plant food,
Andrew Marshall (andrewm@eskimo.com)
Fri, 1 Mar 1996 18:51:20 -0800 (PST)
Hello folks,
For those of you with a garden and concerns about slugs, here is
a good way to mot only rid your place of them, but also feed your pitcher
plants. I mean by this Nepenthes, Cephalotus, Heliamphora and Sarracenia
purpurea forms. The rest don't need the help.
At night you prowl around the garden armed with flashlight,
forceps and jar. Collect all the slugs you can find of all sizes and
kinds. If you don't have any forceps then use your fingers. The slime
wipes off easily enough on the grass, your trouser leg, coat sleeve or
the laundry that was left out on the line to long. Put a lid on the jar
when finished and pop the buggers into the deep freeze. A day or so will
result in slug-sicles. A yummy, tasty treat that all pitcher plants
crave. I would if I was one.
Let the mess thaw a bit so that you can seperate them and pop
them into the traps. Here is the reason for collecting all different
sizes. You don't want to forget the little Nepenthes now do you?
The benefits are several. Your garden becomes a safer place for
seedling vegetables, your plants get fed and as the smell of this(did I
mention it smells a bit... no... well perhaps I won't mention that
detail) attracts lots of flies, further feeding the plants and ridding
the area of yet another annoying pest. Same goes for yellow jackets and
other wasps too.
Just be sure to hold your breath on warm days in the greenhouse.
Good growing
Andrew