So here’s the thing, there’s a war coming.

For a time we thought we were winning, pushing our enemy back using whatever was at our disposal: beer traps, copper rings, the high ranking deadly nematode assassins. But we got careless, took things for granted. We were caught in the haze of high summer’s warm embrace and took our eyes off the prize.

When we should have carried out soil surveillance for unwanted critters, we were consuming our bounty of fresh vegetables. Damn our forgetfulness to refill those traps!

It was this human error that gave them the opportunity to try and turn the war. They came in threes, fours.. even fives. Wherever I lifted a cabbage leaf, they were there.  Cold, emotionless, unmoving.  They cared for only one thing.. to eat my vegetables.

DAMN THOSE SLUGS!

On another note, taking a leaf out of Monty’s book, I embarked on several experiments when I began my allotment this year, and here’s the result of my first. As well as growing my carrots from seed, I also bought several carrot plugs from a local garden centre. I wanted to know which would grow better and if any would be affected by carrot fly or forking. Well today I lifted two carrots from the plugs I bought and two I grew from seed.

To my surprise, the ones from the garden centre couldn’t have done any worse. Not only were they full of carrot fly, they were mutated and forked. See:

And then we turn to the carrots I grew from seed.. I couldn’t be happier. Although I’m yet to taste them they look great, especially alongside a selection of veg I lifted from my allotment: 

They were grown in the same patch, all receiving the same water and attention.

So keen reader, my question is this.. Why have they turned out so differently?  I have my own theories but I would like to hear yours..

And with another day over, all slugs firmly removed from the allotment, I close the gate to my patch and head home with a bag full of freshly grown veg..

I wonder what Soph will make of this lot?