April 2007 SLUGS IN PAPOU�S YARD in 2004: � In the Spring 2004 I noted one slug on one of the leaf of Sun Power in Garden 5. It was the first time ever that I became aware that there were slugs in my gardens. � After a day of heavy rain on July 16, 2004, I noted dozen of slugs all over the Sun Power and quit after removing and killing about 10 slugs. The Sun Power is infested with slugs. � Following hints by BigGuy and Gayle, I found hundred of slugs on the lawn after a rainfall. The rain has forced the slugs to come out of the ground, and they travel over the grass. � To destroy slugs, you can hand pick them and put them in a glass bottle containing about 2 inches of vinegar (acetic acid). The slugs die instantly. Liquid ammonia also is effective and even better because it creates nitrogen which plants love. � You create "slugs baits" where slugs will be attracted to. Examples: 1) a carpet left on the ground near your compost pile; 2) a thick layer of wet newspaper again left on the ground in the vicinity of the compost pile (which is away from your hosta beds); 3) use Sluggo around each hosta and slugs that make it into the garden will be attracted to the Sluggo and when they eat it they die; 4) you sink a container filled with beer level with the ground. Slugs will enter the container and will drown. This beer setup can be also near the compost pile. � After a rainfall, slugs are forced out of the ground and you can see them all over the lawn; they travel over the grass at whatever attracts them first�or the most. Eliminate these loose slugs by spot spraying the lawn with diluted ammonia. Attach a container filled with ammonia to the end of the hose and adjust the outlet so that water will mix with the ammonia in a 1 to 10 ratio approximately. This method is fast and efficient and provides nutrient to the lawn. � After a rainfall is the best time to cut the grass. Keep it short. The new lawnmower picks up the grass clippings and may also suck in the slugs that were travelling on the grass. USING AMMONIA AS A TREATMENT (Best method) Irene, here is part of an article by Bob Olsen of the American Hosta society. This was in the Hosta Journal a few years back. Larry Clemmons, an accomplished hosta grower from Dubuque, had an almost slug-free gorgeous garden last year while many of his friends from nearby towns were being overrun. Unlike the beer and lightweight chemicals they were using, Larry was spraying the hosta once a week or so with a dilute solution of plain old ammonia. The slugs hate the ammonia and the plants love the nitrogen. He uses a regular inexpensive tank and nozzle sprayer and went over and down into each plant-and he has a lot of them. He sprays the hostas with a dilute (4:1 or even weaker) solution of water and household ammonia in the evening once a week-more often in the spring or with a lot of rain. It would take him no more than two hours a week and there were almost no slug holes. The folks visiting from Iowa City which was being inundated by mollusks were astounded by his lush foliage just a few miles away and many have adopted his system. Don' Well, that should settle it. No one in their right mind would try to argue with the late hosta legend Papou. Jon

Hey, love your blog, and howdy! Grew up in NJ, so am much more used to northern gardening, but married a soldier and followed him all over the place, leaving gardens behind as we went. Then I found Mel's book and had an epiphany. Left behind a few SqFt gardens too, then quit gardening for a while, as it started to hurt too much. DH is no longer a soldier, and we live down here where he grew up. Recently the itch came back, so here we go, and gardening down here is a whole 'nuther animal. It will be a challenge, I'm sure. Especially the part about making myself go outside in July and sweat to death just to water those plants...

Almost every morning I "poach" two eggs in the microwave in less than 45 seconds, depending on the eggs themselves, one egg at a time. No boiling water, no contraptions to find or store or wash, no pots or pans to wash, no added salt or fat, just pure delicious, perfectly round, yolky eggs. Crack an egg in a custard cup, cover loosely with plastic, poke a pinhole or two in the plastic (not the egg), nuke for 13 seconds, check for runny-ness, nuke for another 10 seconds or so until it's how you like it. Repeat with the other egg. Before your toast is done, you have two perfect eggs. I have never, ever had one explode, and someone or other in this house eats them that way almost every day. Potatoes, now, they're another matter! Sherry

Awww, what a pretty baby! I do like non-venomous snakes. Clean, quiet and good for the garden. Snake's tongue feels like a feather if it's not scared and nippy. Once when my parents visited, I took them to a large zoo. At the snake room, my father suddenly had to go to the bathroom. Afraid of snakes. My mother didn't want to go in, because "they're slimy." Me: "Only if they've been in something slimy. The skin is sort of dry and waxy." I petted the snake the docent was holding and encouraged her to do so. She was NOT happy but wasn't going to appear afraid. As she stroked the snake, she uttered words that scared the docent, taught me a lesson and made sure she didn't have to pet any more snakes. "My! What a pretty pair of shoes you'd make!"