I live in a snail and slug mecca, until 20 years ago we didn't see snails just slugs but things have changed. One evening a couple of years ago I picked 40 snails off the trunk of my pink dogwood, I don't know how many more there were I couldn't reach them. The same year any window we looked out in the evening you'd see them slithering across the window panes. It looked like a massive escape from a escargot farm. I think Floral can relate to this. I use copper tape on pots and have bought several rolls of copper mesh, the later I even covered one of the benches in the greenhouse with it. I've seen slimy trails over this at times the little %#$^% must have put rubber boots on. I have no problem with hand picking, it's pick and stomp when I see them, why waste the salt. Annette

So, knowing all that... should I wait till the buds are a bit bigger and then nip them? JMO, ok? but I would snip them off as soon as they appear until after they are transplanted. I agree that plants have a natural cycle built in to their genetics. So when we are trying to force them out of that natural pattern - ie: stay in your container and make more vegetative growth now rather than setting fruit now - then leaving the blooms on defeats that goal. Sometimes I know that the plant will go ahead and drop that bloom or abort the small fruit anyway so some argue to just leave it to do what it does naturally. But if it is going to drop the blossom or abort the fruit anyway - and it would when you transplanted it - then there is no point in leaving it on the plant. Get it off ASAP and reduce the stress on the plant. Dave

So you think it's okay to still eat my lettuce? Well that's good news. The thick stems are covered in brown patches, the leaves have no holes in them. It's the ugly brown spotted stems and the thought of the tiny bastards crawling on my food that made me want to scrap the entire bed. I have been going over the cost difference in my mind of NOT spending 20 bucks for Sluggo, the potential loss of other plants in my garden. I just know right now it's too late to have "nice" lettuce for the season. What I have is lettuce whose stems must be cut out in order to eat them. I guess it's not that bad for you folks, so maybe I'll break down and eat another head tonight. I really was gonna rip it all out and trash it. You guys saved my lettuce patch. I have YOU to thank! Thank you!!

That is so strange, Linda! Especially no earthworms!! We do have our lawn treated, with all dry applications and we have earthworms in the middle of it! I am presently digging up more sod, for more planting areas and run into worms all the time, in fact will remove them rather than hack them to pieces if I see one in time! As far as those peeper frogs/rain frogs, buyorsell888, I've purposely created a small pond last year, and now this year another smaller to entice them to come to my yard--I LOVE the sound of frogs and crickets!! Of course, if I had a million of them right under my window at night, I might change my mind but if they were at a distance, say a 1/2 acre away--even better--just like my parents home in the N.C. mountains!!! I loved to lay awake and listen to them, not long, though, they would chirp/sing me to sleep rather quickly!! Linda, have you EVER had earth worms before?