Living on the coast of Maine, I have always "battled" the slugs. Of course slugs don't like impatiens and cosmos, so no problem with gardens of these. However I can never grow annuals such as zinnias , marigolds, or petunias in my regular gardens as they devour them! We're struggling again this year and I am trying zinnias again, nestled between impatiens and alyssum, hoping that the slugs would ignore them and leave the zinnias alone! No such luck! Does anyone have suggestions for other annuals to plant that slugs will leave alone? I just use cups of beer to control the slugs and usually that works though this year the cups are overflowing in the morning. I guess it's a banner year for them! My perennial garden is fine so I guess slugs leave perennials alone for the most part. Thanks for the help...this is a great site!
try putting crushed shells down as a mulch. the more sharp edges there are the more difficult it is for the slugs to move over the area... since you're by sea, you can easily pick up what you need on the beach - just use a hammer to smash them up a bit!
sprinkle Bonide slug, snail, sowbug granuels around the plants. Also a low pan of beer they will drown in.
Thank you both for the suggestions. I was trying to avoid the slug pellets, granules, etc. because of my grandchildren but another daughter-in-law tried them (they live in the middle of the state in a wooded area) and she said they worked great and didn't seem to be that noticeable for a toddler to touch, etc. The beer has been OK but one area may need more potent help. I still wonder about annuals though that would be less attractive to them. Any ideas?
http://www.humeseeds.com/slugs.htm I also think maybe scaevola, bacopa, fushia, canna, million bells, vebena, heliatrope, devils thorn would give them a stick.
