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8A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL April 20, 2016 Helpful hints from your Slug it out with spring’s slimy pests BY KYM POKORNY OSU Extension Service F Pull weeds as they pop or plants will suffer BY KYM POKORNY OSU Extension Service U nsightly and seemingly uncontrollable, weeds have a way of taking over the garden in the time it takes to put the hoe away. Keeping weeds under con- trol takes time and patience, but the effort is worth it, said Chip Bubl, horticulturist with Oregon State University Extension Ser- vice. Plants – especially vegeta- bles – have a hard time thriving in the company of unwelcome neighbors that compete for wa- ter, light and nutrients. Some also harbor pests or diseases. “Weed seedlings are vulner- able to hoeing, hand pulling or rototilling,” he said. “Mature weeds are more diffi cult to re- move. Since weeds often emerge before vegetable seedlings, they’ll suppress the growth of your vegetable seeds. The time you spend weeding in the two to three weeks after you plant seeds will be time very well spent. Weed early and often.” If you keep weeds at a mini- mum, your vegetables, annuals and perennials have a better chance of fl ourishing. Here are a few guidelines from Bubl on how to control these stubborn plants: Organic mulches such as leaves, hay and grass clippings keep weeds under control and improve soil as they break down. Apply a layer of organic mulch two to four inches deep to your Please see WEEDS, Page 9A ollow the glistening trail and you’ll fi nd the gar- dener’s most familiar, frustrat- ing and certainly slimiest pest, the common slug. It’s spring, after all, and as soil temperatures start to climb, slugs rise from their winter hid- ing place underground to munch tender seedlings, emerging pe- rennials and even seeds. “What slugs want is a place that’s warm and moist,” said Claudia Groth, an Oregon State University Extension Service master gardener. “That’s why they’re coming out now. The soil temperatures are getting to be above 50 degrees, which is perfect for them.” Slugs aren’t crazy about win- ter and summer. They bail from cold or hot weather. But fall and spring are agreeable seasons for slugs. In the perfect conditions of autumn when the heat starts to wane and the fi rst rains come, the mollusks lay eggs in clusters called clutches, according to Groth, a horticulturist who has made slugs her specialty. The eggs hatch fairly rapidly and the fast-growing slugs wait it out, showing up in spring to scrape and shred plant leaves with tongues lined with thou- sands of tiny, extremely sharp Birch Avenue Dental Park W. McClung, DDS • Tammy L. McClung, DDS Where dentistry is our profession but people are our focus WELCOMING NEW PATIENTS! Check out our exclusive Birch Avenue Dental Program that provides all the rewards of dental insurance without the headaches. courtesy photo The fresh growth of seedlings, annuals and newly emerged perennials are manna to slugs, so start a con- trol program now. teeth. “In fall, you’re trying to kill them off before they lay eggs,” she said. “Now that your plants are poking their heads up, you need to protect them, because once the leaves are nipped, the damage is there all summer.” The pests are particularly fond of lettuce and other salad greens, broccoli, beans, hostas, strawberries, primroses and daffodil fl owers. More sturdy plants like ferns, sedums, orna- mental grasses, bleeding heart, heuchera, hellebores and most herbs fend them off reasonably well. Woody plants are also usu- ally unbothered. Since slugs go on attack at night and look for protected places during the day, you’ll fi nd them under ground covers or mulches and in thickly plant- ed perennial or annual borders. “Many gardeners grow plants tightly in their beds to keep weeds from growing,” Groth said. “That’s an environment that provides them with a 100 percent hiding place all day.” Slugs will crawl beneath al- most anything where it’s dark and moist, including boards, bricks, pots, loose stepping stones and pavers and debris left lying in the garden. “So the fi rst thing to do when starting a control program is to clean up the garden,” she said. “Don’t leave things all over the yard. They can even hide under garden gloves.” Raise pots onto bricks or “legs” purchased for that pur- pose. Pull mulch away from favorite plants. Remove weeds where the pests like to nestle down. Tidy under porches and other raised structures. Although sanitation is the fi rst line of defense, there are plenty of other methods for control. Get started now. Young plants are most susceptible. Here are Groth’s recommendations: Water in the morning. “If you water in the evening, it’s wet until early in the morning and you’ve given them the best en- vironment when they come out at night hungry,” she said. Put out beer traps. Use a pie plate or bury a plastic yogurt or margarine container up to about an inch from the rim. Pour in beer. Remove dead slugs daily and refi ll with beer. Don’t use salt. It can build up in the soil and damage plants. Attract predators such as frogs, ground beetles and, yes, snakes. Create an artifi cial hiding place by placing a board in their favorite places. To make it espe- cially attractive, grind up lettuce and brewer’s yeast (not baker’s yeast) and put that under the board. In the morning, lift the board and remove slugs. Drop them in a bucket of soapy wa- ter. Go out at night with a fl ash- light or head lamp and handpick them. Get a duck, which will make a quick dinner out of slugs, but be sure to check with your city fi rst. Some don’t allow them and there are restrictions. Tape a wide (3-4 inches) strip of copper around the top of a pot or the top edge of a raised bed. Also, use bait. There are two types. One is a synthetic bait that contains metaldehyde, which is toxic to humans and can be fatal to dogs if eaten in large amounts. The other contains iron phos- phate, which is considered very low in toxicity, according to the National Pesticide Information Center at OSU. It can be used around pets and wildlife and in organic vegetable gardens. When baiting, scatter rather than making piles or bands. “If you use piles or bands,” she ex- plained, “slugs can go right by. If you scatter, they’re likely to encounter it.” For more information please call 541-942-2471 or visit us at www.birchavenuedental.com Mother's Day Brunch Sunday, May 8, 2016 | 9am- 2pm Celebrate your mom this year with a delightful Mother's Day Brunch buffet at the Village Green Resort! We will be serving a variety of salads, carving stations, and desserts. CARVING Baked Ham served with a bourbon brown sugar glaze Slow Roasted Top Sirloin served with horseradish and au jus SALADS Fresh Fruit Salad • Caprese Pasta Salad tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, bowtie pasta and pesto vinaigrette Tossed Green Salad • Four Bean Salad MAIN BUFFET Salmon Quiche • Quiche Lorraine bacon, onions, and swiss cheese Potatoes O’Brien • Sausage Patties • Honey Glazed Carrots • Fresh Green Beans Biscuits and Gravy • Baked Cod and Wild Rice in a mushroom wine sauce Moroccan Chicken Over Couscous Customer Engagement 24/7 Web Design & Development DESSERTS Assorted Cheese Cakes - New York style, fruit fl avors & chocolate Assorted Cupcakes - red velvet, carrot cake & lemon meringue Prices are $26.95 for adults, $23.95 for seniors, and $13.95 for kids 12 and under. Please call 541-942-2491 for reservations. Village Green Resort 725 Row River Rd., Cottage Grove | 541-942-2491 villagegreenresortandgardens.com Ask us how we can help grow your business. Cottage Grove Sentinel YOU ARE INVITED TO FRIENDSHIP SUNDAY If you’ve ever wondered if the church has anything to offer you… If you’ve ever been part of a church and want to return… …then be our guests for worship on Sunday, April 24th at 10:30 a.m. Coffee hour to follow. Come and see what you have been missing at April 18th - 30th Trinity Lutheran Church Corner of 6th and Quincy 541-942-2373 www.tlccg.com A warm welcome to all. 1133 Main St. Cottage Grove (541) 942-9580 Monthly fee via EFT required. Offer based on fi rst visit enrollment for a 12 month recurring billing membership. Offer expires 4/30/16. Valid at participating locations only. No Cash value. 100% of $30 donation is given to the charity of the center’s choice. Ask you center for more details. Monthly fees vary by location. @2016 Curves International, INC. (1503)
