SEATTLE — Ciscoe Morris, Seattle area gardening expert, only has one enemy.
"The biggest menace we've got in the Pacific Northwest is slugs and snails. They drive gardeners crazy. And right here I've got this beautiful ligularia. Snails and slugs consider this a gourmet treat. And look at what I just discovered right there. One little bad hombre for sure!” Ciscoe said, pulling a snail off a leaf. “All right, you're gonna pay for it, buddy. I'll get you later.”
After finding holes in his plant’s leaves, a tell-tale sign of slugs and snails snacking, Ciscoe pulled out his favorite defensive device: slug bait that uses iron phosphate as its main ingredient.
“It's so safe," Ciscoe said. "The woman at the Flower and Garden Show was eating it all day to show how safe it is. I haven't seen her since then, but I think it’s okay.”
Ciscoe said most people use too much at once, throwing down a big handful. He said it’s better to use a bit every few days since it breaks down fast. He also said using a bunch at once just wastes it.
“And never put it on the plant. Put it underneath,” he added.
Ciscoe also said he gets questions about whether iron phosphate slug and snail killer is safe for pets.
"If your dog eats a little I'm sure it's not going to do any harm, but I have heard at times about pets getting into and eating the whole container," Ciscoe said. "Then you’re going to have a problem, so make sure to close it and stash it up high.”
To keep pets away from it in the garden, Ciscoe just nails a couple of two-by-fours together to form a little cover. He puts that over the bait he sprinkles so that Fido doesn’t snack on it. He also wrote “Slimy’s Diner” on it to fool slugs and snails, of course.
“So if you do a little at a time, like I do, and you do it every three days, the only slugs and snails that are gonna be left in your garden are the ornamental kind!” Ciscoe said.
Gardening With Ciscoe segments this May sponsored by Dramm.