Peter's Blog
Peter's Blog
A real gardener would never...
Posted on 3 Jul, 2008 11 comments
Leave a slug on a plant?!
Snail eating Fatsia japonica
I thought this snail on the bright green leaves of my Japanese Aralia looked very nice this morning. Does leaving him on there to munch away cast my gardening credentials (what credentials I hear you cry) in doubt?
The thing I thought strange was that when I went out of the house I saw the slug crawling up the leaf; when I came back in a minute later it was eating. Notice how much of the leaf has been eaten – the slug returned to a part of the leaf that had already been started on, I wonder why?
A minutes’ meal, I think not
Anyway, I’m not one for killing things just for the sake of it and kinda think everything in its place, so I quite like that the slug could get his fill on my Fatsia. I’ve tried to avoid killing most things, even on my veg (I’ll admit I lost patience with the caterpillars though).
I think I have a plant ranking; some which creepy crawlies are welcome to munch and others which I’ll protect.
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Comments
3 Jul, 2008
Hmmm. You wouldn't feel the same if it were your Clematis that had been gobbled for the third time. I am now trying a new method - a bottomless, topless plastic bottle as a guard, smeared with vaseline.to try to stop the darned snails from crawling up and munching!
3 Jul, 2008
What I want to know is why can't we train our cats to hunt something useful like slugs and snails? Good pics though.
4 Jul, 2008
I think my patience does depend on the plant. My fatsia grows very very fast. Buzzbee - In the mornings I often here birds trying to crack the snail shells on the pavement, maybe you need a different type of pet :o)
4 Jul, 2008
Try and get a hedgehog live in your garden they eat them and it's natures way
4 Jul, 2008
I know i should not do it but when i see them i just pick them up and throw them, as for slugs i have to have a long stick & shovel then i throw them.
4 Jul, 2008
Hi Peter,
Love the photos they're brilliant, what camera do you have? I don't like slugs nor snails but whilst I'll throw the slugs I usually leave the snails and if they're on the pavement I always move them out of harms way, as I don't like to see them get stepped on! hee hee :-)
4 Jul, 2008
I tend to move them if they're somewhere I really don't want them. Someone wrote a while ago that they seem squite happy in a compost bin so I just put them in there.
Sodapop - thanks :o) I have a Nikon D40 and just the standard lens that comes with it as a kit (18-55mm).
4 Jul, 2008
A great photo Peter.
I find the patterns and colours on their shells fascinating.
The detail is amazing, and they are amazing creatures that have inhabited the earth for a long time.
4 Jul, 2008
Hi Peter - yes a host of thrushes would be a perfect addition to my garden.
4 Jul, 2008
I know what you mean about point system. And I hate the crunch feeling when you dont see them and its too late.
However today I found the strimmer again, and tidied up the garden edges etc, well overdue and so rescued a few slugs and snails, put some in te compost bin like you. Hopefully as grass down now they wont be as bad for a bit , anyway whilst in homebase today getting a few bits, decided to try some bird food, grub like stuff, suppoosed to atract robins etc that eat snails, saw this on gardeners programme on friday evenings the other week, I shall be avidly checking to see if more birds appear. I have only noticed a pigeon and a blackbird so far.
Nice photos very clear
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Joined 15 Jun, 2008
Hertfordshire
3 Jul, 2008
Brilliant pictures, I don't have your patience with the slimy creatures we get though but it's good that you got distracted :)