1. Place slug bait around pots on the ground.
2. Could you place your pots in trays with 1 inch water, and leave sufficient space on the sides such that snails can not reach pots? Or can snails swim? Slugs can not swim.
Bernd

Hummm, can't imagine what post you could possibly be talking about! LOL. A forum member on here that has an amazing garden, recommended this stuff, Deadline M-Ps. After he recommended it, did a little research on it and will be ordering some before this next season. Works on both snails and slugs, and since you are in the Pacific Northwest lasts through a decent amount of rain before it needs to be reapplied. It's expensive though. Certainly worth a google search to find the best price if you decided to go this route. Here is a link to the manufactures page of the product.

Here is a link that might be useful: Deadline M-Ps

I don't have as wet an environment as you do, but my solution is pot feet. If I keep my pots off the ground, I don't have problems. If I don't elevate them first thing in the spring, I have holes. I also use plastic pots.

I know you said you tried that, but maybe you can find something in what I say that will help.

bk

Here is a link that might be useful: pot feet at Amazon

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

I've considered Deadline, but since I have both a dog and cats have opted for a more pet-friendly product. Metaldehyde is pretty deadly.

And pot feet are virtually no better than just leaving the container on the ground plane. Been there, done that! That's why I moved to elevated plant stands that were constructed in such a way and of materials snails would find difficult to climb. Fooled me!!

Baiting around the base of the container seems a viable option and one I haven't tried yet. Just seemed kinda messy but needs must........and another good reason to avoid the Deadline.

I guess the issue is somewhat moot at this point in the season but would love to have more thoughts for options for next year. Always a possibility the potted hosta collection will grow :-))

Anyone try copper tape? If so, where would I put it?

And it wouldn't surprise me at all if snails swim. They are able to perform such amazing acrobatics that swimming seems pretty tame for their abilities.

We too have those 1" or larger snails. They can climb all the way up into the eaves of the house. All my hostas are in pots (about 90 of them). I have been using Sluggo for several years and I can truthfully say that I have no slug/snail holes in any of my hostas. They don't sit on the ground, but rather on the deck or on raised stands. To keep the pots from ruining the deck (water wise) I put them all on short sticks of redwood 1/2" to 3/4" thick. This lets air circulate and guarantee good drainage. If you cut the sticks to the size of the pot you won't see them, and they are very easy to move.

-Babka

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OMG - those are gorgeous!! I am seriously jealous :-))

I use Sluggo as well but sure don't have results like that. So your snails (mine look identical, except for the few smaller, yellow-shelled native species) do not manage to climb onto your little redwood supports and then onto the containers? And from there to the overhanging foliage? Where do you apply the Sluggo? On the top surface of the containers?

Obviously I'm not doing something right :-(

Sorry I forgot to explain... I just throw it around/under the bottoms of the pots, low, sidearm toss so it doesn't get stuck on the foliage. The creatures will be lured to have a snack before they make their climb.

The thing I really like about Sluggo v.s Corry's or Bug-Geta is that they go away to die. I don't get loads of snail shells to clean up. We have wet winters here and no freezes so I have to use Sluggo year around in the rest of the yard.

-Babka

OK - another vote for baiting around or under the pots!

Any other suggestions?

Set the pots in a shallow tray/dish of sharp little stones?? Big enough to leave a 1-2" band exposed around the pot. Make sure there are drainage holes in the trays. I would suggest diatomaceous earth but not sure how long that would last with rain/watering.

Hello Gardengal :-) I too am at war with a slugs & snails a little further up than you in Agnew on the Olympic Peninsula. My amateur 10 cents worth:

1) I use Ammonia in the spring, can't remember where I got this from (thanks to whoever wrote this) : (For Hostas) If NOT yet in leaf use 20% solution 4 quarts water (1 gallon) to 1 quart ammonia (1/4 gallon) 20% solution sprinkle over buds
If in leaf use 10% solution 2 quarts water (1/2 gallon) to 1/ 2 quart ammonia sprinkle over leaves. I understand you can use a vinegar solution, not tried that yet.

2) Sprinkle 'Sluggo' in potted hosta & around them & as a barrier around yard.

3) Scatter coffee grounds around, lethal to em.

4) Not tried copper around pots YET but apparently works.

5) I'm building a pond to encourage every frog in the area to reside at my home and feast on slugs & snails. (& croak at the neighbors LOL)

6) I read that chopped up quack grass used as a mulch damages the nerves of slugs. Not tried this YET.

7) Get them drunk on crappy beer!

8) They say lime works as a barrier but this Limey may resort to a Smith & Wesson 500.

9) Not tried this either, does it work? Wormwood tea from Artemisia produces a botanical poison that repels most crawling insects, slugs, and snails. When used in the fall, it will kill slugs that have burrowed into their over wintering places. Steeping 1 cup of Artemisia cuttings in 1 quart of warm water for 24 hours makes wormwood tea. Strain the liquid of any debris and add 1 tablespoon of castille soap. Add 8 ozs. of tea to 1 quart of water and spray on the soil.

10. Lastly, slug resistant Hosta seem to survive the continuous onslaught of PNW slugs, try & stick to these thicker leaved varieties.

Good luck!

Jeff

Babka, love that space! Beautiful photos.

Beautiful!!!!
I wouldn't use any poison, I'd put on some gloves and capture those babies to sell to a restaurant. $$ to support the hosta habit.

For me, containers left on the patio deck generally do not attract slugs/snails. But the containers that are on soil or raised above soil by stands are easily reached by these predators.

One idea that I heard of was to put vaseline around the pot for at least 1". The slugs and snails will not pass through this sticky substance. I have used this method and it does work. You just have to apply the vaseline where you will not touch it. It will need reapplying once in a while. And don't forget to consider that the slugs and snails that are on your hosta may already be living in your pot! I remember purchasing a hosta and I kept finding slugs on it. Finally, I removed the hosta from the pot and voila! there they were!

Here are other methods to deter snails and slugs for containers. I copied and pasted from the link provided. Here it goes:

Gritty substances. The first method for garden snail and slug control is to use a gritty substance. Snails do not travel over gritty substances, such as crushed eggshells or sharp sand, that have been spread around your container plants. Put a layer of grit in your plant containers, and snails will avoid these plants. If they do crawl there, the grit will clog their slime glands and it will kill them. Spread sharp and angular gravel (not smooth rocks) over soil so the snails canâÂÂt climb. All of these gritty substances will irritate the snail and slugâÂÂs delicate undersides.

WD-40. To deter snails in your container garden, you can set up barriers around your plants or their containers. For example, you can spray a band of waterproof WD-40 around your containers, and the snails and slugs will be unable to climb up it. WD-40 is waterproof, so it will be effective in the garden even after rain or watering. When spraying the WD-40 around the containers, make sure there are no gaps, as the snails and slugs will climb through any spots youâÂÂve missed. Also protect any plants from the spray by covering them with newspaper or a sheet of plastic. The WD-40 should last an entire season.

Copper wire. Another snail barrier is copper wire. Attach copper wire around your plant containers or around a thick plant stem. Because snails have acidic slime, they will get a shock if they touch copper wire. It wonâÂÂt kill them, but it will keep them from climbing up your plant containers or onto your plants, and they will go elsewhere.

Hope this helps.

Babka, your plants are looking fantastic!

Jeffoxtoby, you have provided some good information. In regards to your reference to frogs, I have been told that it is toads that eat a large amount of slugs. Perhaps you can look into that.

Here is a link that might be useful: Balcony Container Gardening: 8 Methods for Garden Snail and Slug Control

@pandora. Did you know, when I lived in England I was surprised to find out that the French did not recognize English snails as 'Escargot' LOL. So no $$ to be made there! LOL

@newhostalady, RIBBIT RIBBIT... Quote from 'http://animals.pawnation.com/kind-frog-eats-snails-8806.html' - Snails are routine menu items for frogs. The only stipulation for frogs is that the snail is small enough to swallow whole. With thousands of frog and snail species found all around the world, often in similar habitats, the two species often cross paths.Link below is for you.

@gardengal48. I forgot about Epsom salts, that will stop snails in their tracks. Didn't see any snails at your nursery when I visited, you must be doing something right :-) Thank you for past advice on my Norway Spruce which is doing great.

Jeff

Here is a link that might be useful: Frog eating a snail video

Thanks Jeffoxtoby for the video! That frog had to work hard to finally get the snail!

I like the WD-40 idea!! Will definitely be giving that a try.

I wouldn't mind having a few frogs around but my property is so open and exposed to the beach, I doubt they would like it and I'm sure the herd of hunting felines would make short shrift of them anyway. Now if only I could get the cats interested in snails..........

Jeff, tell me what the Epsom salts does and where is it applied. I have never encountered that method of control before......and the nursery has never had issues with slugs or snails. Not sure why. Expect they are just careful in the growing houses but we bring in as much, if not more, than we grow ourselves and I know snails are great hitchhikers. Go figure! Glad your little spruce is doing well :-))

Many thanks to all who responded with great suggestions!

Ammonia 10% to 25% will kill them and fertilize the plants by breaking down nitrates into nitrites which makes nitrogen available as a fertilizer. Copper wire works as the, undetectable by humans, charge keeps slugs away.

Dry Dolomite keeps slugs away as well. It doesn't work when wet though.

You might try painting the pots with sand paint (or mixing your own as you are near the beach) I have never known of anyone doing this, but they obviously don't like sharpness on their 'feet'. I think it's worth a shot.

Jon