10-meter slug net

Because the vertical section of copper that slugs have to climb is greater than 7 centimetres !

Let me explain :

• Slugs don't like contact with copper, as this generates a slight electric current which is unpleasant for them. (At first, I thought this current was static electricity (as advertised on the internet), but it seems that an acid-base reaction is the cause).
• Smaller copper sections (< 7 cm) can still be crossed by slugs, which then "endure" the current, and limit their exposure to it by crawling back. The same applies to copper sections (even large ones!) placed horizontally (for a slug, the adhesion required is much less than when climbing, and we can assume that contact with the current is also much less).
• On the other hand, for copper sections of over 7 cm, the vast majority of slugs eventually give up and turn back.
• The copper slug net is 10 cm high. But, above all, the slugs have to cross 20 centimetres of copper (climbing, then unclimbing on the other side) to cross the entire net. And the transition from climbing to de-escalation ("passage to the top") is extremely difficult for them to achieve: I've carried out numerous tests, and while it's true that some tough slugs sometimes manage to climb quite high, I haven't seen any slugs make it to the other side.

• Please note: There does seem to be a noticeable difference in sensitivity to copper among gastropods. Snails are more sensitive (some simply refuse any contact with copper (cf Enzo the snail in the copper test video), and small grey slugs seem to be the most resistant (cf Hector the valiant).

• Also worth noting: some small grey slugs, smaller than the mesh size of the net (around 5 mm), manage to get through the net, not by climbing it, but by simply passing through it, on its lower part in contact with the ground. This is quite rare, and has no impact on the significant results obtained with copper mesh. But, if you're a bit of a perfectionist ( :p) and you really want a perfectly watertight barrier, then : The best way to do this is to fold one of the two sides of the net down to the ground, and roll it up on itself to create a kind of "copper maze" for the little slugs. You'll see that the net is a "double curtain" of copper meshes, in the shape of a sock: you'll need to run a pair of scissors across the top of the net to fold down section number 2 and roll it up on itself, as I've just described. How it works is described in greater detail (with video demonstration) in the supplied ebook.

So... Yes, it's true, but no, copper mesh is totally suitable for this situation !

Let me explain: To protect a vegetable bed with slug netting, you need to :

• Fence off the section of garden in question with slug netting
• Go slug-hunting (at night and in wet weather, if possible) inside the fenced-in area, for 2-3 days, to find and remove all the slugs !
• And that's it, no more slugs in your fenced-in section !

So, yes, it's true to say that slugs are in the ground most of the time (well, not exactly in the ground, more often on supports, under mulch, etc...), and indeed, it's said that when you get up at night, with your headlamp on and in damp weather, the slugs you encounter aren't all those in your garden, as there are on average 4 times as many underground !

But all you have to do is pick these damselflies regularly, when it's time for them to come out, and you'll have peace of mind for the whole season (and even subsequent years, as they won't have been able to lay their eggs in the protected section) !

Some people are also afraid that slugs will simply slip under the net, sailing underground. In my opinion, this is more of a myth than anything else: yes, slugs have the ability to get under a layer of soil to protect themselves from the cold of winter. But I'd be very surprised if they had the capacity (physical and cognitive ^^) to dig tunnels to get through ramparts to their food (and as we'll see below, there's no need to starve them). And in the worst-case scenario, what's to stop you partially burying the net?

You'll need to carry out the same actions as described in the previous section (i.e. fencing with copper netting, then digging out the slugs from the fenced area), but, if possible, remove the mulch during the slug extraction phase (as the slugs will then be much more visible).

Once you're sure there are no slugs left in the fenced-in area, you can replant (if possible with straw in which there's no risk of hidden slugs).

Caution: when fencing off the area to be protected, it's best to remove the (permanent) soil under the netting (and just under it - the inside of the fenced area can, of course, be mulched), so that it's in direct contact with the soil, for good « sealing ».

1. Should copper really be banned from the vegetable garden? Is copper in all its forms comparable ?

Some people told me: "No copper in the vegetable garden, woe betide ! ».

Put this way, and generalizing about the different forms of copper, it's not true.

Et vous savez d’où cette erreur tient son origine ? De la bouillie bordelaise : la bouillie bordelaise est utilisée comme un traitement de maladies cryptogamiques (ou fongiques, c’est-à-dire causées par des champignons pathogènes comme le mildiou ou l’oïdium). Elle est utilisée en agriculture biologique mais s’attire parfois les foudres des permaculteurs radicalisés, car son utilisation intensive peut mener à une accumulation de sulfates de cuivre dans le sol. Et des quantités trop importantes de sulfate de cuivre dans le sol réduisent la vie fongique de ce dernier.

But we're talking about copper sulfate, used directly in the soil! And even with the use of Bordeaux mixture, which I'm personally opposed to, according to studies, it would take several years for copper levels in the soil to reach levels harmful to the development of soil life (mycorrhizae, etc.).

But that has nothing to do with this net.

What is true, however, is that when copper oxidizes, it becomes covered with a greenish-gray (copper(II) carbonate). This verdigris in itself can have harmful effects on the soil, if placed directly on it.

But verdigris is not water-soluble (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonate_de_cuivre(II)). This non-solubility means that water in contact with verdigris is not loaded with its molecules. Note, for example, that our drinking water piping systems are made of copper, as are some cooking pots and even some contraceptive IUDs (and, in theory, verdigris is as harmful to man as it is to the soil!).

2. Tips and tricks for those who prefer to stay in the cold :p

Even if the netting is varnished (to limit oxidation), if in doubt, of course, you can also avoid any risk by preventing the netting from becoming covered in verdigris. :

– By limiting its exposure to bad weather (by storing it once the season is over, for example)

– Regularly remove the verdigris, if necessary, using a variety of methods: vinegar water, for example, but there are many others : https://www.toutpratique.com/247-nettoyage-naturel/288-comment-nettoyer-le-cuivre.php

If you're still scared, you can use a blotting cloth to put under the net, for example, to reassure yourself. But it's really not necessary.

Personally, I don't even lift the verdigris from the net I use for my vegetable garden.

Why you shouldn't kill (or move) slugs, if you don't want any more slug problems :

Ever heard of Hervé Coves' famous lecture on holistic slug management ?

Here's the video in question, if you're interested :

Let's sum up Hervé Coves' thinking: if you want to put an end to slug problems in the vegetable garden for good, don't kill them! Instead, wait for nature to regulate the problem (which is merely a symptom of an imbalance in the garden system). For example, when natural slug predators settle in!

Except that, for slug predators to take up residence in your garden, their prey must of course be nearby! Which is why you shouldn't kill them! 😉

This natural regulation can take up to 5 years to resolve a slug overpopulation problem once and for all.

The problem is that, in the meantime, your lettuce plants, cabbages and young zucchini plants will be devoured mercilessly by my lady slugs.

The holistic management approach presented by Hervé Coves is therefore only tenable with impenetrable slug barriers, which allow you to shelter your plants while waiting for the natural regulation of the problem.

Almost all slug barriers are only marginally effective, or only when the weather is dry.

The copper mesh device is impenetrable in all weathers.

That's a good question, because we mustn't forget that slugs, as essential digestive organs of the soil, play a vital role in the health of a garden! And for them too, the poor…

So, yes, of course, it's also best to feed slugs outside fenced-in areas! One of the best things you can do, for example, is to provide them with surface compost, which they'll love !

So, how did this idea come about ?

It all started with the creation of my first permaculture vegetable garden.

As a member of the gardening groups on Facebook, I realized that the problem of slugs was a central one in the vegetable garden.

The problem: no really effective solution, let alone one compatible with a long-term solution to the problem.

But above all: a lot of false beliefs, unverified and relayed hearsay, and general misinformation.

I then decided to tackle the problem, with the great ambition of solving it, by researching the information and its sources, sorting out the true from the false, and testing the different methods himself, in his own garden.

After several months of continuous work, here I am, presenting you with a truly effective and sustainable solution to slug problems in the garden!

This project was selected for support by two well-known entrepreneurial organizations : « Pépite Provence » and « Entrepreneurs dans la ville ».

These organizations provided me with advice, support and expertise, enabling me to get to where I am today. Many thanks to them.

This copper slug net is the centerpiece of my research into sustainable slug management in the vegetable garden.

Theory is essential, as it helps to defuse false beliefs and re-establish the truth that is essential to real progress.

This device, which I designed, is a direct extension of this theory: not only does it build on it, but they merge into a coherent approach to intelligent slug management.

I hope you find this project meaningful too !