Gardening in June
I got a bit of a late start this season, because I was flooded with work all of March through May. But my garden has already made a little progress …
Only two zucchini plants have made it through the slug assaults, both in the same spot. I’ll separate them soon to give them space. The plants are not un-nibbled, but so far they are pulling through. The nasturtiums have also endured some slug nibbling, but they’re all pulling through. Maybe they don’t taste as yummy.
I’ll fill the empty spots from the other zucchinis with tomato plants from the greenhouse once they’re big enough to be transplanted.
In the greenhouse the strawberries + sweet peas and beans are still waiting to move onto the wall of my trailer. I want to repaint the wall first, and for that I have to wait for dry weather. There are already little green berries swelling on the strawberry plants. :3
Cucumber and tomato plants are growing like crazy. The day after this photo session I thinned them out and left only the strongest plants. The second strongest I put in pots, to be moved outdoors later on.
The cucumbers and sweet peas in the pots next to the dead tree sprouted a few days later than the ones in the greenhouse, but now they are in full swing too. So far the slugs have left them alone. They did nibble a bit at the beans growing in another pot.
Potatoes! After the rains yesterday I had to have a serious talk with the slugs, who were throwing themselves all over the potato plants. Every evening at twilight I pick all the slugs off the plants in my garden and talk to them. I also apply some kind of granulate with a strong scent that the slugs don’t like to the garden beds. Maybe that’s why so surprisingly many plants have survived thus far …
The slugs are a serious problem, but in any case I have the greenhouse, and outdoors, plants in containers seem to be less in danger from my slimy little neighbours.
The snails are not as voracious as the slugs …
But the slugs are cute. :3 Above a slug is inspecting the stem of a premature plum that fell off the tree …
The snails are feasting on the seeds that Ilan put on the table outside “for the birds”, as if the birdies would even care. But the snailies do care. :3
You need a bunch of ducks wandering around your garden, that might keep the slugs under control. 🙂
Or even better – a pig!
I wish I could keep ducks, or any animals at all, but what would I do with them in the winter when I’ll live in the city again? ;_;
I had slug attacks during my 12 years of gardening.
The best and most humane way I dealt with it was giving them BEER.
I distributed shallow dishes of cheap ( they never complained ) beer.
They went for it, drank, got looped and drowned.
A nice way to go.
Heh … Well, I guess one could argue that killing them with beer is *human*, but hardly humane? There are so many of them, too, that there isn’t really any point in that. Besides, they were here before me, and they will be here after me, so I think I should find a way for us to coexist peacefully and respectfully.
I read a pamphlet by some guy who claims that you can in fact train them to leave certain parts of the garden alone, by giving them nice food elsewhere. That’s what I’m doing right now. Trying doesn’t hurt.
And they are really not stupid at all! Last night I caught a big slug in my greenhouse, and it looked alarmed and a bit guilty when I shone my flashlight at it and scolded it. :o)
Muuten, kun immeiset haukkuu espanjalaisia etanoita murhaajiks; mullon yks musta ja yks valkonen etana, jotka tykkää porkkananlehdistä! Oon yllätänyt ne jo kaks kertaa porkkanapenkissä…
Mää oon vähä samaa mieltä, et etanoita voi “ruokkia” muualla, esim. ne tykkää kissannappuloista; niitä heittelen kauemmas aidan toiselle puolelle. Ja banaaninkuoret ja muuta makosta.
Joo, kissannappulat on hyvä idea! Mä yritän ruokkia niitä salaatilla ja hedelmillä, mutta jotenkin ne tykkää vaan perunanlehdistä … ;_; Pitää kokeilla kissanruokaa.