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Need a little snail help

Hello fellow garderners. I have not been able to be online as much this year. It seems that things will be winding down a bit and I may be able to share wht I have been working on in the garden. Each year I get remotivated but i tell you after so many failures with plants and so much money sometimes i ask myself if I should throw in the towel :) Anyway I was wondering if anyone of you could help me with a very very big issue I have.

I live on 2 1/2 acres and teh little area in the back yeard is fenced in which is about 45 feet across by maybe 60 feet deep. I am infsted literally with snails. When it rains I can look out my back sliding glas doors and see (I call them ) alll my little friends slithering across the porch, nd I mean tons of them and I know they are all on their way to my plants. They have eaten the plants, left holes in all leaves, destroyed many, climb up to the hanging baskets and destroy those too. I go out there with a water bottle with vinegar and get as many as I can see but I am not making a dent.

Please please does anyone know what I can possible do to take care of this problem. It really is so dirscouraging and frustrating.

Now the deer who have become brave enough to literally come up to my front porch, right up to the window and eat the caladiaum in a pot I may have a solution for...we are going tomorrow to bet qa dog to keep us and them company.

any help would be gretly apprecieated. I am DESPERATE!!!!!

Norma in Texas

Tags: snails

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Comment by Norma Singleterry TxZn9 on July 17, 2010 at 10:51pm: Hello fellow gardening friend. I am so sorry I have not been able to get back until now. I injured my back and have been going to the chiro. I havne't tried anything yet but ammonia in a water bottle (for snails) but have to go on the hunt. I am going to try a variety of different things and will keep you up to date.

Alison is the garlis solution for the deer (might be a stupid question :) ) I will be posting pics soon. Can't wait to hear what you all think.

Contributing Gardener Comment by Alison Clarke on July 8, 2010 at 5:02pm: Garlic! They hate garlic! From the BBC programme, Gardener's World: Crush two bulbs of garlic, then steam or boil them in two pints of water for three-four minutes until blanched. Strain the mixture and make it back up to two pints, then leave to cool. When it’s ready to use, mix one tablespoon of the mixture into a gallon (3.8 litres) of water and sprinkle teh solution on to hosta leaves in late afternoon (in dry weather).

This was specifically about hostas, and the woman had the most amazing hosta collection which I can't even begin to try and grow in the ground here, due to the little blighters - but I would think this would hopefully work?

Comment by David Featherhawk on July 8, 2010 at 4:46pm: OK Norma, We're all dying to know. What's happening? What are you trying and what seems to be working? I like Mae's suggestion about shingles, but that might become a haven for them. This is exactly the type of place they like to go during the day only to slither back out from underneath at night when we're not watching!!! lol!

Comment by MAE LUCERO/zn 8 GA on July 8, 2010 at 3:44pm: Norma, I’m not sure if this will work with your problem with so many snails. I have problems with slugs in my garden too. They love my hostas and bochoy (Chinese cabbage). I make a barrier out of roof shingles around the plants. Sandpaper should work too.

Comment by cynthia snyderZ5 on July 8, 2010 at 2:45pm: The deer there must be more aggresive than in Illinois.They must be more afraid of people here.A dog probably would deter the deer.

Comment by Rowena Fengel on July 6, 2010 at 10:01am: And a postscript: Yes dogs are just about the best deterrent you can have for the deer. You are so cute with your vinegar bottle!! Get heartless girl and go stomp the suckers!

Comment by Rowena Fengel on July 6, 2010 at 9:57am: Cynthia,
what ever works for your sister yea! The deer here and in Calif. don't care if it is hair, Irish Spring soap, lion pee from Lion Country Safari or anything else. They come onto the deck and look into the bedroom windows as they have the latest planting hanging out of thier mouths. The only thing that works is herbs that they don't like and wire around the things they do. One friend put up 10' angled fencing around thier pool after one jumped the 8' fence and drowned in their pool. Bambi is cute but not in my yard!

Comment by cynthia snyderZ5 on July 6, 2010 at 8:19am: I have read that you can spray them with salt water , but you wouldn't want that on the plants. I have also read that they are attracted to mellon rinds and dog food. They crawl onto it and then you throw them away. I have heard that deer and other animals do not like human hair, my sister puts it in a nylon sock around the garden.

Comment by David Featherhawk on July 6, 2010 at 7:31am: Hi Again, If you are going to use beer, use the can it came in. What I do is cut 2-3 "Windows" 2-3" up the sides. Make them about an inch long and an 1/2"-1" high. Only cut two sides and top. Bend the "flap" inward. This allows the little B**tards to check in but they can never check out. Pour in an inch or so of any beer and set into the mulch were you see slime trails. This works better than dishes because if it rains or you water they don't flood out. After about aweek +/- just ditch or recycle the can. No muss, no fuss.(You can clean and reuse too but ....Yuck!) Oh one more trick, put a piece of duct tape across the top to cover the hole! Wallah!!! This method should also keep your dogs sober! LOL!

Comment by Norma Singleterry TxZn9 on July 5, 2010 at 9:13pm: Rowena - i iactully am putting down pecan shells as my mulch. Maybe if I use a variety of things I can take care of the prblem. Did anyone ger a chance to check out tht wbsite i found, http://www.growquest.com/snail_destroyer.htm What do you guys think?