Hi, this is Jane from the Wild Bunch. Anyone reading this column who grows fruit or vegetables is likely to have faced a battle with slugs this year – I know I have. Yes, slugs are wildlife too, and many are helpful, clearing debris in gardens. But when numbers are high, cutting numbers to reduce damage to produce may be necessary. The mild winter and damp summer have produced a bumper crop this year. When faced with slug damage, how can we support wildlife whilst still growing fruit and vegetables?
The first step is to encourage predators, with plants for pollinators to encourage insects to bring in feeding birds, a pond for frogs and shelters for hedgehogs, slowworms and beetles. Secondly we can reduce slug habitats. Some gardeners avoid raised beds as the walls provide hiding places. Growing your produce away from heavy foliage and edging beds with gravel or wood-chips reduces the chance of slugs reaching your plants. Finally, for those slugs that make it, many can be caught by going out after dark with a torch. You can gather them up whilst also finding where they are heading – a good way to locate where to place slug pubs. Sink a shallow dish into the ground, part fill with beer and empty of slugs each morning. Leaves can be made less tasty to wildlife by spraying with garlic wash. And if you decide to use slug pellets, ensure they are organic, and use sparingly.
Whether we grow large scale, such as on an allotment, or have small containers of strawberries, tomatoes or salads by the back door, by taking these steps we can all be sensitive in how we manage damage by wildlife.
If you would like to join the Wild Bunch, share ways to encourage wildlife in gardens and local open spaces, or suggest topics for the monthly gatherings, just email fromewildbunch@gmail.com. To receive the monthly newsletter, to find out dates, topics and location of gatherings this year, and to book a place, visit www.bit.ly/frome-wild-bunch Our next gathering – 1.30pm on Thursday September 19th – will start at Egford Park’s Tiny Forest, then move to Broadway Community Garden. We look forward to seeing you there.
