permaculture

["J. Hobbs" <hobbsj@efn.org>]

Title: slugs 'n bran

Hello,

Just returned from 2+weeks of teaching and found my mailbox filled with informative  communiques from this burgeoning listserve!

Thought the most useful comment I might offer is regarding the feeding of slugs- yes- that's right- feed those slugs  wheat bran- I purchase 50#bags for $15. (U.S.)- at the feed store- it is often called 'horse bran', a dried substance.

 I place a 1" ribbon around planted seeds and seedlings- it makes quite a beautiful pattern- imagine packing and cracking - (I'm tending small suburban plots-)

How is it effective? - the slugs come along and feast on the bran and -as you can imagine- quickly desiccate- such an easy solution & multi-functional - bran is also soil enhancer: 14.5% crude protein- 12% crude fiber and  not less than 3% fat.   The bran expands when wet- but also shrinks when dried-  reapply  when 'cracks' occur in the barrier.

Good Luck,

Jude

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