We all know that slugs aren’t particularly fussy in the garden. They’ll eat seemingly everything! But what about cyclamen? Are they safe? Or, do slugs eat cyclamen plants too?
Yes, unfortunately, slugs do eat cyclamen plants. Slugs will eat mature and young cyclamen plants.
While slugs are one of the pests which feed on cyclamen plants, they do not do too much damage to them. Slugs will occasionally consume these plants but will be more drawn towards seedlings as they prefer young plants.
When you come to growing cyclamen plants, you must not worry significantly about slug damage. Slugs will always go after seedlings, just make sure you protect them somewhat.
Do Slugs Eat Cyclamen Seedlings?
If you notice any damage on your cyclamen seedlings, it is likely because of slugs.
The reason is that slugs prefer to feed on seedlings and young plants. Although slugs may not consume a lot of the adult cyclamen plants, they will consume the seedlings if they get a chance.
Therefore, it is always best to take measures to ensure that your cyclamen seedlings do not get damaged by slugs.
How Do You Protect Cyclamen Plants from Slugs?
As a gardener, you always have to be wary about the damage pests can cause to your plants. Although slugs may not be as drawn to your cyclamen plants, they will surely be attracted to cyclamen seedlings as they are tender.
You must take some precautions to help protect your cyclamen plants against slug damage.
Here are a few things you can try out; however, you must understand that it is all a process of trial and error. Some methods may work better for you than others. Since cyclamen seedlings will be in containers, we will be focusing more on that.
Copper
Perhaps using copper on the pots is the most famous way you can discourage slugs from messing with your cyclamen plants. Slugs produce a lot of slime, and when it interacts with the copper, it leads to an electrical jolt.
Slugs become aware that they should not be near that area.
You can get your hands on some copper rings to fit around a group of cyclamen seedlings. In addition, you may also find it helpful to use copper tape on plant pots. There is also the option of copper bracelets, which go around plants, and expand as the plant matures.
Natural Predators
It is important to maintain the natural equilibrium of the garden to avoid the overpopulation of pests like slugs. Slugs being inherently slow, become the prey for many animals. Some natural predators of slugs include frogs, toads, hedgehogs, and birds.
There are different ways you can attract these animals to your garden. For instance, you can add a garden pond for frogs and toads. This will help to ensure that they stick around for the long haul.
Moreover, it would help to provide an environment with shady places like plants, rocks, logs so the frogs and hide from the sun.
Hedgehogs are a gardener’s best friend when it comes to eradicating different pests, including slugs. It would be good to have passageways in your garden fences to allow hedgehogs to pass and enter your garden.
You can further attract hedgehogs to your garden by leaving out some food and water for them.
Apart from this, some large bird species also help keep the slug population under control. Birds such as thrushes and blackbirds feed on slugs, and you can attract the by placing bird feeders in your garden.
Organic Slug Pellets
We know that many people do not like going down the chemical-based pesticides road. However yet, most people resort to using traditional slug pellets when it comes to dealing with slugs.
But it would be best to remember that by using chemical slug pellets in your garden, you will also be harming the beneficial animals that feed on slugs.
There are organic slug pellets you can use in your garden instead. These slug pellets are made from sheep wool. As a result, the pellets work by absorbing the slime from slugs, dehydrating them in the process, and eventually killing them.
The pellets also include salt, which tends to dry out slugs and kill them. Hence, the pellets kill slugs and do not harm wildlife in the process.
In addition, using organic slug pellets will be an added benefit to your garden. Since the slug pellets are highly absorbent, you will not need to water your garden often. Hence, your plants will not be waterlogged. Moreover, the organic slug pellets also serve as fertilizers for the soil, increasing the oxygen levels, so your plants grow to be healthier.
Separate Corner
It would also help make a separate corner dedicated to your cyclamen seedlings. When planting the seedlings, you must focus on putting them on an elevated space to be out of slugs’ reach. It is impossible to get rid of all the slugs in one try.
Moreover, you can place a piece of fabric or mesh below the plant pots to prevent slugs from entering underneath.
Summary
A garden is incomplete without a variety of plants you can admire. One of the plants which gardeners like to grow is our cyclamen. These plants are easy to grow, so they are especially popular among new gardeners.
It is important to know which pests will attack the plants you intend to grow. One of the pests which may attack cyclamen plants is slugs. However, slugs may not attack the adult cyclamen plants but rather the seedlings.
Slug prefer to feed on cyclamen seedlings because they are young and tender. Hence, it would be wise to protect your cyclamen seedlings from slugs. You can use methods like organic slug pellets copper and introduce natural predators in your garden.
It is important to remember that you must try these methods until you find one which works best for you.
