Buy Tobacco Leaf Online | Whole Leaf Tobacco

How do you deal with slugs?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Jitterbugdude

Moderator
Founding Member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
4,266
Points
113
Location
Northeast Maryland
I went this morning to look at my recently planted plants. They've only been in the ground 2 days and already the slugs have set up shop. I doused them (and the plants) with Diatomaceous Earth (DT) and then sprinkled some Sluggo around the perimeter. This is part of my yearly routine for my tobacco and it is extremely effective. Just curious as to what others do to combat these little bastards.
 

deluxestogie

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
23,929
Points
113
Location
near Blacksburg, VA
I do the same, but apply the Sluggo to my most at-risk bed (near a brick foundation) a week prior to transplanting.

Bob
 

Brown Thumb

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 4, 2012
Messages
4,057
Points
113
Location
Pa
I vote for sluggo around the perimeter.
Works for me every yr.
 

DGBAMA

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2013
Messages
4,418
Points
63
Location
NORTH ALABAMA
In truth, slugs and snails aren't a big problem... Darn grasshoppers are! How do you fight them?

I have seen garlic spray talked about as an organic solution for 'hoppers. Never tried, as they are not a big problem here.

I did use Admire for aphids last year, and noted also much less hopper and worm damage than previous years. Coincidence? I don't know.
 

Matty

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2012
Messages
698
Points
28
Location
Sherbrooke, Quebec
I use the sluggo for slugs. I only apply 3-4 granules next to each plant. I found too much sluggo kinda attracts more slugs. I reapply after a rain or when I can't see the granules anymore. Grasshoppers don't seem interested in the tobacco, probably too busy with the broccoli and brussel sprouts. MY biggest problem is birds pecking bugs off leaves and making holes.
 

Planter

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2014
Messages
255
Points
28
I've tried beer tin traps as well. They indeed attract slugs, but I'm not sure it improves the situation long term.


What worked for me is:


Get the seedlings as big and strong as possible before planting out, so the terminal bud is already high above the ground and better protected. No harm if slugs eat some lower leaf, but damage to the terminal bud can cripple the whole plant.


Water only in the morning on hot days, so the ground has enough time to dry on the surface (= less slug traffic).


Cover small plants with Agribon-like material held by a circle of stones (does not help 100% against slugs, if the ground is already infested, but reduces damage from birds, insects and weather impact.)


A Sluggo-like granulate from iron phosphate called Ferramol, sprinkled around the perimeter AND around the common slug-hideouts (i.e. wet places under plants with big leaves), also around the beds (so the slugs find and eat it before they find the seedlings). I start early in spring, before the first big slugs appear, which seems to prevent that dramatic population explosion during rainy periods in summer.


I always plant some early in pots on a gravel bed, and protect the pots with Agribon until the plants get too big. This way a minimum harvest and some fresh seeds are almost guaranteed.


I once had a small field full of seedlings, badly damaged by slugs, birds, late frost. For long it looked like nothing will come out. Eventually most recovered and popped to an impressive size. The ones at the edge close to the grass and especially the ones next to some shrubbery had a visible disadvantage, though. The plants in the centre did best.
Since then I add sunflower seeds to the tobacco beds - when they germinate many get eaten by the slugs, which in return seem to focus less on the tobacco plants. Some sunflowers make it, they are doing well together.
 

Gavroche

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2016
Messages
1,072
Points
0
Location
Ile de France France
I also put boards on the grass, the day slugs hide underneath, there, I turn the board, I kill in the knife ... as a Bolshevik ... lol

As planter, I am amazed at the liveliness of the plants of tobacco they are of an incredible strength.

Je pose aussi des planches sur l'herbe, la journée les limaces se cachent en dessous, là,je retourne la planche, je tue au couteau... comme un bolchevique... lol

Comme planteur, je suis étonné de la vivacité des plants de tabac... ils sont d'une force incroyable
 

squeezyjohn

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2012
Messages
1,007
Points
48
Location
Oxford - UK
Comme planteur, je suis étonné de la vivacité des plants de tabac... ils sont d'une force incroyable

Vraiment! Chaque année je plante les carottes, le persil, les pommes de terre et les betteraves ... et quand l'été arrive les plantes de tabac sont les plus robustes dans le terre de toute que j'ai planté.
 

ChinaVoodoo

Moderator
Joined
Sep 1, 2014
Messages
7,163
Points
113
Location
Edmonton, AB, CA
I use slug bait too. Years ago, I kept lumber on the ground between rows. After two years, I discovered it had kept ideal conditions underneath for slugs. Worst year ever. One evening, I killed close to two hundred of them with a sledgehammer. I will never forget the stench of fresh slug meat. Retch.
 

Jitterbugdude

Moderator
Founding Member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
4,266
Points
113
Location
Northeast Maryland
Although somewhat expensive, copper tape would work well. The issue would be buying enough to wrap the perimeter of your garden. I once took a piece of soft copper tubing, bent it into a circle and placed it around a slug that was on the ground. Every time the slug's antenna touched the copper it violently recoiled from it.

http://www.tapesmaster.com/detail.php?pid=4200
 

ChinaVoodoo

Moderator
Joined
Sep 1, 2014
Messages
7,163
Points
113
Location
Edmonton, AB, CA
Although somewhat expensive, copper tape would work well. The issue would be buying enough to wrap the perimeter of your garden. I once took a piece of soft copper tubing, bent it into a circle and placed it around a slug that was on the ground. Every time the slug's antenna touched the copper it violently recoiled from it.

http://www.tapesmaster.com/detail.php?pid=4200

That might look good along the top rim of a raised bed. The tape is 150' for $50. That's not bad considering a $10 bag of slug bait eventually had to be replaced with another bag.

I'm guessing only electronegative metals will work. Maybe I'll try gold or silver.

Edit: is not electronegativity that I was thinking of, but it has something to do with this which I vaguely remember from tech school.
Galvanic-Corrosion-Chart2.jpg
 

Jitterbugdude

Moderator
Founding Member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
4,266
Points
113
Location
Northeast Maryland
Copper is chemically toxic to slugs and other invertebrates.

I believe in this case the copper reacts with the chemicals in the slugs "slime" producing an electric shock. Never really researched it but tha'st what everything on the internet says... so you know it's true.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top