GARDEN UPDATE PLUS 4 NATURAL SLUG CONTROL OPTIONS!!

Today we are going back to the deck garden to share how we are dealing with lots of rain and slugs! UGH! Just when you think you're doing good, the slugs attack and the beetles move in. Time to get serious about natural pest control! Today I am sharing four natural slug control options and showing you one you may have seen online, that does not work. I will also show you why it doesn't work and what happened when we tried it! Gardening is a challenge but it is also a joy! Let's go see whats growing this week!

When we shared our deck garden with you two weeks ago, so many of you said you would love regular updates and from the number of views we got on that video I am so happy to share once again. We think every two weeks is a good amount to share and it gives you a good idea of how fast things move along.

Slugs have been a problem for us ever since we lived in this area. Slugs are shell less snails that like to eat soft leaves. They especially love squash, melon, peppers and eggplants. I have not had an issue with tomatoes and many herbs but these pepper plants of mine are in rough shape! Time to get real, down and dirty! So here are four options to help you naturally control slugs in your garden.

First up is a spray I make with water and a squeeze of Thieve's oil based dish soap. You can use Dawn dish soap and some drops of peppermint and or clove oil to get started. Spray the leaves from the bottom up to deter slugs and leaf chewers like Japanese beetles and those beetles that look like lady bugs but aren't!

Second option is crushed egg shells top dressed at the base of your plants this is a great way to stop slugs who will get cut from the rough surface of the egg shells. Just crush up and toss around the top of the soil. Easy! Save some shells out from your regular composting to help you control the soft pest problem.

Next up is obvious. Salt, but not just any salt, Epsom salt which is magnesium salt. Table salt also helps to deter the slugs but you should not add too much of that to your soil or your plants will whither and die from too much of that. Epsom salts are a safe option that the slugs avoid at all cost because it will literally kill them. A bonus of Epsom salts is that it is a great source of calcium for your plants and it helps to avoid blossom drop and blossom end rot on nightshades such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and peppers, which are unbelievably all in the same family of plants. So sprinkle away and keep sprinkling after it rains heavily if not, every couple of weeks should do the trick.

Last up is Diatomaceous earth. Be sure to get the food grade type from the farm store. Its derived from lake beds that have been around since the prehistoric era. Filled with microscopic jagged little edges of shell and bone and rock. Slugs will not like to be around that due to its desiccant nature and it will dry them up. Kind of like salt but worse. You can sprinkle or use a puff sprayer to broadcast, but please be sure to wear a respirator and gloves. The DE can dry out your skin and if inhaled can cause lung damage. So while it is good for your insides, it is not good for your respiratory system. Just be mindful.

We have read that coffee grounds may deter slugs so we were going to offer this as an option. We keep the coffee grounds anyway to top dress for acid loving plants. But to our surprise there were slugs alive and well in our coffee grounds so wanted to show you that this tip is not true. Be warned and save the coffee for the compost or for the hydrangeas or the azaleas or other acid loving plants. Its great for that!

The garden is thriving and looking great. Most of the tomatoes are growing well and have lots of flower/fruit bracts on them we will be knee deep in tomatoes soon enough. The zucchini is coming back from being attacked by slugs and it has even set some fruit as of this writing. I have some peppers that will have to most likely be ditched and if I can find replacements I will do that with fresh, organic soil. So let that be a warning for you. Get fresh planting soil, it will be worth it in the end.

Thanks for joining me for this update I hope you enjoyed it as well as the tips for slug control!

Keep on growing!

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