Avoiding slugs but what about the birds

[On the Moors]

Last year was the worst ever for growing salad plants (but I've only been doing it for three years). Everything is grown in trays or pots. Three lots of lettuce never produced anything, the radish were terrible and the rocket 'bolted' when we had a week of very warm weather. We are about 750 feet up the west side of The Pennines and it was exceptionally cold and wet. We have a wildlife/water garden and last year for some reason very few frogs, so the snails and slugs had a field day. I am on the verge of getting some racking to lift the trays off the ground but then wondered about the birds. We are surrounded by trees and have a bird feeder in the garden. I was only going to buy racking but could consider a racking which is covered (mini greenhouse type). I'd prefer the racking but just wondered about the birds.

Anyone any views on this please.

 

[Sean Regan]

Last year was the worst ever for growing salad plants (but I've only been doing it for three years). Everything is grown in trays or pots. Three lots of lettuce never produced anything, the radish were terrible and the rocket 'bolted' when we had a week of very warm weather. We are about 750 feet up the west side of The Pennines and it was exceptionally cold and wet. We have a wildlife/water garden and last year for some reason very few frogs, so the snails and slugs had a field day. I am on the verge of getting some racking to lift the trays off the ground but then wondered about the birds. We are surrounded by trees and have a bird feeder in the garden. I was only going to buy racking but could consider a racking which is covered (mini greenhouse type). I'd prefer the racking but just wondered about the birds.

Anyone any views on this please.

We can tend to think that they're "our birds" but they'll find food even if we don't feed them, either next door or further away. That won't stop them visiting our garden to look, and they will find something.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Not sure what you are wondering about the birds, if they eat the plants or eat the pests? Gary says he surrounds his garden with bird boxes, and therefore has little trouble with caterpillars, not all birds eat insects of course, but most feed their young on them, I think it is only linnets in the UK feed their chicks seeds. Quite a few are territorial however, you won't get more than one blue tit or robin nesting in your garden unless it is pretty big, or happens to have a border between territories through the middle. Pigeons are bad for ripping up edible leaves, but they are easily put off as they will see any bit of netting as a potential trap. In terms of slugs my brother had a pet duck that lived in his garden, and just about no slugs, I have slow worms, legless ground lizards and slugs are their main diet. My main problem is with blackbirds and strawberries, they will worm their way through the smallest gap, and then panic and bash themselves about trying to get out when I walk up the garden.

 

[Sean Regan]

Wood pigeons are a pain, I think they confused new blossom forming on wisterias, with ears of corn. So we lose a few.

 

[Mike313]

Snails & Slugs:
Snails & slugs play a beneficial role in breaking down plant matter in the garden. However, when that plant matter is your vegetables, it becomes a problem
In the early years of my vegetable-growing, everything I planted was devoured by them. I tried out many 'solutions' such as beer-traps, copper tapes, coffee grounds etc but none really worked well for me.
I sprayed with nematodes for three years in a row . I sprayed the veg plot (which consists of raised beds) and all paths between them and the surrounding grass etc. That has pretty much wiped them out.
Birds:
My partner insists on feeding all the wildlife (we differ on this subject lol) so we get a very healthy population of birds in the garden. The most damaging are the wood pigeons. My veg plot is not huge so I put nets over any vegetables that might be eaten by birds. I support the nets on a frame. There needs to be sufficient space between the net and the crop to prevent the birds pecking through it. The size of the mesh in the net is important too - the net I use keeps the white cabbage butterfly out as well which is a Godsend especially if you grow cabbages, broccoli or cauliflowers. The nets also protect onion sets as, while the birds don't eat them, the jackdaws pull them up 'out of curiosity' (I think!). If you are buying nets, make sure they are UV resistant, they will last longer.
Whatever you do regarding slugs, please don't use those blue pellets (brand names like 'SlugTox' etc) to kill slugs, as they not only kill slugs and snails but can also kill any predator that feeds on them such as birds and hedgehogs. The really nasty ones containing metaldehyde are now banned, I believe, in the UK.
Good luck this year.