Gardening

Simplistic solution to slugs and snails

There is so much to tell you this
week it’s hard to know where to
begin. Probably I should start by
telling you about such a great idea
you won’t believe it’s simplicity.

Mrs. E.H., who wishes to remain
nameless although everyone (who

uses her idea will want to hug her) of white vinegar diluted one-to-ten i 0

suggests that if you will cut the parts water, to kill both lawn weeds Sales Pepeselaue 30 1 OF FABRICS &
bottoms out of those rather fragile and moming glory. SOUINGINESDNEYEND, 0 BEDSPREADS
plastic containers nurseries use 10 First, using a long prong-like ao ae Oe

hold four or five seedlings, and tool, dig out as much of the tap Give Me A Call Store 383-2500 Home 656-6742

place one of them (cut-side down)
around each lettuce, Petunia
(whatever) when you plant it, nei-
ther slugs nor snails will be able to
get close enough for a single bite.

I couldn’t quite believe this
could work, but, by golly, she is
absolutely nght.

I have spent quite some time
cutting bottoms out of those plas-
tic containers and have put one
around each squash, each petunia
and lettuce, every cosmos and
zinnia, as I planted them, and
y know, nary a one has a blemish!
Amazing! Oh, Mrs. H, you are
wonderful. A genius, in fact!

The beans started early this May,
~ in pots in the greenhouse. They are
busy putting out runners and some
of them are now about four-feet
tall.

These are Scarlet Runners and
Blue Lake pole beans, 12 of each,
which should just about swamp us

later in the season. Beans love the © Amswer. There isa lot of contto- Saanich. More on that next week. * Ivy Geraniums oe. from $9.95
heat, of course, but by then surely _versy about cedar, but the latest Meanwhile, while you are divid- * Fuschias and Mixed......................... from $13.95
summer will have started. research seems to suggest that itis ing your perennials, or sorting out ‘Mosse oe irom $29.95

Lots of questions this past week, far less harmful than we have your spring flowering bulbs, or <quberous Begenine’ Ge OE

and most welcome they are, too. It
gives me some idea of what peo-
ple may be interested in this time
of year.

Question. There are sow bugs
(wood bugs, wood lice) eating my
ripe Strawberries. What shall I use
to kill them?

Answer. Actually I don’t think
the wood bugs start the holes in
the berries, they just crawl in
afterwards, attracted, like all of us,
by the juicy sweetness.

The original bites, I'd almost
swear, have been taken out by
slugs, snails, birds or earwigs. The
best treatment would be to spread
Straw, or crumbled newspapers,
under plants to raise the fruit off
the ground, and then to spread
some sort of netting over the top to
keep the birds out.

This year, through a case -of
sheer oversight, we seem to be
escaping these predators. | left the
wire netting (put over the straw-

berries last spring) for the entire
year, and now it is doing a fine job
of holding the berries off the soil.
We need more netting now, or the
robins will be rushing in after
every worm, for dessert.

A reader suggested the use of
wood ashes, or crushed egg shells,
around plants being attacked by
slugs, or the use of stale beer to
tempt them into a dish to be
drowned.

Question. Can we use cedar
sawdust in pathways between
raised beds, or would it poison the
soil?

believed. I certainly would use it
on pathways, but wouldn’t add it to
a compost pile, or mix it with soil
in the beds.

I think I’m certainly side-
stepping the issue, don’t you -.. but
better safe than sorry.

Another caller wanted the recipe
for rhubarb tea (see last week’s
column) another repeat of the joke
in the column last Christmas. I'll
send this to her and not bore you
with it again.

Two others wanted an address
for the Peninsula 4-H Beef Club in
order to send a contribution as
thanks for the delivery of well-
rotted horse manure. That is: c/o
Mrs. J Kennedy, 6372-West Saa-
nich Rd:

Jay Salvador called to ask where
his foxgloves had gone. He, like us,
had first been presented with foxg-
love seeds by birds, and like ours,
his plants had flowered most beau-

‘I couldn’t quite belive this could
work, buf, by golly, she is
absolutely right

tifully, then disappeared, leaving
nothing, in spite of tons of seed,
but a lot of tiny plants.

Happily these will flower next
year ... our common foxgloves
being bi-annual.

Karen called to suggest the use

root as possible, then pour the
above vinegar mixture down the
hole. As someone who contended
for years with an annual outbreak
of wild morning glory, and finally
got rid of it by using a terrible
chemical, I thank you Karen, from
the bottom of my heart.

A lovely call from someone so
in sympathy with our loss of the
raspberries she offered to allow

_ himself*” and me to pick in their

ptivate patch! Pretty nice, eh!
Jim Reid wondered how to rid
his fuscias of what appear to be
mites. I suggested he use soap and
water spray, about five or six drops
of dish soap (not dishwasher soap),
in a litre bottle of tepid water. Add
the soap after filling the sprayer
and save yourself one huge mess!
Chris Pike arrived today with an
enlarged version of the remarkable
earwig trap given me several years
ago by a nice man in Central

transplanting any small vines
which may have rooted, please
don’t forget the plant sale to be
held this fall, with all proceeds
going to the Saanich Peninsula
Hospital.

Please call either Al Nicholls at
652-9950 or Phyliss Cox at 656-
9116 for pick-up of plants or
further information.

So far I have gathered several
pots of horse radish, three-rooted
Jasmine plants, some pots of fall
asters, a baby holly tree and two
cottoneasters, and I’m sure there
will be more to come. Please be
dears and help this worthy cause
by potting up anything you can
spare.

J

TheReview Wednesday, June 12,1991 — A22 =
ISLAND WINDOW COVERINGS LTD.

3372 TENNYSON AVENUE, VICTORIA 383-2500

40% OFF Avee=

VENETIAN, VERTICAL AND PLEATED BLINDS

MAUREEN PARLBY

_THE SWEETEST PLACE IN TOWN

FATHER’S DAY CAKES
$4.99 - $7.99
FRESH FRENCH 99¢ LOAF |
WHITE & BROWN :
DINNER BUNS - 99¢ doz.

3

BEACON BAKERY 656-9411

2304 BEACON AVE. (UNDER THE YELLOW AWNING)

2 SOY “HAPPY FATHER’S DAY” | 7
| with a living Bouquet! E

WE HAVE BEAUTIFUL BASKETS OF:

PLUS ASSORTED VARIETIES

Fushia Trees
in 3 sizes.. ...from $9.95

SMART BRITISH COLUIMBIANS

ARE SAVING... gener
MY Mom DESIGNATED
| WILL PICK BAER:
US UP >.

y RANKS
FOR LETTING
ME STAY THE

3
lid Snap to it, Sidney Gardeners, take pride in your work |
ARE SPECIAL Eater the Snapdragon Garden Chib Photo Contest |
Dads deserve special gifts on
their special day. Come see our All members of the Gnapdragon Come in to Snapdragon Nursery get two> x7 enlargements for
large selection of watches, rings, Garden Club are eligible to and the first 100 to epply to the price of one. Entries must
CHAINS, ANE! AON: enter a photo of their garden enter will receive afollofKonica be presented to @napdragon
We've got something Winners of BEST GARDEN and film courtesy of Sidney One Nursery by Sunday June 22 and
for every dad. BEST DATIO GARDEN pictures Hour Dhoto (Note: You must be judged by 3 garden experts.
will be featured in the Reviews a member of the Snapdragon g
ae oe e Sidney 100th Birthday Issue and Garden Club to be eligible to The Snapdragon Garden Photo
“Faces jewellers / cach vill receive 0 $50 gf apply). Entrants wil process the Contest appreciates the coop
t Ue certificate. film at Sidney Cnetiour Dhoto, eration of didney One-Hour
_ 2403 BEACON AVENUE choose their picture entry and Dhoto and The Review.

SIDNEY - 655-1515

2360 Beacon Avenue, Sidney. Dhone 6565199