Planting out courgettes

I started off a load of courgette and squash plants in the house and then planted them out, as it said on the packet to do that in May.... only for every one of them to be killed by slugs eating through the stems!

 

Luckily I kept some back in the greenhouse so I can have another try.

 

My question is, should I just keep them in the greenhouse for longer until they're a lot bigger? Will the stems eventually be too thick for slugs to kill them in one go??

 

Or, should I do something else?

 

I'm new to growing veg and have absolutely no idea what I'm doing! I've got some pepper and tomato plants in my greenhouse too.

 

I also have some pea and bean seeds - should I plant these straight out? There's already an A-frame in place, but if they go straight out will they be instantly killed by slugs?

It is really a bit early to plant out courgettes: cold nights will see them off, and we can't really guarantee frost-free nights until June. You may be OK, but they don't like the cold.

 

I use copper rings to keep slugs at bay on individual plants until they are large enough to manage on their own, but this is an expensive option. You can also try coffee grounds, ground up eggshells or purchase wool pellets at a garden centre (they swell up to a sort of felt).

 

If you go down the slug pellet route, use the environmentally more friendly ferric sulphate ones rather than metaldehyde - and don't use too many, a very thin scattering is adequate. You can catch slugs in beer traps ... yoghurt pots sunk to within 1/2 inch of the rim, with an inch or so of beer in the bottom.

 

The peppers and tomatoes will both be very much happier growing in your greenhouse than outside. Both need warmth, and indoors the tomatoes will have thinner skins and won't get blight.

 

Sow the peas outside now. Broad beans can also be sown outside now, although it is a bit late. French and runner beans can be sown now, but I would sow them in pots in the greenhouse for planting out after all risk of frost is over.

 

Good luck! Slugs are a sad but inevitable part of gardening life, I am afraid.

I started off a load of courgette and squash plants in the house and then planted them out, as it said on the packet to do that in May.... only for every one of them to be killed by slugs eating through the stems!

 

Luckily I kept some back in the greenhouse so I can have another try.

 

My question is, should I just keep them in the greenhouse for longer until they're a lot bigger? Will the stems eventually be too thick for slugs to kill them in one go??

 

Or, should I do something else?

 

I'm new to growing veg and have absolutely no idea what I'm doing! I've got some pepper and tomato plants in my greenhouse too.

 

I also have some pea and bean seeds - should I plant these straight out? There's already an A-frame in place, but if they go straight out will they be instantly killed by slugs?

Slugs are everyones problem, use slug pellets placed under boards or thick cardboard and collect them and put in salt water or spike them as I do No problems so far with them but catching plenty of small ones

That's brilliant advice thank you! I'll have a look at those copper rings, I don't mind spending a bit, especially as that's something that can be re-used over and over

Edited May 10, 2018 by vwkittie

when planting out don't forget to harden off your plants by putting them out during the day and undercover at night.

I like to use beer traps for slugs and I also clear away dead and decaying material this removes hiding places for slugs

Thanks for that I'll remember to do that. I've just moved them in to larger pots still in the greenhouse for the mo and they seem to be doing well so far!

Spiking them with a carving knife is the easiest, I go round my garden and allotment early morning and have not seen a slug bigger than my thumbnail this year so getting them last autumn has paid off

The cold has nipped the leaves on my potatoes and killed off a few squash plants that I have seen on other plots.

If a cold night is forcast (40 F or under) just put a tent of newspaper over each cougette.The potatoes should be earthed

Only the early gardeners get caught with a frost

I do not put tender plants out until END of May

 

---------- Post added 19-05-2018 at 13:02 ----------

 

That's brilliant advice thank you! I'll have a look at those copper rings, I don't mind spending a bit, especially as that's something that can be re-used over and over

You can buy a carving knife at car boot for 10p and time costs nothing

Just thought I'd post an update on this:

 

I found an old hoe in the garden, and spent quite a few nights going round chopping slugs in half!

 

Also, I bought some nematoad worms from Amazon. You just mix them with water and spray all around. EXTREMELY successful, slug numbers reduced dramatically very quickly.

 

I left the plants in my greenhouse until they were a bit bigger, and then planted them out in copper rings as an extra defence.

 

This time, basically no slug damage at all. The courgette plants have grown rapidly and are quickly producing more lovely courgettes than I know what to do with!

 

Very pleased, thank you all for your advice!

My courgettes have turned out to be massive marrows...Great when Stuffed.

Courgette are loving this heat (providing they get enough water).

The crop that is suffering even with lots of water are the runners, I think the heat is causing the flowers to abort too soon. Hopefully as it cools more flowers will set.

Florence fennel seems to be a success