All Creatures Great and….Small?

All Creatures Great and….Small? May 14, 2009

Are we sure God intended to make cockroaches and slugs?

Ok, so I’ve long believed that cockroaches are a result of the Fall. But I actually think – thought – that slugs are kind of cool. Slug trails are fairy-like silvery things, and I respect any creature that manufactures it’s own slip n’ slide.

But now, I am a gardener. And the tiny little size of my amateur little garden is all the more reason to grieve when any individual plant suffers. As my beans and tomatoes are suffering!

You’d think I’d have spotted the glittery trails and made the connection sooner, but no, I had to catch Mr. Slug in the act before I realized that slugs are the culprits ravaging my plants.

So, on to my trusty friend and guide for advice – the internet.

Enter, the Egg Shell Plot.

I like to avoid chemicals if I can, mostly because the kids play among the leafy greens and Pascal still puts everything in his mouth. Besides, we want to eat whatever these plants can be coaxed to produce.

But apparently, a snail’s Achilles heel (envision THAT for a moment, if you can) is that that slippery rippling underbelly is incredibly sensitive. Website after website recommended small sharp gravel or broken eggshell, placed around the stem of each plant. Snail can’t glide over the eggshell, can’t get up the stem to get to the leaves, and my plants are spared.

Side benefit – the calcium in the shell is also good for the plants.

And the best part, from a mother’s perspective, is that saving, crushing, and spreading egg shell is FUN, as far as a 4 year old is concerned.


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