slug solution? Will it harm my hosta?

14 years ago

After a week of rain here in southern MI this morning I had probably a hundred slugs on our maple tree trunk that grows up through our deck. UGH! Made up a strong salt solution and sprayed the nasty buggers. It's working great. My idea is to spray undersides of my large hostas to deter slugs munching on them. Does anyone know if the salt solution will damage the hosta leaves? Each year I layer coffee grounds, then wood ashes with mulch on top all under the plants but don't see that it helps much. Your opinions please.

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Comments (13)

weed30 St. Louis
14 years ago
I don't think excessive salt is good for anything growing in your garden, and I'm pretty sure it will kill some (all?) plants. Mix up a solution of ammonia and water in one of those pump sprayers. Spray the undersides and down the petioles in the evening. You will kill the slugs AND THEIR EGGS :)
kwsparrow
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks Weed for the input. That's what I was afraid of -- salt will kill or at least damage. Will mix the amonia/water today. What proportions? How much amonia to a gallon of water?
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The following are all safe around kids and pets, etc. Product Name on Label: Escar-go! slug and snail bait The EPA Registered Name for this product is: Neu 1165m slug and snail bait Distributor Names...... Complete list of names under which this product is sold. Often a company will register a single product and then sell the same product under many different brand names. The 'Distributor Name' list is a complete list of these names. Bayer advanced dual snail & slug killer bait ready-to-use W. neudorff gmbh kg Distributor Product Bonide slug magic makes slugs disappear W. neudorff gmbh kg Distributor Product Escar-go! slug and snail bait W. neudorff gmbh kg Distributor Product First choice sluggo snail and slug bait W. neudorff gmbh kg Distributor Product Garden safe slug & snail bait W. neudorff gmbh kg Distributor Product Neu 1165m slug and snail bait W. neudorff gmbh kg Parent Product Sluggo W. neudorff gmbh kg Distributor Product Sluggo - ag W. neudorff gmbh kg Distributor Product Whitney farms unhappy trails W. neudorff gmbh kg Distributor Product Worry free (r) brand by lilly miller ferramol (tm) slug & snail bait W. neudorff gmbh kg Another effective method is to mix a solution of 1 part household ammonia or vinegar to 9 parts water. Put the mixture in a spray bottle and go slug hunting in the moonlight. A quick spray will quickly kill the slimy creatures. Be persistent in hoeing weeds and breaking up the clods of soil that slugs like to hide under. If you expose their eggs, smash them. Keep the mulch pulled back from the base of your plants. Apply the mulch after the soil temperatures have warmed to above 75 degrees F. Keep all old leaves and decaying matter cleaned out of your garden beds on a regular basis. Keep the matter in a compost area, which is far away from the garden. Used coffee grounds and sharp builder's sand spread around susceptible plants may also work. Pine needle or wood chip mulch often works well around hostas. (Adapted from Liz & BigGuy5 on the Hosta Forum)
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caliloo
14 years ago
1:10

1 part ammonia to 10 parts water (eye ball it) should be fine. I have been out every morning at dawn killing the little buggers.

Alexa
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
14 years ago
didnt the romans salt Carthage as a final destruction of the race .. in the last punic war

you are playing with death ..

feel free to continue ... after all.. they are your plants...

otherwise.. refer to the FAQ's for info regarding such ...

ken
shade_tolerant
14 years ago
Alexa you aren't the only one up at dawn, lol. We have literally had forty days and nights of rain!
Kwsparrow, I've noticed slugs climbing trees here too, disgusting, they are on plants I've never seen slug damage on before. I'm out at five a.m every day with my ammonia spray. By the way it also comes in handy to spray any annoying mosquitoes that are looking for breakfast.
caliloo
14 years ago
Shade - I was out spraying this morning (I'm not far from you, just north of Philly so I feel your "rain" LOL) and there were slugs on my ROSES! Yes, slimy little bastards crawling between the thorns to eat the leaves! YUCKOLA!

I have never seen rain or slugs like this in my life!

Alexa
shade_tolerant
14 years ago
Yep, same boat here Alexa. I need a boat desperately, this weather pattern is crazy.
Finding slugs on the thorny rose canes here as well, how do they do it? On hosta flowers, daylily blooms, hanging onto the fence, the house, garbage can, ugh. Need to go put down some more slug killer today.

Eileen
maryann_____chgo
14 years ago
The Deadline pellets are working for me . . . .I get to sleep past 8 AM. :)
shade_tolerant
14 years ago
Lol, MaryAnn, but have you had unrelenting rain for the past month? I am throwing everything we've got at the slugs, deadline, iron phosphate, ammonia, salt, etc.!!! Honestly I think I'm not actually killing the slugs, just irritating them and the same ones pop back up again the next day looking for more to eat. Looking forward to a very dry and hot July.
lindac
14 years ago
We are floating...blub blub...standing water in fields...
But I am just now beginning to see slug damage....because Iw as very vigilant last year I think....
I swear by Iron phosphate bait....I sprinkle it freelyw ithoput worrying about my dog or the neighbor's dogs or a stray kitty doing me a favor by vole hunting.
Need to go buy some more today!
Linda C
lisasmall
14 years ago
Sparrow, mulch encourages slugs. The purpose of mulch is to keep the ground from drying out, and to suppress weeds.

The moist ground under the mulch is what slugs love.

You can't use salt without killing your plants. Even the Bible notes that sowing fields with salt was the way to totally destroy a conquered enemy, and Ken's example backs that up.

So - don't stop mulching - but do use the ammonia spray or consider something like Slug Getta or Slug-B-Gone from your local hardware store. Some are okay around children, some aren't.

Diatomaceous earth is something you'll hear a lot about. I have never been able to find it in a store at all, or online at a price I considered reasonable (and shipping anything that heavy is going to be costly).
kwsparrow
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks to all of you who replied to my problem. What a great resource this forum is.

Went out and bought ammonia (of course I was out when I needed it), will buy Iron phosphate on my next trip to town or at very least one of the slug killers listed in the FAG.
Carole Westgaard
14 years ago
Have not had ONE slug since putting down fluffy long-needle pine "mulch' three years ago where the berms are planted with about 300 hosta. Son brought it from Cincinnati (he's in landscaping). I didn't like the looks of it because it's so fluffy and sort of 'curly' - it was about a foot deep - but it breaks down. The bastards must not like it - probably have a hard time navigating over it. I did not put it inside a fenced patio area where I have several hosta and found one slug hole last week so used the ammonia. (So I take that first part back - I did have ONE slug). Cut off the leaf and no more holes. The long-needle pine stuff isn't like regular 'mulch' because it's so fluffy and airy.

Westy

PS I've seen Maryann's garden and I can vouch for Deadline because I didn't see a slug hole - and she has a million hosta!

slug solution? Will it harm my hosta?

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weed30 St. Louis

kwsparrow
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slug solution? Will it harm my hosta?

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