Re: Vita Sackville-West's Lament/Slug Bait

At 08:12 PM 9/2/96 -0500, you wrote:
>Also, there seem to be a couple of suggestions on slug bait (orange peel,
>lettuce leaf?) in this poem that I had not seen mentioned before.  :)
Clarence >Mahan in VA

I have a better slug/snail bait than either orange peel or lettuce leaf.
Slugs and snails can't resist this bait.  In fact I think this bait attracts
them from the next block over.  Their are a number of brand names.  You may
even have a manufacturer/distributor in your own town.  This particular bait
is generically know as "Tall Bearded Iris". :)

I just finished my after dark slug/snail/insect safari with my trusty Mini
Maglite flashlight!  With the rain today, I knew it would be prime hunting
season.  Tomorrow morning I'm laying down another layer of diatomaceous
earth around my TB's.  It seemed to ward off many evils this week until the
rain washed it away today.

I'm beginning to think that there is some merit to planting bearded iris
with their rhizomes covered with some soil rather than sitting on top of the
ground.  I've noticed that none of the bearded iris in which I completely
covered the rhizome with soil have become victims of rot, insects, or
snails.  I also noticed that the rot and snail population is also extremely
area specific. Two of my TB plantings have little or no rot and most of the
damage has been done within about 4 square feet.

Wish me luck in the battle against rot, snails, and the creepy crawlies that
are out to get my new TB's.

-Donald


Donald Mosser
dmosser@southconn.com
North Augusta, SC, USA
Zone 7b-8
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