Keep slugs off salad

At this time of year, hardy lettuce, winter purslane, lamb’s lettuce and salad burnet are a welcome sight in the emptying vegetable garden. Start them off in trays and plant out seedlings or sow them direct in a sheltered, sunny spot, but beware of slugs feasting on young shoots. Nematodes won’t work in colder temperatures, so try picking off slugs by hand by torchlight or place saucers of beer or half-orange traps close to the plants and empty them every morning. Alternatively, use a gel repellent or sprinkle a few slug pellets close to the young plants.