What is eating my vege seedlings?

[DianaDodd]

Hi,

I am a novice at gardening and have planted a few seedlings in the vege patch our new rental had.

It looks as though the leaves are being eaten on the spinach seedlings and silverbeet. Does anyone know what may be eating them and if there is any product to stop them? I did find three curl worms in the vege patch that is around 2m x 1m if that helps.

Thanks in advance

[Harbin92]

Sprinkle some crushed egg shells to prevent those slugs and snails crawling around your veggies 

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @DianaDodd. It's sensational to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about what's eating your seedlings.

It could be any number of critters, including rats, possums, caterpillars, slugs or snails. Typically slugs or snails will leave slime trails over the ground and plants. You can add snail and slug bait to the area to deter those, but if you have pets that can access the area, I'd recommend using alternatives like On Guard 4m Snail And Slug Barrier around the perimeter of the garden bed. Or, consider giving the good ole' fashion beer trap a go.

Yates 40g Natures Way Caterpillar Killer Dipel Insecticide is effective on caterpillars if you suspect those. Generally, you'll see small black dropping on the plants.

My thoughts are that it's likely rats that are having a nibble. You could try to get rid of them with traps and poison, but I prefer to drape bird netting over the garden bed held up by some timber stakes. If you use crop protection netting that has a finer mesh than bird netting, you'll also deter snails, slugs and caterpillars from entering the area.

Until you resolve the issue, I'd recommend butting the bottom off some clear soda bottles, removing the cap and placing them over the establishing seedlings. This will prevent access whilst they develop.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @DianaDodd. 

I love the advice on using eggshells; coffee grounds are also effective. The caffeine in coffee grounds acts as a natural pesticide and can repel these pests. Additionally, as with eggshells, the rough texture of coffee grounds can be abrasive to their soft bodies, making it difficult for them to move around and causes them to dry out. You can pickup free used coffee grounds from our in-store cafes.

Great to have you join us and we look forward to hearing all about your projects and plans around the house and garden.

Mitchell