The Gardening Bed

[thebish]

I got to Lupins too, but I thought they were a bit small.

indeed - not lupins..

I think they are probably some variety of Bugle..

[Bruce Rioja]

I got to Lupins too, but I thought they were a bit small.

indeed - not lupins..

I think they are probably some variety of Bugle..

I think that they're way too skinny for lupins, but I'm the opposite of expert.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

These have turned up in my font garden. If they've popped up before then I haven't noticed them. They're between six and nine inches high. Anyone know what they are?

The Bish is correct, it is commonly called bugleherb or bugleweed; scientific name ajuga reptans - the variety you have there is 'burgandy glow'. It is a very nice ground cover plant.

[NP44]

yep Bugle great covering plant in shade or part shade, bought Lupins the other week and the slugs have had them (bastards), anyway just bought a more mature one for a tenner and put egg shells around it. Have that you slimy gets.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

yep Bugle great covering plant in shade or part shade, bought Lupins the other week and the slugs have had them (bastards), anyway just bought a more mature one for a tenner and put egg shells around it. Have that you slimy gets.

Egg shells may, or may not work depending on a number of factors - some slugs and some snails are actually attracted to the egg shells especially if they are fresh with the organic coating still on the inside, and also if your soil is clay based they can easily overcome the physical handicap because they haven't had to expend as much effort negotiating both soil and sharp jaggedy bits as they glide easily over the clay.
But, one surefire way of avoiding your lupins becoming a slug meadow is to place nearby (within two feet of, but apart from) the lupins a beer trap. Works everytime - the little buggers prefer beer to lupins every single time. The better quality the beer and the higher the ABV the better.
Of course in time evolution will select for mutant teetotal slugs, but you've got a good few years yet before that happens.

[bobo the clown]

yep Bugle great covering plant in shade or part shade, bought Lupins the other week and the slugs have had them (bastards), anyway just bought a more mature one for a tenner and put egg shells around it. Have that you slimy gets.

Lupins are brilliant if you grow roses. Aphids vastly prefer lupins and so leave the roses alone.

Said lupins will be crawling with the little beggars though, so beware.


.... & for those who missed it, Mrs Clown last year tried to be humane to slugs and went all precious and she routinely lost plants. This continued until, one morning, we found a slug doing a passible imitation of Jabba the Hut sat on our doorstep. Any larger & it would have been ringing the doorbell. It was bloody huge .... I'd swear it had a smug look on its face. Then .... Mrs Clown was seen using a blow torch on it and hunted down all it's friends, family and anything which had ever done business with it. I don't think we'll be going organic this year.

[NP44]

Never tried the beer trap will think about that one, just don't like the thought of wasting beer on them.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Never tried the beer trap will think about that one, just don't like the thought of wasting beer on them.

You can start out with cheap lager, you know that Bierre De' Alsace crap, but if you want to give them a proper hangover to drown to a spot of out of date Pedigree does it every time.

[NP44]

http://www.slugoff.co.uk/killing-slugs/beer-trap" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[boltonboris]

How much beer would you need to kill a slug that's big enough to tow a caravan through quick sand?

[Bruce Rioja]

Never tried the beer trap will think about that one, just don't like the thought of wasting beer on them.

You can start out with cheap lager, you know that Bierre De' Alsace crap, but if you want to give them a proper hangover to drown to a spot of out of date Pedigree does it every time.

Surely no such a thing exists?!

[NP44]

Never tried the beer trap will think about that one, just don't like the thought of wasting beer on them.

You can start out with cheap lager, you know that Bierre De' Alsace crap, but if you want to give them a proper hangover to drown to a spot of out of date Pedigree does it every time.

Surely no such a thing exists?!

I was thinking the same no chance of out of date beer in this house or even the shed, if it's in it gets supped.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Never tried the beer trap will think about that one, just don't like the thought of wasting beer on them.

You can start out with cheap lager, you know that Bierre De' Alsace crap, but if you want to give them a proper hangover to drown to a spot of out of date Pedigree does it every time.

Surely no such a thing exists?!

I was thinking the same no chance of out of date beer in this house or even the shed, if it's in it gets supped.

I buy it, bottled, from a beer supplier I know. Costs me between 50p to £2.00 per bottle depending on just how out of date it is. The really out of date stuff goes to the slugs, the recently out of date stuff gets supplied to unsuspecting people like house party hosts - you know like bring your own. Well I take my own and then drink other people's. As Hoboh has said - I have no morals.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

How much beer would you need to kill a slug that's big enough to tow a caravan through quick sand?

It is a complicated equation, but it can be simplified to q+(l*(h/l)+h where q is the capacity in centilitres of the slugs stomach l is the length of the slug in centimeters and h is the height of the slug in centimeters. That'll give you the volume in centiliters of beer need to drown yon slug. I'd add a bit so he can't get his head above the beer line.

[NP44]

Never tried the beer trap will think about that one, just don't like the thought of wasting beer on them.

You can start out with cheap lager, you know that Bierre De' Alsace crap, but if you want to give them a proper hangover to drown to a spot of out of date Pedigree does it every time.

Surely no such a thing exists?!

I was thinking the same no chance of out of date beer in this house or even the shed, if it's in it gets supped.

I buy it, bottled, from a beer supplier I know. Costs me between 50p to £2.00 per bottle depending on just how out of date it is. The really out of date stuff goes to the slugs, the recently out of date stuff gets supplied to unsuspecting people like house party hosts - you know like bring your own. Well I take my own and then drink other people's. As Hoboh has said - I have no morals.

Like sound of that

[thebish]

Never tried the beer trap will think about that one, just don't like the thought of wasting beer on them.

You can start out with cheap lager, you know that Bierre De' Alsace crap, but if you want to give them a proper hangover to drown to a spot of out of date Pedigree does it every time.

are they attracted to fruit cider?

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Never tried the beer trap will think about that one, just don't like the thought of wasting beer on them.

You can start out with cheap lager, you know that Bierre De' Alsace crap, but if you want to give them a proper hangover to drown to a spot of out of date Pedigree does it every time.

are they attracted to fruit cider?

Ah... I don't know, I've never tried them on perry or cider or spirits! But my guess is they'll love it. Sounds a bit camp though "Where's my pink wellingtons? I need to nip down the garden to top up my fruit cider slug trap dear"

[Bruce Rioja]

Never tried the beer trap will think about that one, just don't like the thought of wasting beer on them.

You can start out with cheap lager, you know that Bierre De' Alsace crap, but if you want to give them a proper hangover to drown to a spot of out of date Pedigree does it every time.

are they attracted to fruit cider?

Dunno, but if anyone ever comes up with Hosta Wine then doubtlessly the little bastards'll make a bee line for it. Actually, that's not a bad idea.

[thebish]

Never tried the beer trap will think about that one, just don't like the thought of wasting beer on them.

You can start out with cheap lager, you know that Bierre De' Alsace crap, but if you want to give them a proper hangover to drown to a spot of out of date Pedigree does it every time.

are they attracted to fruit cider?

Dunno, but if anyone ever comes up with Hosta Wine then doubtlessly the little bastards'll make a bee line for it. Actually, that's not a bad idea.

have tried to grow hostas several times - but always been defeated by slugs... I love hostas - so am working up to having another go this year!!!

[thebish]

how're the spuds coming on Brucie?

will pop down the garden and photo mine for comparison sake! (i think we put them in at roughly the same time..)