Plant of the week - Chinese Lanterns (Physalis alkekengi)

Just in time for hallowe'en and brightening up the view into the garden with pumpkin-like orange seed pods are this weeks choice - chinese lanterns.

Chinese lanterns - Physalis alkekengi

This was my second attempts at growing these plants from seed - the first year I tried, every plant was instantly devoured by slugs and snails as soon as they were planted out. This year I transplanted the young plants into a pot, protected with copper tape, which has worked well to protect them from hungry gastropods.

I'd also read that physalis can spread rapidly throughout the garden if unchecked, so better to contain them in a pot. That's worked well as they are on the patio and in full view from inside the house.

I got my seeds from Thompson and Morgan and they were easy to germinate in the greenhouse - the plants in the photo are now two years old - so not long to wait to see the rewards. Despite their almost poisonously bright colouring, you can eat the fruit from some physalis species -  they are hidden inside the 'lanterns' - I remember them as being bitter but juicy when I tried, and subsequently discovered that P. alkekengi is not grown for its tasty fruit!

Chinese lanterns - Physalis alkekengi

Fortunately their ornamental value outweighs the inedible nature of this species. And no, I didn't adjust the colour on these photos!

Environmentally-friendly slug and snail deterrents

If like me you have an abundance of snails (and slugs), then you will have probably experienced that 'Aaaaarrrghhh!' moment when you take a tour of the garden and see the delphiniums/hosta/iris/bean plants that you so loving nurtured from seed having been reduced to stumps overnight by those pesky blighters.

If also (like me) you don't relish the idea of serving them up with garlic butter as a way to control their numbers, but also hate slug pellets that are bad for the environment, the soil, pets, wildlife, food crops, in fact bad all round then you will have doubtless looked for an alternative that doesn't leave agonised gastropod corpses scattered around your patio like an invertebrate graveyard.

I started off by trying organically approved 'Growing Success' Advanced Slug killer, but its messy, unsightly and takes re-application.

Copper to the rescue! I took the plunge and bought some copper Slug Rings online, which despite the initial financial outlay end up as being good value for money. I've protected my irises, hosta and delphiniums with these. Success!!

Copper Slug Ring protecting a bearded iris from slugs and snails

As you can see from the photo after a year or so the copper dulls and ends up blending in with the soil. Just make sure there are no plants around that can act as ladders to allow the smarter slugs to valut the copper ring.

Taking it one step further, if you have any tasty specimens in pots, you can easily protect them with copper tape. You can buy Vitax Copper Tape online. I'd keep the pots on a tray or paving as those earthbound slugs can still get up inside through the holes at the bottom.

Vitax copper slug tape

Here you can see it guarding a physalis (although something has still managed to have a nibble).

What I love most about these ideas is that its a one-off set up - no more shaking those slug pellets every couple of weeks - and no slug deaths on your hands!