Can slugs do this...or is it deer?

[Amarulaman]

6 nice 1 foot texada timewarp plants chowed to nothing. I am in the lower mainland of BC lots of slugs and deer. My question is...did deer browse it down and the slugs just eat the leaves? Or could it be slugs eating the entire frickin thing. Either way, I need some fencing, or none of this will make it to harvest. Mother Nature can be a real bitch some times.

[Lrus007]

i would say slug's try to find
pelleted slug bait.

[Green Supreme]

Chowed to nothing would take some time. Perhaps you left them unattended too long. Wishing you better luck. Peace GS

[spaceman]

slugs leave this slimmy shinney stuff in places you can tell it is slugs, they are coming out in the wet know on the coast the big guys are out know and they can eat a little plant in 4 or 5 hours....

[Brick Top]

Both slugs and snails will chew holes like that in leaves. Some caterpillars, cutworms, cabbage worms, tobacco worms etc. will chew holes too rather than just chew along the edges of leaves. Unless you can find one of the little buggers you may never know for sure what is munching on your plants.

[Amarulaman]

Truth is, with all the rain we have been having I did leave them too long. A week and a half...anything could have nibbled them down. A tad more attention could not hurt, but damn if it isnt a crapload of work out in the wild.

[Green Supreme]

:ninja:
Wishin ya better luck. Peace GS

[Jedi Hippie]

Looks like insect damage.Not much you can do to keep them off when outdoors.Alot of insects are in the caterpillar stages right now,and feeding on leaves.Once the plant is established it should be ok.
To keep deer away,try scattering mothballs around.They are cheap and last a few weeks.Also string up a bit of fishing line as the deer will try to avoid contact with the line.

[Bodah]

I'll take a few slugs and snails over a ravenous deer or rabbit anyday ending in y~

Cheers,
B~

[Amarulaman]

So far the slug bait and mothballs have done the trick, I am such a rookie it hurts sometimes, learning and having fun tho. Right now I have everything in 3 gallon grow bags, can I leave them in these till harvest? Or should I switch to larger bags for a bigger yield. Size is an issue as the local pigs tend to rent a helicopter for a few weeks in the fall. Thanks for the feedback everyone!

[Green Supreme]

Depends on how well they are camo'd. I mean summer has just started, they will be rootbound in a month. This will restrict your yield eventually. Bigger root mass means more nugs. Peace GS

[Amarulaman]

Perhaps when the males are out of the picture, I will use their soil and combine it into larger pots. Thanks GS.

[Bodah]

In dirt an ounce per gallon is a pretty good benchmark to shoot for~

Cheers,
B~

[Amarulaman]

How do you add photos on this forum?

[spaceman]

go advanced and then look down...

[Amarulaman]

What? An ounce per gallon? This news seriously fucks up my plans. I was under the assumption that with some care and a good organic soil mix I could get a half pound out of a 3 gallon pot. Is this a pipe dream?

[spaceman]

maybe if you where on a dripper anything big enough to yield a8 oz is going to fly through water on a hot day,3 gall especially it could be done but not by a begginer...

[c-ray]

1 ounce per gallon is optimal but 1/2 ounce per gallon is more realistic

[Amarulaman]

Well this buggers my accounting all to hell, at least I found out in advance. Thanks guys.

[Green Supreme]

Wow 1/2 lb. in a 3 gallon. I need that recipe. Would probably have been nasty weed though. Peace GS

[Bodah]

I'd have to agree, that's not realistic. You'd be watering 3-4 times a day, and that shit ain't cool :)~

Bod~

[Amarulaman]

Did I mention this is my first grow. Sorry for the ridiculous assumptions, just what I figured was possible. Now that I think about it that would be a large amount of green for one plant. Now I see why people grow indoors with the help of artificial light and nutes. I am hoping this will be some quality organic weed at the end of the season.

[Amarulaman]

Purple widow, texada timewarp and kahuna. Drool...

[Bodah]

If this is your first outdoor season chalk it up as a learning experience and be grateful for whatever you can get to harvest. Next years season will be twice as good, guaranteed...

B~

[Amarulaman]

I was hoping to spend the winter in thailand...apparently not! Theft is a huge issue in my area too, never mind the slugs and cops.

[Green Supreme]

I just about spit my drink across the room. Kinda reminded me of that smilie :spitcoffee: Peace GS

[spaceman]

Wow 1/2 lb. in a 3 gallon. I need that recipe. Would probably have been nasty weed though. Peace GS
most likely it would be pushed to the brink of bomb fire grade...hahaha

[Amarulaman]

:allgood2:

[Amarulaman]

I will keep this updated...if only for the comedic value of this adventure.

[Green Supreme]

If you count this as the year that you learned, it will not be wasted and you will be happy with what you get. Knowing next year will be easier. Peace GS

[spaceman]

yepp this is the way most come to see the ways of the lazy{social stigma} dope grower, and social stigmas continue to be blown to fcuk.as you continue in your journey to learn cannabis. just always ask questions, and always keep an open mind, watch and learn and adjust so on....

[Amarulaman]

To be honest, I was hoping to find a bit more in this process than garbage bags of weed and a fat roll of bills. I was looking for a bit of peace and the satisfaction of growing something good and beautiful. I am loving this and learning quite abit about growing and gardening. I think we have gotten away from the natural wonder of growing your own food, weed, etc. in our hectic modern lives.

My new concern of the day is the wetness of my location. I am on the lower west coast of BC and we have had a very very wet spring. Its kind damp and I am concerned about the amount of direct sunlight my plants are getting.

Does anyone know what the minimum amount of daily direct sunlight is recommended? Could the wetness be an issue for mould once my buds are maturing in late summer, early fall?

Here is a pic of one of the purple widows, they are larger as I started a few in February in my basement (CFL lights in a tinfoiled cardboard box). My wife eventually made me get rid of them. Me and my 6 year old had a great time growing them from seed beside some tomatoe plants.

Heres to a good outdoor season for all!

[c-ray]

a minimum of 8 hours per day of direct sunlight from beginning to end is a realistic #... will the sun clear the trees at finish time is what one should be thinking about,.. jun 21 the sun is at it's highest, on july 21st the sun will be as high in the sky as it was on may 21st,.. on august 21st the sun will be as high in the sky as it was on april 21st and on sept. 21st the sun will be as high in the sky as it was on march 21st (do you remember how high the sun was on march 21st? google sunangle calculator)

if I had to choose I would take direct morning sun over direct evening sun, in order to help the morning dew evaporate faster

to beat the mold in mold prone areas one needs:
a) a plant that matures before fall rains
b) a mold resistant strain
c) a good sunny spot with the buds clear of the grass and weeds
d) a nutrient regimen that promotes healthy plants
e) a little luck and a little help from mother nature

[Amarulaman]

Thanks for the great info C-Ray! I have a large stand of 2nd growth forest directly to the east of my plot, so the site is sunny from mid-day on, but the babies are sitting in amonst some taller replanted trees, and its very wet, hence the slug issues. I hope for a hot,. sunny late summer/fall to make up for this. I am thinking the trees around the perimeter of this logging block will the keep the police chopper away come harvest time.

[spaceman]

there is no makeup, only learn and do better and there is always "next season"!

[spaceman]

police usually hit certain spots first, water is the most important to the dope grower so they take there resources and try and hit water spots first,swamps year round streams lake edges etc. I know for a fact a lot of the bluff gardens, are to steep a spot for them to repel into they are to dangerous with the uplift from the ledges. so if you can build a res in the winter and let it fill and have water{100gal per plant} in a spot where there is not usually water you are ahead of the popo, then you have to hike far enough so a lazy theif will not go and steal.
some thoughts..

[Amarulaman]

Good advice vapor, perhaps i will be in better shape next year to hike further away from the roads.

[Amarulaman]

So i head up the mountain to check my patch...bad news. Around the slug bait that i placed around the plants is a fresh layer of mold. It has been raining alot, and this was no issue before i placed the bait. My question is this- is this a major problem indicating too wet of a location? I dont want my buds to get moldy. That would be a major fucking letdown. Pictures to follow. Mold was on the top layer of soil only.

[Amarulaman]

Mind you it has been raining nonstop here, if the weather really is being controlled by the powers that be we are getting screwed.

[Amarulaman]

Hoping this is not a huge issue, I have calmed down a bit. Next 4 days are clouds and rain. Anytime you want to show up summer that would be great.

[c-ray]

if that is slug bait I think ideally is should be a couple feet away from the plants, to attract slugs away from the plants

also the powder stuff is not super effective compared to the cory's liquid death, which works well when it is applied to the inner side of a small pot (like a typical green 3" nursery pot) so that the pots can be strategically placed on their sides and surrounding the plants and so the bait can be shielded from rains.. also if one only has a few pots then some black 6" round pots or what have you will hold more bait, possibly enough for a whole season and + more bait = easier for the slugs to find.. it is recommended to put the bait pots in a discreet location like under ferns or other low branches

if one has enough slug traps then one can confidently camo the tops of the pots with some burlap and then cover with some evergreen branches like oregon grape, cedar, etc.. plastic tends to stand out in a natural terrain

[memyselfandi]

silly question, could the mold be a result of rotten slug bait ?

[Amarulaman]

It was a pelleted slug bait, not sure if it was moldy. I was under the assumption that you could put this around your plants to keep the little buggers away. Crap...am i wrong again?

[spaceman]

yes you are wrong keep it way from the plants usually i take beer cups and turn them upside down, i make u shaped holes on the lip so it is like a little slug house and then i put the bait under the cup so the slugs can crawl in the holes and get bait and turn to slim and the beer cup keeps the rain off the bait and it lasts you only need to do this once if you do it right.I put the cups at the corner of the gardens and one in the middle of the garden but never closer then a few feet from a plant, they will run staright for the bait, the bait maybe made of soy or something it is going to rott in the wet, if you dont like the cups idea, use some bark just build a little house to cover the bait, and you are set, clear that bait away from your plants and wash it off the stem asap

[Amarulaman]

Thanks, The beer cup idea sounds great. I will clean these poor plants up asap!

[Amarulaman]

I have not been able to get up to my patch. That slug bait isn't going to harm the plants being this close to the stems is it?

A happy Canada day to all!

[spaceman]

i usually dont feed my plants slug bait, but thats up to you. I would not want any rotting material laced with poison up against my stem or plant seems the chances of stem rott may increase, or the poison could be harmful to the plants, i know it says keep dogs out of it so....

[spaceman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molluscicide

[spaceman]

http://www.paghat.com/slugcontrol.html
the good shit...

[c-ray]

has anyone tried this one?

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/safer-slug-snail-bait-1-kg/909562

http://www.homedepot.ca/wcsstore/HomeDepotCanada/images/catalog/21655.11-2051CANR_4.jpg

[spaceman]

probably iron phosphate if it is safe for animals and plants.....

[c-ray]

yeah it says:

Contains Iron Phosphate and is safe to use around children. Slugs and snails crawl away to hide and die. Plant damage stops immediately.

what brand do you use?

[Green Supreme]

Sluggo. Peace GS


http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/attachment.php%3Fattachmentid%3D56432%26stc%3D1%26 d%3D1247105811&imgrefurl=http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/showthread.php%3Ft%3D75238&h=425&w=297&sz=26&tbnid=G0-UFVMOAaHc9M:&tbnh=93&tbnw=65&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dpictures%2Bof%2Bsluggo%26tbm%3Disch%2 6tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=pictures+of+sluggo&hl=en&usg=__JwwhDmnP0LgbWDjEurVKy_7vrag=&sa=X&ei=b0oPTt7jLcXUiAL8xOXJDQ&ved=0CCQQ9QEwAw

http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.naturescontrol.com/images/sluggo_snail.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.naturescontrol.com/sluggo.html&usg=__1TCzbn17YasHkx9bVRKdGmYS5zw=&h=317&w=314&sz=43&hl=en&start=23&zoom=1&tbnid=BTH4M_mCzJXJFM:&tbnh=121&tbnw=120&ei=vkoPTtO9LfHZiAL1g9jKDQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dpictures%2Bof%2Bsluggo%26hl%3Den%26sa %3DX%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D568%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=167&vpy=227&dur=287&hovh=226&hovw=223&tx=103&ty=182&page=2&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:23&biw=1280&bih=568

[spaceman]

coreys black death

[spaceman]

that is the only brand in these parts....

[c-ray]

the link I posted for the safer's stuff was for Home Depot in Canada, for future reference

[spaceman]

will pick some up next time i am in the big city.... seems much better choice then the others .

[Amarulaman]

Thanks for the slug bait tips, that natural stuff has an appeal to me too. Something freaky about hard poison around your plants.

Time for a watering today, finally a good stretch of hot weather.

[c-ray]

I know an italian grandma who swears that slugs hate crossing a barrier of used coffee grounds

[Amarulaman]

I have heard the coffee ground rumour. Worth a try. A ring of fine beach sand apparently does the same thing. So I have heard...

[spaceman]

crappy dont work just a scam from starbucks and old wives

[Amarulaman]

Just a trick, to get gullible pot growers to take the old coffee grounds...frickin genius!

[Amarulaman]

Can anyone verify this ring of sand or coffee grounds theory?

[nuggdigger]

As control measures, baits are the norm in both agriculture and the garden. In recent years iron phosphate baits have emerged and are preferred over the toxic metaldehyde, especially because domestic or wild animals may be exposed to the bait. The environmentally safer iron phosphate has been shown to be at least as effective as poisonous baits.[8] Methiocarb baits are no longer widely used.

Other slug control methods are generally ineffective, but can be somewhat useful in small gardens. These include beer traps,[9] diatomaceous earth, crushed eggshells, coffee grounds, and copper.

It is of scientific interest that salt kills slugs by causing water to leave its body owing to osmosis [10] but this is not used for agricultural control as soil salinity is detrimental to crops.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slug

fwiw..slug control gave me over 5 million hits on the goog..is yours busted?:evil:

peace

[Amarulaman]

The slug bait i am using is iron phosphate based, i feel a bit better about having that around my plants. My wife gave birth to our third beautiful child last week! I have never been more grateful for shitty, rainy weather in my life. I never would have been able to get up the mountain to water my plants. Life is precious...and a very special thing.

[Bodah]

A random tangent, coffee grounds also make an excellent additive in coir based mushroom substrate~

B~

[spaceman]

congrats!

[Amarulaman]

Many thanks...one more little burner for the world!

[spaceman]

looks interesting..

[Amarulaman]

I have an organic soil mix, something large keeps ripping up my pots and snapping my stalks! This is hugely frustrating. I will be happy if any of this makes it to harvest! Damn animals!

[Green Supreme]

Must have something yummy in yer mix. Got bone or blood meals? Peace GS

[spaceman]

bears like fish and blood meal and plastic, there are bear proof mixes,dont leave any empty food wrapper or container that used to have something yummy in it, the bears will get it, example some place we go hiking and planting no food is allowed at all the grizz are home, no chances.... in my opion i think that we are in the bears territory so i have had gardens that have gotten beard aswell others where nothing has happened and there is stuff bears around, kinda like going for a walk and finding a hamburger in the middle of your yard.....bears like food....

[spaceman]

moth balls throw abunch of them around the garden.....

[spaceman]

gill net works well too if you are going that route...

[c-ray]

saw this at a buddy's place recently, the deer ate a potato plant but left a big plant right beside it untouched...I guess they approve

[spaceman]

very nice, i am a believer in the, hey its in my way i might try and eat it theory

[Amarulaman]

Thanks for the info guys.

[Amarulaman]

Animals are the least of my worries now. Two dudes in pickups saw me getting into my jeep at my patch. All they have to do is go looking and the gig is up. Herb pirates everywhere.

[Amarulaman]

Fuck, I have a sinking feeling in my belly.

[Green Supreme]

Quit that, it won't change anything. Every grower knows there is a chance his grow may be found, one way or the other. Spend your time thinking good thoughts, they won't change things much either, but at least you won't be stressing. Good luck. Peace GS

[Amarulaman]

Good advice GS, thanks for that. So many variables growing in the great outdoors. I think it is less stress having a grow op in your basement.

[Green Supreme]

That's a funny thing to say. Home invasions are usually much more violent than outdoor rips. Most often there is not even anyone around for outdoor rips. Good luck. Peace GS

[spaceman]

you need to walk farther than the lazy theives/.....works almost everytime, the big one out here is the shake blockers they get helicopter ride in and are around a area for a few weeks then on to the next job, if they find something around where they are working usually they just take the tops lol and they wait till the last day on the job so they are not in the area when you come back...

[Amarulaman]

Not assuming an indoor gig is easy or stress free by any means. I'm a lover, not a fighter. Violence, unless provoked against those I love, is not my thing.

[spaceman]

you learn not to stress as you learn to grow...takes afew years....

[Amarulaman]

Mostly affecting the tall lean texada timewarps that I have. This looks like bug damage, could it be slugs on a 6 foot plant?

Any advice from smart outdoorsy types here would be appreicated.

[spaceman]

catapillars or some other leaf eater no biggie just a free lunch unless he comes back dont worry to much\

[Amarulaman]

Good news, thanks! Jesus I saw a huge bear today, time to go go the camping store and buy some flashbangs or whatever they are called.

[Amarulaman]

We have been having a hot spell on the west coast, these plants sure can suck up the water.

[spaceman]

are they flowering?

[Amarulaman]

Yes the purple widows, texada timewarps and kahunas are all beginning to flower, all males removed. It's exciting to watch, for a first time grower.

[Amarulaman]

The Purple Widows aparently harvest in late september. I am going to go for a 50/50 mix of amber and cloudy trichomes. Any advice as to the correctness of this assumption would be great.

[c-ray]

looking good..of which strain is that one?

[spaceman]

i would let them go as long as the weather permits you,{end of sept or a bit longer if you can} watch the weather, if we get 3 solid days of rain, and you have some decent buds going, you want to get them, if they start molding with in days they will go to mush if you have thick buds usually......so near the middle of sept keep your eyes on the prize and be ready to chopy.

[Amarulaman]

These are the purple widows. Hence the white hairs I guess, they are pretty plants. Thanks for the advice vapor, I was curious how many days of rain i should be concerned about. I have a feeling that my patch can get a by damp, so mold and thieves are my real issues. I would almost rather have my work ripped off or confiscated by the police than watch I go rotten because of laziness or ignorance.

Peace everyone, if anyone has a favorite technique for drying and curing I would love to hear them.

[Amarulaman]

Smart phone spellchecker always changes your typing and makes you sound illiterate!

[Green Supreme]

Hang on the line in a 70 degree room, with light air movement for 2 weeks. Trim off into jars and ready to store. Peace GS

[Amarulaman]

No trimming first? I figured trim down the fan leaves, dry, then into airtight containers to do the curing thing. Keep in mind (if it has not been painfully obvious through this entire thred) I am a rookie! I need details people. Links?

[Green Supreme]

Just like I said, trim off the plant into jars after 2 weeks hangin. You want it too be more complicated, but it doesn't have to be. Peace GS

[Amarulaman]

Thanks dude.

[Amarulaman]

Any preferable type of jars? Or does it really matter?

[Green Supreme]

I like these folks. They have a nice variety of sizes. Peace GS

http://www.bernardin.ca/pages/products/4.php

[Amarulaman]

Thanks for the jar tip, man the sun is doing it's disappearing act quickly these days. Thank goodness for some kick-ass hot weather.

[spaceman]

i think we where talking about slugs in this one i found this interesting
http://www.hostalibrary.org/firstlook/RRIronPhosphate.htm
sneeky fuckers...