The nematodes have arrived.
30 million of them. It’s a big box.
I’d ordered them about a month ago, if you recall, to launch a pre-emptive strike against the slugs. The trouble is they weren’t supposed to come until the end of March. And we’re not ready. The ground has, until very recently, been too wet to dig over for this year’s veg.
There’s another problem too. My new spraying gadget, purchased to ensure trouble free application of the nematodes, attaches to a hose. Which in turn attaches to the outside tap. The tap is an extension of the kitchen water supply. Mike is adamant. No non-return valve, no sprayer. I suppose I can see his point. And do we have such a valve? No.
Which leaves us with the slightly knotty problem of where to store the nematodes in the meantime. They must be kept at a constant 5 deg C and the suggested place is in the fridge. At first, Mike seemed surprisingly comfortable with this. But once they were actually installed next to the salad crisper (no slugs on our lettuce!) he found the whole thing a little too much to bear. Our ‘spare’ fridge in the outhouse was promptly recalled into service but even on its warmest setting it refused to rise higher than 2.5 deg C. Too cold. The kitchen fridge? 5 degrees on the nose.
Additional money has changed hands to secure next day delivery for the tap valve.
pin it?
mmm what’s for tea tonight?! Julie x
Coq au nematode?
I do wish people would deliver when they say they’re going to deliver, though going by the weather, you probably still won’t have got the digging done by the end of March. Snow again here today.
Only rain here, but enough to turn the veggie beds into a quagmire again 🙁
That really does look like a ready meal !
The inner packaging is identical Penny!
Be interested to hear how you get on with them – slugs destroyed all M’s veggies last year and he was hopping. A friend who owns a garden centre tells us the only way is to cut them in half with a spade. Yuk!
I tried the nematodes last year, but they weren’t particularly successful. I probably started too late in the season. Double strength or bust this time around…
What an unwelcome problem to have; how typical to suddenly receive them. But I hope they do get to work quickly and efficiently. It really was a year for the slugs last year
Last year’s weather didn’t help at all. Slug heaven!
Oh how annoying!!! I was laughing thinking of them in the fridge| I had to google the product, I’ve never heard of it. I’d be interested to hear how you get on….xxxxx
I’ll let you know!
Good luck, another reason for wishing along the good weather. Keep us posted.
These nematodes are very fussy. They don’t like it too cold and now there’s more frost forecast so I can’t put them out yet anyway. Come on Spring..
All I can say is that Mike is obviously too used to an unnaturally hygienic fridge…..
With 30 million in there surely one is bound to escape..?!
Primrose and Daisy say they will be more than happy to…er…look after your yummy nematodes for you. Ahem.
(I’ve told them hens don’t eat nematodes. They said, ‘Wanna bet?’)
But not all of them in one go, surely..
They say, ‘Thirty million schmillion…on toast with a waft of Parmesan.’
I say, ‘Waft of Parmesan? Waft??’
I think they have been watching too much Masterchef.
You spoil them Denise!
I’m with Mike, I wouldn’t want them in the house let alone in the fridge…a few years back someone put a DNA sample in our lunch fridge in the office, put us all off our food. I hope your weather warms up a bit and your able to get the veg patch going soon.
When I was applying them last year I got some in my eye. NOT conducive to a good nights sleep..
My fridge is full of all sorts but never nematodes!
Mike has wrapped them up in several plastic bags and a lot of sticky tape!
Life is never simple! I have a horror of slugs, so good luck in ridding the world of the horrible, nasty, slimy, hosta munching things!!
Hostas are aspirational here Anne!
I guess if you’d been waiting for them they’d have been late sending them out! Hope the valve arrives on time.
Culture of nematodes is supposed to be temperature dependent. I was banking on them being late this year.. !!
Men, hoses, valves………
hoses men valves
valves hoses men…….
could write a poem!
Who’d a thought it… nematodes inspiring poetry!
That’s a funny story Jessica. How about a cool box in the meantime?
That’s not a bad idea Oma! I will think about borrowing one from somewhere.
No quite sure what a nematode is – insect? member of the frog family? micro organism? Hope they are successful for you once you have everything sorted.
It’s a micro organism. According to all the reviews really effective against slugs. I don’t like the idea at all but if I don’t do something growing seems nearly impossible here. It didn’t work so well last year, but I probably didn’t do it early enough or in sufficient quantity. We’ll see what 30 million can do.
Good luck with the Nematodes let us know how you get on with them but make sure they don’t escape – I think I would have nightmares if I had them in my fridge it is like the fishermen with their buckets of maggots in the fridge.
Exactly the same Viv. Nematodes are just smaller and more numerous…
Just catching up … love reading all about your ‘journey’ … pigs, pheasnt, slugs!! I don’t think I could live with Nematodes in the fridge though!
It’s down to the weather now. We have the tap valve, but need a run of nights when it isn’t going to be too cold.
They take up too much room in the fridge!
Yerch!,,,,,,
Double yerch
🙂
That gave me a hearty chuckle – getting next day delivery on the valve sounds like a sensible route to domestic peace. I hope your nematodes enjoy many hearty meals in your veg patch.
Hi Janet and welcome to rusty duck!
You and me both!!
Yikes. I would not want to have those in my fridge either. Hehe. Hope you found a place for them.
No.. they are still there! 🙁