New Lazy Potager in the 37

[Did67]

For the bindweed, make no mistake about the diagnosis: he was there before, but annoyed, he saw himself less ... Now, we no longer disturb him, and therefore he is "resplendent" (especially since he too benefits fertility!).

As an additional "tool": community cans. The principle being to "empty" the reserves in the rhizome, it must be made to produce a lot of biomass from its reserves ("white spaghetti"), without giving it time to spread its leaves to replenish the stock ... Remember that it all works like an electric car: every time he builds "white spaghetti", it's like you're driving - you're pulling on the batteries. Each time he manages to spread his leaves, it's recharging ... If he pulls and we do not give him time to recharge, the batteries end up being dead!

So once you've spotted the "spots" where the bindweed emerges, you put a box (or a black bucket, or an opaque flowerpot) on it and it "turns, turns, turns ..." by tapping into its reserves ... From time to time, you remove the spaghetti, which you compost on the surface!

For those who have room: I was yesterday at a "permaculteur who covers with hay" (professional) - or "phenoculteur en buttes" -; it has superb mounds covered with plants of all kinds, salads, cabbages, onions, tomatoes ... And no damage from slugs ... It was a meadow last year. The miracle: he had made an enclosure and all the end of summer and fall, his Indian runner ducks wandered ... They eradicated the slugs. They did not lay eggs. No slugs, no snails, etc ...

[guibnd]

I remember that before "hay", some years when I was cultivating in bare soil, I had a multitude of small black slugs which ate even my onions and shallots! salads don't even talk about it!
I am not sure that it is worse with hay (nor better besides slugs side).
and my chickens, they are choosy, they don't even eat slugs anymore because they are force-fed

[Did67]

In any case, in my greenhouse, where a part remained in bare soil because I had transplanted salads there, so I did not reload this autumn-winter, it is on this side that I found the most slugs, and the biggest! And the biggest damage!

I think there is sometimes a complete illusion effect: in general, when we change the way we cultivate, and that we go from gardening to bare soil (and not organic at all - often!), In typical gardening "permaculture", we stop using "granules", at the same time that we cover with straw or hay ... Result: I think that we attribute too quickly to the cover what is not possible -be that the consequence of stopping the metaldehyde (active ingredient of the main "anti-slug" not "bio").

[Julienmos]

I think there is sometimes a complete illusion effect: in general, when we change the way we cultivate, and that we go from gardening to bare soil (and not organic at all - often!), In typical gardening "permaculture", we stop using "granules", at the same time that we cover with straw or hay ... Result: I think that we attribute too quickly to the cover what is not possible -be that the consequence of stopping the metaldehyde (active ingredient of the main "anti-slug" not "bio").

the slugs, the big ones (the real ones) hardly bothered me last season. They have remained rare.

On the other hand it was not the case of the tiny gray groupers, omnipresent and just as greedy, and there it is almost impossible to fight, on the one hand too many (it is the number which makes their force) and on the other hand they are totally disinterested in ferramol.

On the other hand, I have some metaldehyde granules left ... and I wonder if, in the event of a slug infestation, I will not give in to the temptation to use it
is it very very very very very harmful?

[Did67]

I think it's pretty severe anyway, especially for the environment. Here's what Wikipedia says:

"Metaldehyde is a very toxic compound for domestic animals (cats, dogs) and wild animals (especially the hedgehog, which by swallowing poisoned slugs poisons itself in turn) as well as for humans. It is generally used in the form of tablets which promotes the risk of poisoning by ingestion, especially in children. Its use is therefore not recommended if you have young children or pets.

The action of metaldehyde is poorly understood from a toxicological point of view. Indeed, although it is easily hydrolyzed to acetaldehyde in particular and that the latter is a well known neurotoxic, the effects on the organism of metaldehyde do not correspond to those of acetaldehyde. Metaldehyde has a pronounced irritant effect. It also induces a kind of intoxication and hypersalivation.

Some authors place the human lethal dose at 43 mg / kg. Ingestion of traces may cause hypersalivation, facial redness, fever, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting. Up to 50 mg / kg, the following other effects were noted: drowsiness, tachycardia, spasms, irritability. Up to 100 mg / kg, ataxia and increased muscle tone appear. By increasing the doses up to 400 mg / kg, the following effects follow one another: convulsions, tremors, hyperreflexia, muscle contractions, coma, death ".

The Belgian poison control center says this: https://www.centreantipoisons.be/profes ... -de-m-tald

[Did67]

On the other hand it was not the case of the tiny gray groupers, omnipresent and just as greedy, and there it is almost impossible to fight, on the one hand too many (it is the number which makes their force) and on the other hand they are totally disinterested in ferramol.

I wonder if you hadn't had abundant egg-laying the previous year ... Maybe it would have been enough to eradicate a few "big ones" before?

[Julienmos]

On the other hand it was not the case of the tiny gray groupers, omnipresent and just as greedy, and there it is almost impossible to fight, on the one hand too many (it is the number which makes their force) and on the other hand they are totally disinterested in ferramol.

I wonder if you hadn't had abundant egg-laying the previous year ... Maybe it would have been enough to eradicate a few "big ones" before?

I'm not sure at all that these groupers are the same "race" as the big ones. At home, the big ones are usually orange. Groupers also grow larger, but do not reach the same size and remain grayish in color. At "adulthood" I sometimes pick them up by hand. But the small "mini", very numerous, are hardly visible ... especially at night, and this is where they are rife ...

[pheno37]

For the bindweed, make no mistake about the diagnosis: he was there before, but annoyed, he saw himself less ... Now, we no longer disturb him, and therefore he is "resplendent" (especially since he too benefits fertility!).

No misdiagnosis: I can also see it in my "traditional" neighbors, including a colleague who cultivates a few cables, who had loaded his hay even thicker:
http://pheno37.free.fr/_img/liseron.jpg
I'm just saying that the elimination is more complicated because the bindweed develops under the hay before emerging on the surface and that, my lower back did not anticipate ... I will suffer a little for two months.

As an additional "tool": community cans. The principle being to "empty" the reserves in the rhizome

Ok but with between five and ten feet of bindweed per m2, it is towards a culture of cans that I will lead ...

That said, this is a first year carried out in not very optimal conditions, with the inevitable trial and error. Suddenly, I do not regret having only covered half the surface.
We will adapt the sails, quite simply and without moods. I hadn't planned on sowing; I will stick to it.
for now: 2 rows of potatoes and I'm still waiting a fortnight for tomatoes, pumpkins, zucchini, cucumbers even if the soil temperature has already exceeded 14 ° C and the weather for the next 8 days is rather optimistic in Touraine.
Thank you all for your comments and advice.

[Did67]

I'm not sure at all that these groupers are the same "race" as the big ones. At home, the big ones are usually orange. Groupers also grow larger, but do not reach the same size and remain grayish in color. At "adulthood" I sometimes pick them up by hand. But the small "mini", very numerous, are hardly visible ... especially at night, and this is where they are rife ...

I am not sure either. Hence my "I wonder if ..." ...

One of the drawbacks of a Lazy Vegetable Garden is that there is always a lack of knowledge! For example, the species of slugs and their characteristics!

[Diabolorent]

Hi Pheno!

And you don't know how to cook the slug? !!!!

I admit that I was very afraid, given the ambient humidity , slugs. Last year, just before I learned about the pheno I was plagued by it Big black ones (we are talking about slug huh!) And huge oranges!

This year, apart from a bit of drool and an onion + one or two snacked shallots, it's not crowded and I'm not going to complain
I still spread here and there a few lettuce leaves around my vegetable garden in case ...
Do not know if it is effective, some say yes (slugs would prefer the leaves being decomposed) but me it reassures me and, moreover, it goes well with the policy of the lazy: do as little as possible and do not bring toxic substances into my land

Regarding the humidity and the temperature of the soil I think that everyone should do tests and see the results on their soil and in their biotope.
I planted tomatoes and zucchini much too early (mid or late April it seems to me) telling myself that these plants would probably collapse before the summer. So I did nothing to boost them, just planted in the hay.

If you see in my photos, these are the most beautiful and strongest plants I have at the moment!
The others, planted "on time" are still at the stage of adaptation

Since then, and despite that I have not yet had results (1st year in pheno), I have an ever stronger tendency to trust and let nature take its course.
This is the lesson we all learn by coming here I think, freeing our minds, analyzing problems only when they happen, and not anticipating them with a big "**** cides", for the rest the deckchair (or hammock) remains the best tool

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