Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi.
This is my 2nd post, everyone was really helpful last time, so here goes... I now have 2 raised beds (thank you husband!). In the first one last year there wasn't much left after the caterpillars, woods pidgens & carrot flies, so we decided to cover one of them with some netting that said it would keep everything off. Lovely husband made me a frame & fitted it all for me. There is already stuff growing in there as it seems warmer. Chard left from last year, raddishes, a few cauli I started in the green house. So I was very pleased & excited. But then, it turned into a nursery for baby slugs. Now everything is chewed again.
So, what do you think? I know I will lose some stuff, but which is the less damaging? Slugs, or caterpillars & carrot flies? I'm not organic, but won't kill caterpillars (no worry about slugs though-spent a happy hour yesterday chopping them in half).

lucysmum wrote: no worry about slugs though-spent a happy hour yesterday chopping them in half.

Oooohh harsh, how about teaching them to fly using a catapault, now thats fun...

The new style slug pellets sold as organic work very well.

I know its harsh, but they don't come back!

Does anyone else use this type of net I've bought?
I've never had to bother with slug pellets in this garden as its not too bad

Is it really worth covering the bed?

Hi there,

I always use enviromesh on my carrot bed as it is the only way I can grow them without carrot fly damage. I also put plenty of slug pellets down when I sow in the raised bed as the slugs seem to like hiding down the edges and home in on any seedlings. I've not noticed any caterpillars in there as the moths and butterflies can't get in.

A small pile of bran is also good for attracting slugs away from the plants and it is supposed to kill them as they can't digest it, but I usually gather them up while they are eating it and dispose of them.

lucysmum wrote:Does anyone else use this type of net I've bought?

Although I originally bought this to keep butterflies off, I hoped it would do a little more. This guy seems to be helping himself from the outside: