Prickly Residents!

Last night a hedgehog was discovered bimbling around Paradise. These little creatures are now an endangered species here in the UK and so we are lucky to have at least one in our local area. Very soon the Gardens will have its very own hedgehog house so that we can help our hedgehogs - more news of this when it arrives with us.

There is one thing that everyone can do to help protect hedgehogs which is to ensure that you don't use poisonous slug pellets in your garden. The ingredient to avoid is 'metaldehyde' so please check pellet ingredients before purchase. There are 'wildlife friendly' slug pellets on the market such as this one Advanced Slug Killer (http://www.organiccatalogue.com/p1821/ADVANCED-SLUG-KILLER-575g/product_info.html) so please use this if you have to use chemicals but better still here are some more natural alternatives to pellets (source: hedgehogstreet.org)

• Slugs are attracted to beer and so if you make pitfall traps, i.e. a small open container such as a jam jar or plastic cup, half filled with beer then the slugs will seek out the beer, fall in and drown. This can however attract and kill other, more beneficial ground dwelling invertebrates.

• Seaweed is a slug deterrent due to its salt content. Use plenty of dried seaweed around the base of your plants, being careful for it not to touch the plant stems. The sharp texture will also make it difficult for slugs to move over.

• Use broken egg shells or coffee grounds (often available from coffee shops for free) on the top of your soil around the base of your plant as slugs struggle to cross the sharp, dry surface.

• In the evening, hand-pick the slugs off your plants.

• If you scatter squeezed halves of oranges or grapefruits around your garden, these will attract the slugs and so collecting them just after dark is much quicker.

• Copper barrier tape around the base or middle of plant pots will prevent slugs from crossing it to reach your plants as it gives them a slight electrical shock on contact.

• Slugs thrive in damp conditions so change your watering schedule from the evening to the morning, that way the top layer of the soil will be dry when the slugs are most active therefore reducing their efficiency.

• Dig a wildlife pond to encourage amphibians into your garden. These will add to the ranks of slug and snail consuming creatures in your garden.

• Plant garlic next to your most vulnerable crop as this is a repellent. If you don’t have the space, or the inclination, then make a garlic spray (you will need to apply to plants regularly, especially after rain):

Boil 2 bulbs of garlic crushed in 2 pints water for 5 mins Strain mixture and add more water to make back up to 2 pints Let mixture cool before pouring into a bottle Use 1 tablespoon of garlic mix to 1 gallon of water as needed.