Gardening: 2002-2009 Seasons

[fifi]

My grandmother used to keep ducks and turn them into the garden. They gobbled up slugs, bugs and caterpillars and didn't seem to damage the garden much. They sure had good eggs. I would think a pet duck in a garden would be a hoot.

[Stone]

Stone - them's slug or snail droppings. Look for them after dark, hand pick and toss. The basil is fine.

Gracias. (They don't bite, do they?)

[melkor]

My grandmother used to keep ducks and turn them into the garden. They gobbled up slugs, bugs and caterpillars and didn't seem to damage the garden much. They sure had good eggs. I would think a pet duck in a garden would be a hoot.

Stone, you getting a duck to guard your basil plant?

[Stone]

My grandmother used to keep ducks and turn them into the garden. They gobbled up slugs, bugs and caterpillars and didn't seem to damage the garden much. They sure had good eggs. I would think a pet duck in a garden would be a hoot.

Stone, you getting a duck to guard your basil plant?

Yeah, and after it fattens up on slugs, it goes right into the smoker.

[melkor]

My grandmother used to keep ducks and turn them into the garden. They gobbled up slugs, bugs and caterpillars and didn't seem to damage the garden much. They sure had good eggs. I would think a pet duck in a garden would be a hoot.

Stone, you getting a duck to guard your basil plant?

Yeah, and after it fattens up on slugs, it goes right into the smoker.

Right next to my basil-fed lamb

[tsquare]

Stone - them's slug or snail droppings. Look for them after dark, hand pick and toss. The basil is fine.

Gracias. (They don't bite, do they?)

Don't think so - but they slime - might want to wear gloves or use a utensil. Love the duck idea.

[fifi]

I seem to have a fixation on finding uses for the animal kingdom lately. Must be deep seated frustration at not being able to garden this year combined with a temporary absence of basset hounds.

[tommy]

I've got slugs. What should I do? I haven't really seen any damage, but they may be the culprits who have been eating little holes in my hostas.

keep the hostas out of your speakers. that should do the trick.

my cilantro (here in NJ) is just about spent as well. had a good run for a few months. now it's just tall stalks and little brownish leaves every now and again.

Right next to my basil-fed lamb

LOL!

Edited July 21, 2003 by tommy (log)

[Stone]

Stone - them's slug or snail droppings. Look for them after dark, hand pick and toss. The basil is fine.

Gracias. (They don't bite, do they?)

Don't think so - but they slime - might want to wear gloves or use a utensil. Love the duck idea.

So I goes out last night with a flashlight, and there they were. Three big fat caterpillars (didn't look like slugs), attacking my basil like the eGullet moderating committee going at a Sizzler breakfast buffet.

I pulled 'em off and tossed them over the side. I didn't see anymore, but in the morning found an inchworm on my Thai Basil. How do I stop this madness?

[MatthewB]

Stone,

You might try Jerry Baker's "All-Season Clean-up Tonic" . . .

1 cup baby shampoo

1 cup antiseptic mouthwash

1 cup tobacco tea*

Mix all in 20 gallon hose-end sprayer, and give everything in your yard

a good shower EVERY 2 WEEKS during the growing season.

* Tobacco tea: Draw 3 fingers of tobacco and put it into a nylon stocking

(a nylon knee high works great) tie the top into a knot, place in 1

gallon of HOT water over night until it turns dark brown.

Note that this "tobacco tea" smells awful. Best to store it in a large Mason jar or some such.

[Hopleaf]

Stone,

You might try Jerry Baker's "All-Season Clean-up Tonic" . . .

1 cup baby shampoo

1 cup antiseptic mouthwash

1 cup tobacco tea*

Mix all in 20 gallon hose-end sprayer, and give everything in your yard

a good shower EVERY 2 WEEKS during the growing season.

* Tobacco tea:  Draw 3 fingers of tobacco and put it into a nylon stocking

(a nylon knee high works great) tie the top into a knot, place in 1

gallon of HOT water over night until it turns dark brown.

Note that this "tobacco tea" smells awful.  Best to store it in a large Mason jar or some such.

is that safe to put on plants one plans to eventually eat? sounds like it might strip paint too.

[MatthewB]

is that safe to put on plants one plans to eventually eat? sounds like it might strip paint too.

It's fine.

I've used it on herbs this season.

Just wash as usual.

[Hopleaf]

So??? does it strip paint?

[MatthewB]

So??? does it strip paint?

Never tried.

Remember though, that mixture is mixed with a whole lotta water from the sprayer.

[Hopleaf]

how does it work on rabbits?

I don't really have any bug problems, but will keep this in mind for the future.

[maggiethecat]

There is only one sure-fire way I know to get rid of slugs, and I realize that it is 1)impractical, 2)potentially dangerous, especially to dogowners.

Get skunks. How they seem to love all those grubs and slugs! We have a married couple of the varmints who trip across our patio at dusk every night; they've been doing it for three years. No, I'm not sure it's the same couple.

They ignore us and the cat (Although they are within a two foot radius of us!) and root around happily on the lawn and in the garden. Since they have joined the family unit slugs=0.

Edited July 22, 2003 by maggiethecat (log)

[MatthewB]

how does it work on rabbits? 

I don't really have any bug problems, but will keep this in mind for the future.

Actually, that mixture would probably discourage rabbits & other varmints.

It sure discourages the puppy from chewing on plants that have been sprayed with it.

[Hopleaf]

We have a married couple of the varmints who trip across our patio at dusk every night; they've been doing it for three years.

Are skunks just inherently clumsy or is it that simply don't give a shit?

[MatthewB]

they've been doing it for three years.

You watch, Maggie?

[maggiethecat]

Ok, Eric and Matthew, you couple of Midwestern Wags:

Trip as in the light fantastic (or fandango.) And if muskrats are allowed a love life, why not skunks? Matthew, they're very, very discreet. But yes, baby skunks are awful cute little additions to our tiny ecosystem.

Trust me: slugs=0.

[Stone]

Thanks for the advice. Matt, regarding your recipe -- three fingers of tobacco in a nylong stocking? I don't know where to start. But it's a better suggestion than a skunk.

However, I don't have a yard. I've got five flower pots sitting on a three-foot high contrete wall on the fourth floor of my apartment building. No slugs crawling up that high. I think my problem is caterpillar larvae.

As for skunks's lovelives, Pepe L'Pew did o.k. (And taught a whole generation about date rape.)

[MatthewB]

Thanks for the advice.  Matt, regarding your recipe --  three fingers of tobacco in a nylong stocking?  I don't know where to start.  But it's a better suggestion than a skunk.

However, I don't have a yard.  I've got five flower pots sitting on a three-foot high contrete wall on the fourth floor of my apartment building.  No slugs crawling up that high.  I think my problem is caterpillar larvae.

Just pick up a pouch of pipe tobacco or rolling tobacco or whatever. Should be easy to find.

As far as not having a yard, this will make no difference. Just spray away.

That mix should deter the caterpillars.

[Stone]

Do you think I can use the eG recipe calculator to get the right amounts for a quart-sized spray bottle? I left my 20 gallon sprayer back at the farm.

[MatthewB]

Do you think I can use the eG recipe calculator to get the right amounts for a quart-sized spray bottle?  I left my 20 gallon sprayer back at the farm.

I just knew that you were going to ask this.

~100:1 ratio of water to mixture.

Edit: Or just do an ounce or half-an-ounce per quart.

Edited July 22, 2003 by MatthewB (log)

[tsquare]

Stone:

What else do you have growing in those flowerpots? Guessing something in the cabbage family? Have you noticed white butterflies? These lay "cabbage looper" green worms. The droppings could be from those as well. Hand pick - look for the tiny ones on the back of leaves and along stems. You can get ahead of them. Unfortunately, the only way to really avoid them is to use a row cover type protection system - sunlight and water penetrable spun polyster know as Reemay is the common choice. But it would detract from the aesthetic quality of growies (that's a technical term, you know.)

I have been told by knowledgeable gardeners that tobacco and tomatoes don't mix - so I wouldn't spray tobacco water on my tomato plants - or for that matter, any of mine.