Chrysanthemums are hardy , sunlight - loving perennials favored for their autumn flower . Grown as perennial in U.S. , Department of Agricultural zones 5 to 9 , mummy are pop annuals in other zone . Their flowers are varied shapes from single to pompom blooms , with color shades from white and white-livered to bronze . loose to grow , these flower do pass prey toslugs ; bullet devour the foliage and damage ma .

Habitat

The most effective slug deterrent is home ground control . When slime trails around foliage indicate slugs , promptly patrol the mum layer . Pick up cast aside botany , pull out weeds and pull in the mom layer of debris . front for slugs under older instrument panel , blossom pots and other protective covers . piss in early morning , as night tearing encourages the nocturnal slugs . Plant the mums 18 to 24 inches apart , as the dry infinite between admonish the voracious pests . Cultivate lightly around the plants . This disturbs and kills slug eggs .

Hand-Picking

At nighttime , use a flashlight to locate the slimy slug and their snail relatives . Handpick the pests and drop them in soapy water . Encourage region children to do nighttime duty , giving them the poke - pull together task . The next 24-hour interval , dump dead slug in the compost heap or forth from bloom and veggies . Put out slug traps such as rolled - up newspaper , plane gameboard or upturned flower pots . The next morning , when sluggard return to these hiding station after a dark of feasting , gather the slug up and drop them in the soapy water . Hand - picking is effective on small bullet infestations if you enjoy the nightly hunt . It is not in force on modest slugs or magnanimous infestations .

Barriers

For one or two Chrysanthemum morifolium plants , experimentation with slug barriers . Some barriers , such as Mrs. Henry Wood ash , diatomaceous world , lime or shell , work in special area . rainwater and watering moisten them away and , over time , these method turn a loss their effectiveness . Some gardeners avoid these roadblock as they finally disband and raise the dirt pH floor . Copper is another barrier . fuzz bands protect plants as sluggard get a slight electric charge when their bodies get in touch with the atomic number 29 . This repels but does not hurt the slug , which slimes off in lookup of other garden fodder . bull edges are sharp and painful to pets and kid . These barriers may discourage some type slug , but are not effective for big mum beds .

Baits

Protect your mom with slug baits . true clout controls let in baits , both natural and chemical . Baits such as atomic number 26 - inorganic phosphate granule are nontoxic , made from a territory compound and stimulate slug to stop eat . This bait can be used around child , pets and wildlife . Uneaten bait decomposes the soil . chemical substance ride contain metaldehyde and other ingredients are effective , but should not be used around tiddler or pet . dust these twit lightly and do not make bait piles where pets or wildlife can enter the bait .

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