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Old Posted: 16-06-2008 , 12:54 AM #14
carissa
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: dublin
Posts: 92
Default pests

hi marie, couple of tips for your dad, if he puts crushed egg shells or sharp builders sand around the plants the slugs wont cross as they get cut & dehydrate, clear any dead leaves etc as they hide under them, slugs only come out at night & they like damp conditions so if he waters in the morning the soil should be dry by eve, if he has any old copper he could put it around the bed, its supposed to give them a shock, seaweed is another barrier as its salty & they dont like that, it would be good for the soil when it rots ,if he leaves a plank of wood & a cut grapefruit out he can go out at night & he'll find them under the wood,the grapfruit attracts them, sage, clover& tomatoes planted close by masks the smell of the cabbage, if he's ok with killing them salt works or a beer trap, put beer into a yogurt pot & bury it to the rim,
caterpillars: the white cabbage moth lays its eggs on the underside of the leaf, he should watch out for these & scrape them off & crush them as they will turn into the caterpillars that are also feasting on his cabbage , he can put up a barrier around his bed to prevent the moth laying the eggs, a few stakes and some netting thrown over will do it, bit of a pain when you're weeding but worth it in the long run.
hope there is something useful to you there
good luck to your dad this year
happy gardening:)
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