a light dusting of wood ashes will help deter slugs too. But not too much because it will change the ph of the soil.

We have slugs but in recent years we've had a population explosion of snails. 10 years ago I never found snails in the garden, lots of slugs but no snails. Escapees from an Escargot farm? A couple years back the outside at night the place was crawling with them, across the windows, all over the house YUCK!!! I was almost wishing the 'The Birds' would descend on us.
I use copper mesh, wood ashes and diatomaceous earth, but I've still got more than my fair share of these little #$%%@#$. I'll have to try the ammonia remedy, is this just recommended for slugs or will it get the snails too.
Be on the lookout for eggs they kinda looks like tapioca. A

I don't have too many problems with slugs or snails, but when I see their damage, I take a little can like from tuna or cat food and put a little beer in it and set in down into the soil so the rim of the can is level with the ground. In the morning I empty the can and the dead slugs and add more beer. The little @#(*$(* are well known for their drinking habits. They love beer and will drink themselves to death. No work required on your part, except dumping them down the toilet. Cheryl

Early in spring when the hosta shoots are just coming up, I sprinkle some iron phosphate pellets around. (Several brand names available.) I seldom have to reapply unless it is a very wet season as heavy moisture breaks down the pellets. Sometimes I may have a little slug damage after application, but hardly enough to notice. After looking around, this product seemed to be more environmentally and ecologically safer than many chemical snail deterrents. And easy.
Kris

Annette - he said for snails or slugs - sorry, I got tunnel-vision. And, btw, this guy does not espouse heavy duty chemicals in the garden. The ammonia solution kills the eggs right around the plants, and the other solution keeps any slugs/snails outside of the that from entering 'the zone'.

Nancy.

We bring their eggs home from nurseries or trading plants.

Also, I heard years ago that the snails come from people empyting out aquariums.

I've been using the ammonia water for slugs for a long time. Little ones, big ones. Sometimes I put a piece of wood down, leave it overnight and in the morning turn it and spray. In the spring, I carry the bottle in an gardening apron so it's always handy.

spurt spurt spurt

Libby

OK, question here. I have used vinegar at my old house during a bad year when I'd go out at night and squirt gun right onto the slugs. But here at my new house my shade gardens are full of toads. If I used ammonia as advised and generally spray it around, would it harm my toads? I know their skin is so sensitive....
Kris

Ohhhhh the best solution for gittin' rid o' slugs. Fling 'em over thee fence in thy bad naaghbo'rs 'ard.

Sierra with a tilted halo. snicker!!!!

I really don't do this. LOL!!!!

Kris, you would do this early Spring, before the toads are about, before the leaves unfurl.

Nancy.

sierra, you're doing jumprope with that halo, aren't you? After all the leaves "gramma" threw into my yard with her lawnmower, a few slugs would be justified. She's got such an ugly yard. And she won't let me grow vines on her chainlink fence that's all rusted and....nevermind. She's just precious.

"I seldom have to reapply unless it is a very wet season as heavy moisture breaks down the pellets." Hollow laughter from this side of the pond. EVERY season is a very wet season. Nothing that relies on being dry eg diatomaceous earth, ashes etc works in my garden for more than a day or two. Anything watered will be diluted pretty quickly. Here's the proof....
{{gwi:634526}}

By the way - chucking them over the fence will not work either. Slugs and snails have a homing instinct and can climb. Also baby snails remain small all the while they come across the slime trails of adults. If the adults are removed and there are no more adult trails the babies then begin to grow to replace them. Amazing - I learned this from an article in the Garden, journal of the RHS.

Slugs are our friends!

Sierra, I'm with ya girl! This is a self portrait of me shooting them over the neighbors fence.
{{gwi:634527}}

Edna

What is the definition of a slug?
A snail with a housing problem!

What did the slug say as he slipped down the wall?
How slime flies!

What do you do when two snails have a fight?
Leave them to slug it out!

What is the difference between school dinners and a pile of slugs?
School dinners come on a plate!

How do snails get their shells so shiny?
They use snail varnish!

groan

Libby

Libby - aaacccckkkkk, grrooaann. My cousin would love you, he loves groaners.
Edna, I love the self-portait!!! lol. The snail even has a smile on his/her face.

Nancy.

Tom, I would be happy with an ornary gramma living beside me. lol My halo is ummmm shhhhh kind of the shape of that ummmmm slingshot that was posted. Shhhhhhh. hee hee hee

Edna, You look just like me...right down to the mosquito/blackfly ankle protectors.lol ...better catch those ones heading out the back door goin' in the wrong direction. fling, fling fling :O

Sierra ;)))

Hahahahahaha

Cousin Edna, that is now my laptop wall paper!

And Libby, groan is a good term. LOL!!but still funny.

At least the bad neighbors and I are separated by a 10' deep gully and some trees. I only see them in winter. If they don't stop that barking dog though....

I'm going to use plantings to screen my neighbors this year. I want my backyard to be a little more private than it currently is.

Good luck Tom. I built a 6 foot solid wood fence, I already had a lilac hedge growing there and last year I planted a garden in front of the hedge. They sprayed roundup and killed off a lot of it, including parts of my lilac hedge. They also sprayed roundup in the front over the fence and killed off 19 blooming bags. And yes this was done intentional in the middle of the night. They told me that they were going to kill my garden and I couldn't do anything about it...because look around, no one can grow a garden here, so I couldn't prove they did it. Just lovely these people are!

I hope you have better luck, I wish I had a 10' gully between us and them. Show us photos if you can, once your plant screen gets growing.

Sierra