If copper repels slugs (does it) then should I buy flower pots made of copper? Also other questions...

[Comingroundthemountain]

And do such things exist?
Failing that I am buying some large pots for the kids to plant some bulbs in - daffodils, crocus etc. Any type that is best? And what kind of compost do I get to put in it? I have no gardening experience at all so all advice helpful.

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

Buy normal flower pots. Ime slugs only go for veg seedlings. You can buy sticky copper tape if you do get a slug problem which you can put round pots.

I have no idea about compost sorry. Id go for pots the size you want that look nice. Id probably get cheap standard compost. I don't think crocus and daffs need anything special, they grow like weeds in the soil in my garden.

[funnyperson]

If you are buying compost you can get bulb compost which has extra grit to improve drainage or John Innes no 2 or any peat free compost with added grit. Make sure the containers have good drainage holes and stand on pot feet.
Slugs dont really go for daffs in my experience

[Comingroundthemountain]

Thank you!

[shovetheholly]

Are you a millionnaire? Copper pots would be £££!

Slugs will sometimes eat spring bulbs - but it's rare. You can buy copper tape that you put around the top of ordinary flower pots and it stops them being able to get up to the plants (obviously this doesn't work if they can just climb up a neighbouring plant and bypass the tape). The cheapest place for this - if they still have it in - is Aldi. But I wouldn't worry too much if it's bulbs. Hostas on the other hand....

In outdoor containers, I normally plant spring bulbs in the cheapest of the cheap compost. I shove in a bit of grit or perlite (I think the latter might work a bit better), which you can buy separately for around a fiver a bag. Lots of people use broken flower pots in the bottom to improve drainage, but if you're doing a bulb lasagne then it can get in the way a bit.

One exception would be if I am planting something choice, expensive and rare that costs several quid a bulb - then I'll probably go for bulb compost. another would be for growing bulbs indoors, where bulb fibre tends to smell a lot nicer - it really is worth paying the extra for this.

But for your bog standard crocuses, daffs etc in a pot outdoors, cheapo stuff seems to work fine. I give em a feed when they're over and let them die back, then plant into the garden for the second year.

The thing about bulbs is that they are exquisitely designed energy stores. The base has so much stuff packed into it that you can get away with not providing the richest and most costly earth for them to sit in.

[Comingroundthemountain]

Ha - just wondered why they don't make copper pots rather than thought about cost. x

[OldCrowMedicineShow]

Slugs are supposed to receive a tiny electric type shock if they touch copper. I put copper wire around my hosta pot (an ordinary plastic pot) and hostas were unchewed.

[Comingroundthemountain]

another question - what can I put on top to stop the neighbourhood cats digging them up and shitting on it?

[MyNightWithMaud]

Put chicken wire over the pots to stop the cats and squirrels digging - you can fold the edges over to keep it in place. If you want the pots to look prettier, plant the bulbs, put a couple of inches of compost on top, then the chicken wire, then fill up the pot with the remaining compost. (If the animals do dig in the pots, they will stop when they reach the wire). If you can't get chicken wire, use clippings from holly and other sharp shrubs stuck into the top of the compost.

I got my copper tape in the pound shop.

[Oldraver]

We used the copper tape round our strawberries and the buggers still ate them.

Around the same time I saw on Spring watch the time elapsed footage of slugs overnight.....the buggers can abseil in on their slime to your plants.

It was quite impressive, though not good news for DS's strawberries

[Bolshybookworm]

We have millions of slugs (they hide under the cruddy old decking the previous owner put in) and copper tape does nothing to deter them. Waste of money IME.

I now just plant things they don't go for- tulips and daffs are normally fine.