Taking my plants in to protect from slugs?

[Notsogreenthumb]

Slugs have rampaged my garden, and snails have damaged my greenhouse plants. Some beyond redemption and some extremely weak. Is it odd if I just take those greenhouse plants in every evening? Will that be a cure from the slug problem without affecting the plants? I'm trying to protect bell pepper, cucumber and aubergine. They're in pots so easily moveable.. I wonder if this might work. Slug pellets haven't and everything natural before that. At wits end

It seems like a lot of work to me. Not sure if carrying them in/out daily is sustainable in the long term.

Have you tried creating moats around your plants? It was the only thing that worked for my hostas - so far slug free this year!!

I put a plant saucer under the pot and fill with water. Place something in the middle of the saucer to raise the plant pot out of the water line (plant feet or another smaller, upturned saucer work well). Place your pot on top and voila!

This may sound daft but they can't swim?

Have you tried leaving out some beer in a saucer? They love that, and will happily drown themselves in it. What a way to go.

I did think of that but having to move that saucer makes me . I'd probably be sick. I'm a ninny (although trying to work on it).

About carrying them in and out, I hope to do it till they can flower in peace. The bell pepper was about to flower till most of its leaves got attacked and its kind of just paused trying to hold on the remaining leaves

I’ve just lost all my bean plants and courgettes to slugs

Go out after dusk with a torch and hunt. I got 60 last night. Slugs get chopped in half, snails launched onto the garage roof for the birds.

Having them in the greenhouse is a nightmare. And they've eaten all my lettuce seedlings inside and out! Last year I used nematodes effectively in the garden. This year the first pack didn't seem to work. At £15 a pack it is expensive.

I know the feeling @ineedaholidaynow. My courgettes and squash totally destroyed. They look like seedlings again. Now they're attacking my pumpkin. Sigh. What with a huge aphid infestation and slug/snails, it's not been a great year

I just went out now and saw nothing @Rollercoaster1920. I moved a snail earlier that was lurking under the leaf of the bell pepper. Right now I've put my plants on the garden table instead on inside the greenhouse for tonight. Just to confuse them maybe .

I couldn't slice a slug for the life of me. I can throw the snails on the shed roof for the birds, that's a good idea. They have their nests just above the shed too.

Have you tried Nemaslug?

I've only used it once so far but it has reduced the damage and I seem to only have baby slugs now so will be reapplying soon so will hopefully not have too much damage.

My poor clematis and lettuce seem to be especially popular. I also have a massive aphid problem which I've bought ladybirds and green lacewings to help which is working very slowly.

I'm still taking my chilli, courgette and cucumber plants in each night. At what point is it safe to leave them out? Do they need to be a certain size. Very novice gardener here!

@CarelessSquid07A I read up on it but it said it isn't as effective for snails, more for slugs and things underground. Snails are the bigger issue in the greenhouse, slugs outdoors.

@DdJames how big are your plants? Mine I grew directly outside, and some I transferred when they had 4/5 true leaves. If I could go back I'd have waited till they were pretty big plants and then planted out, that way even with slug/ snail damage it's not too disastrous

I confess to slug murder when I had a large garden. They were sacrificed by cutting them in half with my garden scissors and heaving them onto a grassy area frequented by birds.

They are worthwhile creatures, in fact vital creatures, but not in my vegetable garden. Sorry slugs.

I'm picking up a vast bag of sheep wool clippings from a local farmer. Apparently slugs hate the feel of it. I'm
Planning to put it down thickly around plants. I'll let you know if this works. The wool pellets were silly expensive and this solution will work out to £10 for about 50 plant protection.

I don't like to put down toxins as we have much wildlife in the garden.

I think a combination of nemaslug, going out I. The evening or after you’ve watered with a torch (I collect them in a pot and throw into compost heap or verge over the road, a bit of sharp grit keeps the under control.

Lift up the pots and check underneath, clear away debris, old pots etc...

It gets better as things grow.

I check my greenhouse every evening at dusk. Check the underside of pots and saucers, the underside of the bench, the edges of the frame.

And I keep my basil and coriander in the kitchen all the time. Even then, I came in from the garden last night and found a particularly ambitious slug heading across the kitchen floor towards them. The french windows were open because it was so hot. B*stard things.

Have you put copper tape around your pots? It helps to deter them. Btw I read a beer trap is v effective but it also draws snails from all over so you end up with more in the garden!

Copper tape or wool pellets are the thing. Also chickens or ducks. Encourage birds into your garden and you will have fewer pests generally, I do have slugs and snails but not many as I chickens , wild duck visitors, and lots of birds plus hedgehogs.

@Notsogreenthumb it seems to be rapidly outgrowing the 30cm pot I thought would be big enough for it!

@DdJames I think that plant is more than ready to go into the ground . It's showing rain for 4/5 days back to back here, so I'd probably wait for that to pass and then stick it in. (Not that I'm an expert since mine is so poorly!!)