Q. Is there a way I can eliminate snails and slugs from being a problem, before I plant?
A. Yes, snails and slugs will be a huge threat to plants this year. Unfortunately, your chances of eliminating or eradicating them from any garden are nil as they’re a permanent pest. Snails feed at night on herbaceous plants rather than on woody ornamentals. As the sun comes up, snails look to hide in cool, dark areas. They also hide in the canopy of ornamentals like citrus, camellias, and others where they feed on the leaves. Each adult snail lays less than a hundred eggs. A young snail takes four months to two years to mature depending on the availability of food and moisture. Because of our climatic conditions, it’s sooner rather than later. After the rainy season concludes, an adult snail retracts into their shell in dry, non-irrigated areas. They close off the opening with a mucus seal that hardens. Snails can remain dormant in this condition for up to four years. Hence, snails are a year-round problem. Watering in the evening hours contribute to their activity while a soil surface that is dry, limits their movement. We control snails and slugs with a variety of organic methods such as hand picking, stale beer, egg shells, copper tape and organic baits. Sluggo is the organic bait safe to use around edibles and non-edibles along with kids and pets. Copper tape is recommended for controlling snails in ornamentals. The tape is attached to the main trunk about two feet off the ground. It prevents the snails from advancing into the canopy. In addition, bait the area under the canopy for an additional layer of protection. There is no advantage to bait ahead of planting as there is nothing to attract the snails unless you’re applying it to a ground cover. So, I’d wait until planting and spread the bait over a wide area and repeat baiting monthly. During the summer and fall, you reduce the size of the application area to those areas under irrigation.
Q. I planted primroses last fall, and they have done wonderfully through the winter. The flower cluster uses to be just above the foliage, but now, they’re much taller and flopping over. Why does this happen?
A. This is a common complaint with Pacific Hybrid English Primroses. The stretching is a genetic characteristic that occurs as the days get longer, so it can’t be prevented. You avoid the problem by planting the dwarf or Acaulis varieties. With dwarf primroses, the flowers are not borne in a cluster on a single stem. Instead, each flowering floret is supported by an individual stem that isn’t affected by the day length, so they’ll always stay just above the foliage. Dwarf primroses are subject to a gray mold called Botrytis during wet, damp periods. The disease discolors and wilts the new shoots and leaves, usually covering them with fuzzy mats of gray or brown spores as they decay and drop. You can’t prevent the disease but dry condition and good air circulation along with grooming the plants after each wet period halts the spread.
Q. What kitchen scraps should go into a compost pile? My mom says only uncooked fruit and vegetable scraps while I think anything is fair game including chicken soup.
A. Most kitchen wastes are fair game for a compost pile. So cooked and uncooked fruits and vegetables, and yes, even chicken soup that is the solid portion, not the liquid along with coffee grounds and filter could be added. The items that are always excluded are animal feces from meat-eating animals, grease, other fats, and meats. Some kitchen wastes are better disposed of with a disposal unit. With garden trimmings, lawn clippings and solid kitchen wastes, I’d use the active(hot/heat) or passive (cold) composting technique or method. If you’re composting with worms, then use the wet and dry kitchen wastes only. And finally, to avoid having a mess on your hands let common sense rule when deciding which of the kitchen waste you use.
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