Jul 4th, 2005
Now, That’s Gross!
I don’t want to gross anyone out but this is what I found a few days ago when I was investigating a small raised bump in the middle of the pathway up at mtp. We couldn’t work out what the strange protrusions were but when we scooped back the wood chips and rolled away the ‘weed suppressing fabric’ (ha!) this is what was found; The slugs were having a positive party down there, with their friends Comfrey and Couch. Hmph…I knew it was too good to be true. So… (and this is where organic lovers should cover their ears)…out came the Round-Up and bye-bye weeds. I sprayed the lot, removed (and dispatched) the slugs and carefully replaced the fabric and chips. I came, I saw, I annihilated, I went.
ps. If anyone from work is reading this I’m still ill in bed – and no I haven’t been gardening. That’s how ill I am!
I haven’t been to the allotment all weekend – damn! We’ve been up in London working (boo!). And now it’s Sunday night, I’m exhausted and it’s raining. Hmmm…. I think the elements are conspiring against me so we’ll make a fresh start tomorrow. I took this picture on Thursday last week. I planted some marigolds inbetween the four cabbage plants the slugs left for us. I think they look great together and the flowers should attract some friendly bugs our way. Oh and I thinned out the perpetual spinach plants and we ate the thinnings. Our first REAL harvest – wow it tasted so good! – a bit gritty (must wash leaves more thoroughly next time) but great all the same.
Right that’s it, now it’s Snail War. They may be soft, stripey and kinda cute sometimes but no-one dines for free at Chez MTP. The six cabbage plants I put in have been mercilessly munched into oblivion by slimey invertibrates. Something has to be done. They have to die, that much is clear, but by which weapon? Should I go for the Rocket Launcher (slug pellets), the Uzi (midnight salt raids), the Grenade (beer traps loaded with John Smiths) or the Shotgun (a line of broken shells).
