Last updated 09:34, Thursday, 22 May 2008

Quick remedies to help tackle those slow pests. Gardening wtih Toni Magean, head of parks at Copeland Council

common snail: It can be a bit too common in your garden!

LIKE everyone, I have been enjoying the recent warm weather and it’s been a pleasure working in the garden (complete with sun hat and cream!)

But this wonderful weather does come at a price. I’m sure you will have noticed the rate the grass is growing, having cut my own lawn four times in a week!

The warm weather has also meant keeping a close eye on the watering of my bedding plants which are all at various stages. I have generally been watering early in the morning with a further lighter watering in the late evening. Some of my seedlings have scorched in the bright sun.

Earlier this week I placed a number of my plant trays and pots onto a standing area for hardening off (acclimatising plants ready for planting into the garden). These are my petunias “Easy Wave” and “Tidal Wave” also Impatiens “Summer Waterfall” and Antirrhinums “Night & Day”

Again this week the postman delivered further plug plants, remarking to my wife Melanie: “I have a delivery of plug plants – has he room to plant all these plants?” She replied: “Don’t worry, he always finds a home for them – take a look around the neighbourhood in the next few weeks!” It’s so easy to be enthusiastic when it comes to gardening!

The plug plants were Impatiens (Busy Lizzies) “SunPatiens”, a recent introduction which have eye-catching flowers in white, magenta, orange and red with dark green foliage. They grow very quickly and can reach 60cms in height, suitable for bedding, planters, and baskets or growing as a pot plant. The plugs were placed into 3in pots and put in the unheated-grow house.

Talking about enthusiastic gardening, the Council Parks Department employs three horticultural apprentices and you may be aware that the apprenticeship scheme won a major national award for the quality of training provide to the apprentices.

Recently the apprentices came up with the idea and designed a thematic environmental garden at the Carlisle & District Spring Show (a bit like the RHS Chelsea Garden). The apprentices were awarded with a Royal Horticultural Society Silver Medal for their efforts, and are donating the prize money to the Mayor of Copeland’s charity. Well done the Copeland apprentices – I know they have learnt from the experience.

While checking over my recently potted up seedlings I noticed a number were damaged and many of the seed leaves missing. It did not take long to find the culprits – a number of snails on the underside of the trays and pots – most annoying. Snails are supposed to be slow moving aren’t they? Well they certainly got to my seedling in record time – must be Cumbrian Turbo snails!

I know snails are nocturnal, though they did seem to appear from nowhere. The ones I have found have been dealt with; however, to stop further attacks, I have a number of options – I can use snail and slug baits, which come in the form of pellets. The commonly available pellets contain the active ingredient metaldehyde and is particularly poisonous to dogs and cats. However pellets whose active ingredient is iron phosphate has the advantage of being safe for use around domestic animals, children, birds, fish, and other wildlife.

Iron phosphate pellets tend to be more effective against snails than slugs.

Snails and slugs can also be trapped – inverted melon rinds make good traps. Beer- filled traps can also be very effective to trap and drown slugs and snails. These types must have deep, vertical sides to keep the snails and slugs from crawling back out and to reduce evaporation of the beer.

Another way to keep slugs and snails away is to use a barrier. A number of products have become available recently using copper strips or foil – this is placed around containers and plants, and it is thought that the copper reacts with the slime that the snail or slug secretes, causing a flow of electricity.

I have a dog and two cats, so the use of metaldehye- based snail pellets is out of the question. The solution for me is in the application of three controls methods for the control of snails – 1) Visual when seen, collected and removed; 2) Sprinkling iron phosphate based pellets; and 3) A home-made garlic-based foliar spray to act as a deterrent to snails, which seems to be effective but needs to be reapplied every three to four weeks.

I’m also using the spray around the garden, particularly applying to my hostas as they emerge. Many gardeners will know that hostas, although lovely plants, are often referred as snail magnets!