Slugs, watering and copper

[BugleoneMember]

I have just started the ‘Organic Gardening’ book after reading the very interesting piece in last Sat ‘Daily Telegraph’ garden section. Since I became a new allotment struggler in November with plot unkempt for several years, I decided on instant change to your methods….. First load of horse shit already piled….

I am intrigued by your use of copper tools to combat slugs/snails,…since I am in process of setting up gravity watering system (hosepipes not allowed) using waterbutt(s), would it make sense to incorporate lengths of copper pipe so that irrigation can be ‘copperised’……??

[charlesModerator]

Hi Bugleone

I think probably no advantage in copper pipe. The effect of copper tools on slugs is also less important than good cultural practice such as keeping soil bare which is close to tender seedlings etc. My main reason for using them is superb craftsmanship and enduring quality, as well as knowing they are kinder on soil than iron tools – see http://www.implementations.co.uk for more on that and the work of Viktor Schauberger.

[Pete BuddParticipant]

Irrigation (a subject dear to my heart at the moment), we are desperate (4mm this month), so I am selectively watering by can at the moment because hose pipes are not allowed on the allotments. Moisture is still evident close to the surface helped by minimal surface disturbance and compost/mulch. However; where plants are growing the soil is getting quite dry at the roots. I gave my broad beans a splash this morning (because they have started flowering) and decided to calculate how many mm of rainfall I had applied. It came to about 25mm of equivalent rainfall. This was over an area of about 6 sq mtrs. The actual volume was 150 ltrs or 15 canfuls. To apply 25mm of equivalent rainfall to a full plot (say 200 sq mtrs) would need 5 tonnes of water! So even if you had 5 x 1 tonne (1 cu mtr) storage vessels brim full, you still only have 25mm of equivalent rain and then its gone. Food for thought?

Pete

[BugleoneMember]

Hi Pete,

It’s because of very similar calculations that I got started on the idea of an irrigation system being more or less vital. However, I quite quickly dismissed any thoughts of duplicating rainfall since it is far too wasteful due to evaporation and ‘poor targeting’ etc.

At the moment I am concentrating on being able to put as much moisture as possible in exactly the right soil points to make the most efficient use of my waterbuts. So far, ‘drippers’ and ‘sprinkle heads’ have been eliminated for the above reasons but I’m haing some interesting results with in soil soakers.

[Pete BuddParticipant]

I`d love to know how you get on with your soil soakers Bugleone. However; there is no getting away from the fact that with current rainfall patterns, large storage facilities are going to be necessary. I don`t think a few normal (say 200 ltr) butts come close. I`m thinking on the lines of a lagoon possibly with a pond liner holding at least 10 tonne. A solar pump could be used to deliver the water. Of course there will be problems esp safety so it may need to be covered. It may be possible to dig a well to use ground water but I don`t what the legal implications are. Funnily enough I filled in an old well recently so the issues may not be new.

Pete

[Natures BabeMember]

Ducks are good predators of slugs ! Also if you are going to plant tender seelings lay some old lettuce leaves with organic slug pellets where you are going to plant tender seedlings and catch them before they do any damage. Hoeing any bare soil, will expose and dry any incubating progeny too.

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