One of the very (few) real benefits of gardening on an urban balcony, is that high-rise gardeners are not plagued with pests. I've had many a conversation with fellow gardening enthusiasts bemoaning the snails and slugs wreaking havoc on their plots! Well, it seems that nature always finds a way: when clearing the old tomato plants from the London Vegetable Garden yesterday, I came across not one, but two visitors to the balcony. I can only imagine that this tiny slug and his little worm friend arrived in some bedding plants!
I hope you kept the worm :)
ReplyDeleteHi there, that doesn't look like a wireworm, it looks like a regular earthworm (the good kind).
ReplyDeleteWireworm are beetle larvae. They're a yellow ochre colour and have six tiny legs near the front.
Worms are, of course, well-known for their ability to teleport... goodness knows how they manage it.
The top one is a tiny slug, give it a flying lesson and once it has landed it will make a tasty snack for a passing bird.
ReplyDeleteThe lower one is a good, friendly soil aerating earthworm, keep him in a long term container, perhaps one with perennial herbs in.
To help ward off the slugs and especially snails, invest in some copper tape and put it round the rim of your pots or around the legs of a table that you ay stand your plants on. Molluscs will not cross copper for some reason.
There is also a naturally occurring nematode that destroys slugs that is available as a biological control. Expensive, but for a balcony garden, probably worth it if you have a bad infestation.
Easiest of all, be scrupulously clean and tidy. Do not save old compost from season to season (although it will be fine spread on the new allotment to improve the soil) New compost should be sterile. Wash and leave to dry all pots and containers and be careful what new compost is introduced with purchased plants.