A Runner Bean Question.

[grenfell]

I'm not a big fan of chucking slug pellets about if I can help it . I also won't use salt as some do because that just leaves a horrible mess. To be honest I'm probably over worrrying the slug problem as I don't suffer too much. This is probably down to more direct control in that I eliminate them each time I find one by the simple expediency of cutting them in half. Laying an old dustbin lid or bit of black plastic down gives them somewhere to congregate and easier to catch. I'd read that leaving the bodies there is a good thing too as live slugs smell the dead ones and it acts as a deterent although I'm not convinced on that one.

[jansman]

I suppose it’s an ethical view. Some like the ‘ organic ‘ way. That’s cool. Me? I am a factory farmer in gardening terms. I love growing food, but I need a return. James Wesley Rawles, the American survivalist calls things like slug pellets a “Force Multiplier “. It offsets the energy expense vs energy gains in a SHTF situation. It saves time in a day already too busy. The fact is that in a serious social situation you will need EFFECTIVE pest control. Especially if the pests are eating your food.

[jansman]

Expanding a little on the slug control ( it is important where runners are concerned!), I use very few pellets. It is mainly a little judicious use to protect young plants. I always have enough on hand for two growing seasons, along with a bucket of granular ( chemical) fertiliser. Reason being that if SHTF, it buys time to get a good garden crop on the go and the chance of a good harvest.

If we had a total breakdown, then non chemical means would come into play , obviously, when the modern alternatives were unavailable. As a side note, it is snails I have a problem with this year. I suppose I could collect and purge them to eat though Mind you, I fancy staying married !

[grenfell]

I don't know that I'd see it as entirely an ethical question , similar but perhaps ethics is not quite the right word.
I suppose I do prefer to do things as natural as possible , yes it can be a little more labour intensive but then I'm far less reliant on having to buy in chemicals , poisons or whatever .
The argument that we need control , that we need to use various chemicals to produce food has led to the acceptance of spraying food crops with roundup prior to harvesting for instance and various studies have shown that intensive farming with it's high inputs are not always the ideal in every situation. Wholesale use of chemicals and weed killers has already started to breed resilience in pests and of course the continued use of chemicals does require a fully functioning economic system which is a bit of an irony in itself. We're growing food in case of shortages but use very similar methods and products that the system is currently using.
I'm not on an campaign to stop anyone using slug pellets or chemical fertilisers or roundup ( well perhaps the last one) and if you want to use them it's up to you. You find it an effective means of control , I find my methods equally effective.

[grenfell]

I was still writing when you posted yours so missed the bit about snails.
Funnily enough on another forum the subject was slug control and one poster did say that he controlled the slugs but left the snails alone. His rational was , like you have said , snails being edible that if they eat some of his crop he'll still get the benifit when he collects and eats the snails.

[Brambles]

Expanding a little on the slug control ( it is important where runners are concerned!), I use very few pellets. It is mainly a little judicious use to protect young plants. I always have enough on hand for two growing seasons, along with a bucket of granular ( chemical) fertiliser. Reason being that if SHTF, it buys time to get a good garden crop on the go and the chance of a good harvest.

If we had a total breakdown, then non chemical means would come into play , obviously, when the modern alternatives were unavailable. As a side note, it is snails I have a problem with this year. I suppose I could collect and purge them to eat though Mind you, I fancy staying married !

We have obviously somewhere along the line made similar conclusions. I'm much the same. I have a bucket of growmore, and usually some blood, fish and bone but I've run out. I like phostrogen liquid feed too. I'm mainly a non chemical type gardener, but not religiously so and if I have a problem that can't be cured by non chemical methods then I'm not averse to nuking it.

The chemical debate will rage on well beyond our lifetime and I think it's up to each of us to garden how we see fit. Personally, I would keep the chemicals it's an insurance policy that in a custard moment I wouldn't want to be without, including super glyphosate. Just my 2p's worth.

[Brambles]

Just to add, The method of Runner Bean culture we are discussing was used by my father for many years, he never used poles or lines for beans to climb and I know he would not have grown them like this if all he was doing was feeding slugs. The season was not as long, but to be honest that's how he (and we) liked it as ground was cleared in time for another crop to go in it's place.

[jansman]

That’s a good point about the season not being as long Brambles. I reckon that thirty plus years ago, by the end of September your runners were finished. Now you can easily extend that by a full month at the end and two weeks at the start.

[Brambles]

That's it J. Last year I was still picking beans in October and if I'm honest, was fed up with them.
The garden always had something growing and if I remember rightly, the winter brassicas went in after the beans.
Thinking about it, we ate very seasonally and the garden provided almost all our needs in one form or another, fresh, preserved or stored.

[Inapickle]

Hello!
Thats interesting about putting a crop under the beans. My patch is TINY, so that would save space for me brilliantly. I think ill stick some spring onions under there.... ☺

Thanks for the tip.

As for slugs, my uncle used to beer trap them. Me i use a little sprinkle of pelletts when everything us new and if I find any live ones after that i chuck them as hard as I can onto the railway bank!! Loads of birds there to enjoy the spoils, and i like birds better than slugs