with the soil level
or you run the risk of drowning ground beetles, important slug
controllers. The rims should be 1" above the soil's surface.
You will probably need to empty the container of drowned slugs
every other night. The range of slug traps is only a few feet
so you need to supply a few traps throughout your garden.
|
4. Floating row cover
The easiest method of pest control
is to prevent damage in the first place. Using a physical barrier
like a floating row cover will prevent insect pests from reaching
your plants and chewing them or laying their eggs on them. I
find floating row covers a must when growing carrots to prevent
carrot rust fly damage and when draped over my broccoli, I prevent
imported cabbageworm from defoliating my plants. |
|
Floating row cover is a fabric made
of spun polypropelene fibres. The fabric itself is very lightweight
and will sit on top of your plants without causing any damage.
The fabric allows both light and water to penetrate it but prevents
even the smallest insects like flea beetles from getting to your
plants.
The fabric is sold at most garden
centers under many names like Reemay, Agrofabric and Agribon
and comes in a variety of different weights. The lighter weight
fabrics are best for use during the summer. The heavier fabrics
do hold in some heat and are best used in the early spring or
late fall. The added bonus is that they can also help extend
the gardening season by a few weeks!
5. Newspaper/Cardboard
Weeds are some of the hardest
pests to control organically without resorting to physically
pulling each one out. If your weeds are coming up in small clusters,
it is easy to deal with them by pouring boiling water over them.
However, if you've got a large area, the best way to control
them is to smother them, also known as sheet mulching.
I prefer to use either newspaper
or cardboard to smother my weeds instead of plastic. Both newspaper
and cardboard degrade naturally and will, over time, add carbon
into my soil, helping provide organic material. In addition,
most newspapers are now printed with soy-based inks, which will
also degrade in the garden.
If you decide to use newspaper,
make sure you place it at least 4-6 sheets thick over your weeds.
One layer of cardboard is usually sufficient to get the same
effect. It takes at least a month to kill most weeds so I find
the best way to use this method is to place the newspaper or
cardboard over the weeds in the fall. Come springtime, the weeds
are dead, the mulch has degraded, and I've got wonderful soil
to work with.
For anyone who is concerned about
the aesthetics of newspaper or cardboard, you can also cover
the mulch with grass clippings, compost or bark mulch for a nicer
look. Make sure whatever you use is free of weed seeds. |
