Dahlias and Snails

 PLANT DOCTOR

What's Wrong With My Dahlias?

Dahlias are collectible in that once you start growing them, it's hard to not to want more every time you look at a plant catalogue.

If you want more proof, then look no further than the dahlia societies www.dahliasaustralia.org.au which exist in four states, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

But dahlias need some looking after if you want perfect show quality blooms.

One horror is holes in leaves of your precious plants.

What could cause that?

One culprit could be caterpillars or grasshoppers.

Another is one of the worst marauders appear in just about every garden,  and every gardener wants them to be gone.

• Snails is what I’m talking about, those slimy leaf munching pests that multiply rapidly and even climb shrubs and trees.

• Did you know that inside a snail's mouth there is a file-like 'radula' that scrapes the leaves and flowers.
• Snails are also hermaphrodite, meaning that after mating, each of them can go off and lay eggs, up to 100!

Snail Patrol or Control:

So, what do you do to try and reduce their numbers?

The big tip is to be vigilant and control their numbers before they outnumber your plants.

Copper sprays are good to control those small snails that have climbed up into the foliage.

Coffee sprays are also known to control snails.

General prevention or control-bit of a mixed bag as to their effectiveness.

1. Classic beer trap
2. Diatomaceous earth
3. Ring of ash.
4. Crushed eggshells

• Thin copper tape is better to control snails climbing up into pots or into trees.

One thing we forgot to mention is that natural predators like ducks or blue tongue lizards are a great help.

You may not want ducks, but you can think about creating a blue tongue lizard friendly garden.
That’s in another segment.
Listen to the podcast.
I'm talking with Steve Falcioni of www.ecoorganicgarden.com.au





If you want more information about snails or have some feedback why not email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.