Slugs Love My Delphiniums

It's that time again. That time when the weather wakes up, along with the slugs. Problem is, the delphiniums are also awake, producing tender new roots - the ideal breakfast for hungry slugs. Yes. There's no doubt about it. Slugs love my delphiniums.

Treating the roots with aluminium sulphate (pellets dissolved in water) at 2 oz per gallon, given at about 1 litre per plant last year, seems to have been successful. This was outlined last year in 'Slugging It Out - Part I'

Not all slugs attack plant roots, but the ones that do - such as the Garden Slug (Arion hortensis Agg) and the Keele Slug (Tandonia budapestensis) - cause devastation.

Aluminium sulphate is a contact poison. This means that it is not ingested (as are stomach poisons, such as methiocarb), but is absorbed through the skin when contacted. So the slugs need to be active, as they probably now are. And if they're not, no matter - aluminium sulphate destroys the eggs.

To help avoid damaging the beetles, which also eat eggs, I poured the solution close to the old stems. Sorry beetles. But I just can't take a chance.

Note that aluminium sulphate only works on small slugs.