Ken,
Most of my beds remain unmulched and I still had a problem with slugs until I started adding a sand based topsoil and compost to the beds. I still have a few here and there but not nearly as bad as I did before I stared ameending the soil. Even with all the rain we had this year I don't think I had a dozen slugs all season long.

Penny

is it the sand in the topsoil that is abrasive to the slugs?does anyone put sand around their plants to ward off slugs? i know their undersides are very tender.

Sand must be quite abrasive to slugs. I haven't used plain sand around plants but I have used crushed egg shells and that has also deterred them. I have considered checking with a local small restaurant about saving the egg shells for me but just haven't gotten that desperate yet. As long as this top soil works to keep them at bey I will continue to use it besides it helps improve the drainage of my heavy clay.

Penny

I have always had slugs and snails etc, but this is the first year they were a real problem. In fact they were a downright plague, and that was even during our spring drought before the endless rain started. I have never seen so many slugs and snails in my life and I have been gardening and farming for 50 years.

This year I used wood ash, diatomaceous earth, sand, salt (in very limited quantities as it will kill plants) and NOTHING I did made a difference. Strangely enough they did much more damage in my flower gardens than in the Veg garden, so I wonder if the much higher plant nutrient level in the Veg garden (which gets most of the manure and compost) made the plants more immune to the critters.

Since snails and slugs lay their eggs in the soil around the roots of plants, I am not sure your mulch free garden will really help, and might also allow winter damage to your perennials, especially if we don't get decent snow cover.

If I have a similar problem next year, I will seriously consider getting a duck or two, as they are supposed to be great eaters of slugs and snails.

-Rosalinda