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From: levy@ttrdc.UUCP (Daniel R. Levy)
Newsgroups: net.garden
Subject: Re: WARNING
Message-ID: <242@ttrdc.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 23-Jun-85 02:40:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: ttrdc.242
Posted: Sun Jun 23 02:40:27 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 24-Jun-85 04:07:20 EDT
References: <2575@decwrl.UUCP> <380@ttidcb.UUCP> <10315@rochester.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Teletype Corp., Skokie, IL
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nemo@rochester.UUCP in <10315@rochester.UUCP>:
> 
> > (wrt cutworms)  Direct spraying with 50%
> > ammonia (mixed with tap water) does not work (although it's death to slugs
> > and snails - also providing a mild foliar feed of nitrogen).  
> > Lewis Tarnopol
> Although the body of advice concerning cutworms was correct, I urge 
> 			CAUTION
> if you plan to use 50% ammonia to discourage the slugs.  In my moist,
> cool western NY garden, slugs are a major pest and I am continually
> searching for new and better ways of fending them off my plants.  So
> I tried this suggestion.  While some plants did not seem to mind (the
> strawbs, and kale), many of the plants that I sprayed (spinach that was
> interplanted with the strawbs to discourage slugs - unsuccessfully;
> morning glories, a volunteer tomato, cosmos) developed wilted, yellowed
> leaves.  So much for mild foliar feed!  I haven't had much opportunity
> to examine the treated area for slugs, so I'll report on that later.  
> Nemo

Just curious, what kind of ammonia is being referred to?  A 50% solution
of household 'ammonia' would be less strong than a 50% solution of anhy-
drous ammonia (if the latter was even possible).  Is there a 'garden'
ammonia?  (Haven't noticed any such thing among the pesticides and garden
fertilizers last time I was in a garden supply house, maybe I'll look harder.)
If household ammonia was used, was it the clear or the sudsy kind?  (I'd
presume you would want to use the clear kind.)  Also I would suppose that
different brands of household ammonia differ in strength; presumably they
could be equalized by testing with pH paper.  Just curious; it's been years
since I gardened (live in apartment) but I enjoy reading this group.

Dan Levy
AT&T Teletype Corp.
Skokie, Ill.
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