tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post4263311728435533525..comments2024-03-26T10:01:18.135-04:00Comments on Living the Frugal Life: Independence Days Challenge - Inadequacy EditionKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18017959421018964001noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-86724760832075112932009-06-19T07:55:53.987-04:002009-06-19T07:55:53.987-04:00CoaOM, I'm counting on that. I just hope the ...CoaOM, I'm counting on that. I just hope the plants survive this much rain.<br /><br />Candace, I'm glad it works for you. I think that where I lived before just had super slugs. Nothing but the organic treatment chemicals seemed to work. I tried everything.<br /><br />Safira, the lettuces have certainly been happy, and they seem to mostly shrug off the slugs. The arugula has gone absolutely bonkers.Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18017959421018964001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-71664526736379849622009-06-16T13:17:02.509-04:002009-06-16T13:17:02.509-04:00The weather in the northeast has made this a slow ...The weather in the northeast has made this a slow spring. My salvation has been Asian greens galore, but I suppose your slugfestation would have eaten those too.safiranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-56818477462308039602009-06-16T07:28:45.535-04:002009-06-16T07:28:45.535-04:00Kate,
You said you finely crushed the egg shells? ...Kate,<br />You said you finely crushed the egg shells? They should be left large and very jagged. Works for me. Good luck!Candacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14101037388822697387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-91947386531218008062009-06-16T07:12:52.568-04:002009-06-16T07:12:52.568-04:00I know it can be frustrating. Our garden isn't...I know it can be frustrating. Our garden isn't producing much besides greens yet either. But summer will get here eventually!Ellenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18382200567704497975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-71426285646259010772009-06-16T06:24:52.604-04:002009-06-16T06:24:52.604-04:00Thanks, El. I think I may have had some sowbug da...Thanks, El. I think I may have had some sowbug damage to my beans as well. One variety made it through alright. The other, I'll be lucky to harvest enough to replace the planting stock. I've reordered and will try a flageolet. I did think first of the diatomaceous earth, though I'm seeing the need to replace it frequently with the amount of rain we've been having. As for the fallow season, I guess I'd feel better if we'd *had* an asparagus season. But as this is year 1, we couldn't harvest any.<br /><br />Candace, in the other two slug-fest areas I lived I tried everything, including the beer can traps and the crushed egg shells. Neither of those strategies worked for me. The slugs came to the beer cans, sipped daintily, and went away drunk. Some of my beds were absolutely white with finely crushed egg shells, and still the slugs destroyed my plants. Maybe it would work where slug populations are lower, but I saw poor results.<br /><br />Sue, I agree. The slugs are like an old nightmare returned.<br /><br />Onestraw, I'm pretty sure that Sluggo is what I ended up resorting to in slug-fest #2. Are they little blue pellet things? I remember that the product was organic, and that I pretty much coated my garden beds with the product. It did work. It's pretty dispiriting to see that a good technique (deep mulching) has brought in a problem I thought I had dodged with a move to a different location. I wonder if the deep mulching is something that I can gradually taper off as my soil improves over the years. Do you know?Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18017959421018964001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-19389885060786459442009-06-15T22:03:31.272-04:002009-06-15T22:03:31.272-04:00Two bits of advice.
First - use Sluggo. I am all...Two bits of advice.<br /><br />First - use Sluggo. I am all about low input gardening, but if you can't have ducks in your garden, then this is they next best thing. It is OMRI certified (Organic) and works INCREDIBLY well. you will have almost zero slug damage within 3-4 days. <br /><br />http://www.fedcoseeds.com/ogs/OGSorderItem.php?id=8911&OGSname=sluggo<br /><br />Second - asparagus and strawberries really brighten up the spring harvest. Try some sorrel too. (http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/product.aspx?scommand=search&search=sorrel&item=383&category=1&subcategory=408) <br /><br />Gaia's garden is fantastic! So glad you're reading it!<br /><br />-RobAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-18783994479528631492009-06-15T12:08:14.197-04:002009-06-15T12:08:14.197-04:00I'll have to try Candaces suggestion of eggshe...I'll have to try Candaces suggestion of eggshells. I am mulching everything heavily this year in order to conserve water...but , it harbors pests. I'm kinda torn on it...I love watering less, but oy vay-the pests!Suehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10122524042294993949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-84978937482332592692009-06-15T10:12:28.778-04:002009-06-15T10:12:28.778-04:00Put crushed egg shells around your plants, the slu...Put crushed egg shells around your plants, the slugs won't crawl over them.<br />You are doing a fabulous job, just be patient!Candacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14101037388822697387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-53787052359674174452009-06-15T09:44:26.843-04:002009-06-15T09:44:26.843-04:00Now now, Kate! Buck up! I think it has been a ho...Now now, Kate! Buck up! I think it has been a horrible year for losing crops to creepy-crawlies as it has been SO cool and wet. My pest (though I have slugs aplenty too) are those *$#@ sowbugs who eat my beans as they emerge. Need second plantings on ALL beans, most squash, not happy.<br /><br />But with the lasagna bed: you might just need to kind of figure a way to scrape the ground clean where you put the seeds or new plants in. Diatomaceous earth tends to help with those slugs; you could sprinkle strips of it on either side of a row. Otherwise the benefits of deep mulch are fairly good, just maybe not in a year as weird as this one has been.<br /><br />And every year has a "fallow" period as far as harvesting goes; you're between asparagus and bean season is all...elhttp://fastgrowtheweeds.com/noreply@blogger.com