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8/17/12 9:54 A

Don't get rid of the slugs! Box Turtles love eating them & they're healthy for them. I have 4 Eastern Box Turtles (native to area) who live & thrive on worms & slugs.

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8/12/12 12:47 A

I've heard of using DE (diatomaceous earth) for battling slugs
but hadn't thought to try it for ants. I'll have to give it a try.

There are also some type of nematodes that might work but need to do more research to find out info and if your are in proper region to do that.

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8/11/12 10:54 P

you might try diatomaceous earth it is a biological non toxic remedy, I've included a link for you to check out. I have use it to kill ant hills in my yard. works great!

this is a good article to tell you HOW it works , I do not use food grade, I buy mine at a nursery. I don't plan on eating it, just thought I'd let you know where I bought mine. It is also available on line.

www.richsoil.com/diatomaceous-earth.jsp

Edited by: GARDENCHRIS at: 8/11/2012 (22:59)

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8/11/12 7:57 P

I have tried beer , to no avail; and even tried picking off the slugs, but they seem to be an endless thankless job picking them off the ground. They have a lto of smaller babies! They destroy many palnts too. They seem to love wet ground. But I have done all that was said. Its very time consuming to get rid of slugs and weeds!

I have used egg shells but for aerating the soil, not for killing slugs. IT helsp break down clay soil. I was also told to spread salt or sand on the outward edge of an area where slugs are, so as to keep them away from palnts . It protects other sectiosn from them.

As for Comfrey it is a beautiful herb, but its such a work to keep it covered and free of pollution with its velvety leaves. I find its useless in my area to consume as an herb. Plus their roots have been known to be buried down 15 feet or deeper. I think I may need to use an herbicide, which I hate using for the soil is no good for a year after using an herbicide to treat weeds or to get rid of herbs. Nothing will grow where its been used for a whole year! Thanks. susana

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6/28/12 10:18 A

For slugs and snails, I use crushed egg shells around the plants, dichotomous earth is also supposed to work well.

To control broadleaved weeds I mix one gallon of vinegar with one cup of salt and spray the plant on a hot sunny day. It sometimes takes 3-4 sprayings several days apart to get rid of some weeds. I have gotten rid of poison ivy this way. Just be careful that the spray does NOT drift onto any plants you want to keep.

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6/28/12 3:08 A

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comfrey

There is great use for the comfrey in the organic garden.

As for the slugs, there is only to kill them, some years back i picked around 400 each evening, but this year is much better.

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6/27/12 9:46 P

Slugs have a soft and tender skin. They cannot slide over rough things like egg shells, sharp sand, oyster shells (which is sold for this purpose).

YOu are probably providing a nice smooth surface for them to glide right to your plants and also in which to lay their eggs...Smash your egg shells into small particles and spread them on top of the soil. up to the stemsof the plants and under the strawberry runners. I don't think slugs will cross over the shells. Feed them beer too, before they get to the roughage...

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6/27/12 8:10 P

use beer in an empty tuna can for the slugs, they are drawn to the smell climb in and drown ...
as to the comfrey do a web search, there were a few when I looked .... they all said it was very hard to get rid of.

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6/27/12 7:57 P

With the slugs, use beer. Put some in saucers. They will climb in, have a drink and die..... I have heard of using vinegar to kill weeds. We haven't had any rain so the weeds here are not a problem right now.

Mary

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6/27/12 6:35 P

I been trying for years to get rid of both slugs/ snails and comfrey out of my garden and have no luck. I have many times picked up the slugs by hand but I dont know where they come from but as many as I find and kill, they just lay more babies and I find them even deep in the soil when I dig! They do the most damage in my strawberry bed to the point of getting rid of the strawberries totally! For I wont eat a single strawberry if I see a slug on it for fear of eating those baby slugs! (turns my stomach the thought of eating BUGS!)

As for the comfrey its an herb and I tried digging it up by the roots but its been useless, for I learn it can go very deep and the roots can come up another ten or twenty feet away from where it originated! I don't like using herbicide sprays in my garden so that is out. I don't trust herbicides and such so I just dont use them. But I feel I am desperate. Is there a safe one that wont harm the soil or make me sick? I pride myself in having an organic garden! Thanks in advance for any help! Susana

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