Pretty bedding plants that slugs/snails will leave alone :(

[fedup21]

Despite using pellets and checking for the horrible critters every morning, in the last two weeks I have lost 2 coleos plants (they were so pretty) about 7 small sunflower plants that I grew myself from seed in the greenhouse and just planted out, a rockery type plant and a foxglove. Just decimated-I wanted to cry!!

Is there anything (pref part-shade loving) pretty that they don’t like the taste of??

You know pellets have a slug attractant in them?

Nasty things.

Use nematodes. You won't regret it.

Have you thought about using hardy perennials instead of bedding plants? Many are much more resistant to slugs and plenty will work in part shade and still give you plenty of colour.

Please don't use slug pellets they don't just kill slugs

What sort of look are you after?

Thank you for the replies!

I have stopped with the pellets. Can you recommend any hardy perennials, @HardAsSnails?

I don’t really know what look I’m going for @FunkyBarnYardBroom, I’m fairy new to all this. Something with a bit of colour!

Snapdragons (antirrhinum) seem to get left alone.

But get in nematodes. Very effective.

Can you post a snap of your space?

My dappled shade (under a large birch) north-facing border has:
Hardy geraniums
Peonies
Primulas
Foxgloves
Verbascum
Self seeded poppies
Alliums
Dicentra
Fatsia
Hydrangea quercifolia

Begonias?

I agree that perennials are your best bet. Hardy geraniums are brilliant - as are geums, poppies and pulmonaria. Alliums are good too.

Things that have survived in my planted beds so far: pansies, pinks, verbena and lobelia.

Geraniums are generally safe, especially Geranium macrorrhizum, I think it even repels them.

My lobelia seem safe, and gazania so far. Sunflowers are doing okay because I make them a collar out of bog roll middles or a McFlurry lid, so the beasties cant get to them as easily! Have also tried crushed eggshells round the outside of them to try to put them off. Good luck!

They never touch my ivy leaf geraniums I've hot swathes of them in my garden they are kid proof bee friendly slug proof grow anywhere

To those recommending Nematodes-I’m looking on Amazon but am confused.

Could anyone share a link to what to buy?

Nemaslug.

I've been pleased with these traps. I bait them with Sainsburys basics bitter.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XDQTCZN?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

www.greengardener.co.uk/shop/pest-control-outdoors/nemaslug-slug-killer-40-sqm.html

Oops, out of stock. Try here

www.nematodesdirect.co.uk/nemaslug/8-nemaslug

Beertraps are helping save some of my plants ! X

Nasturtiums and fuchsias survive perfectly. And lavender.

@MrsBertBibby it’s out of stock at www.nematodesdirect.co.uk/nemaslug/8-nemaslug too!

If you drink coffee, you can surround the plants regularly with used coffee grounds, the snails will not go over them (but they will find any gaps, though!)

I’m of the beer trap gardening. Still kills them but at least they die drunk

Try spraying with orange oil. slugs hate it.

Another vote for nemaslug. Use them on my veg every year and nothing else. Plus I really don't follow the instructions properly and definitely don't apply them every six weeks, more like every three months.

Still works really well and my salad, radishes and lettuces haven't been touched this year.

The 12 million 40sq metre ones are the smallest pack size I think. Never seen them out of stock though, weird.

Don't know anything about flowers so not sure about the bedding plants though, sorry!

They eat anything tasty in my garden, but they don't like: Aquilegia. Sage. Chives. Most bulbs.