RE: slugs and heaven
- Subject: RE: slugs and heaven
- From: M* D*
- Date: Tue, 7 May 2002 19:57:57 -0700
To all of the remarks below - the most polite thing I can say is POPPYCOCK!
( I am thinking of a much stronger word).
Marilyn Dube'
Natural Designs Nursery
Portland, Oregon
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-perennials@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On Behalf
Of ECPep@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, May 07, 2002 11:37 AM
To: perennials@hort.net
Subject: slugs and heaven
Here in Vancouver, British Columbia, most gardeners are obsessed with slugs.
I was also for many years. About ten years ago a mentor of mine asked me
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to ignore them for a year and then tell her the same thing again.
Slugs don't eat everything. In fact, ten years and one garden later, I
don't think slugs eat anything. I have an extensive garden of slug
delights: arisaema, asarum, clematis, codonopsis, cyclamen, deinanthe,
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hepatica, hosta, jeffersonia, lilium, paeonia, paris, pinellia, polygonatum,
trillium, uvularia, zantedeschia. What the slugs eat is anything that has
been damaged by a bird, raccoon, dog, cat, cutworm, human, etc. They will
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leaves. I assume these plants have already past the point of production and
the slugs are speeding their return to the biomass. They slugs even climb
my tree peonies, to eat the bud covers as they come off the blooms, but
leave the flowers in such a state of perfection that they can be taken to
dinner as gifts. Even in the greenhouse, I have found slugs on plants and
said aha! there is no other villain here. But after some diligent
searching, there is always something.
I have slugs everywhere in my garden, and possibly the biggest problem they
create is unbelievable ruckus from the carnivores competing for their share.
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The greatest benefit of this is being able to see a slug and say Hi Slug.
Other people are throw into fits of violence at the presence of slugs and
have to let you know of their latest casualty. They constantly discuss the
latest Slug Death solution. They get their blood pressure up and talk about
slugs instead of gardening. I don't even pick a slug off my most precious
treasures; if they are healthy, the slugs don't harm them. I am at peace
with my slugs.
I believe slugs are a scapegoat for the unknown. Most gardeners here blame
the majority of plant failures on slugs. I think if they paid more
attention, they might find other reasons and become far better gardeners in
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