/ Register

Welcome to OrchidsForum.com. We are a friendly online community for Orchid Growers all over the world. If you haven't joined yet we invite you to register and join our community. Hope to see you on our forums!

Snails in a greenhouse

Discussion in 'Everything Else Orchid' started by TheKellylove, Jan 10, 2017.

  1. Jan 10, 2017 #1
    TheKellylove

    TheKellylove Active Member

    Messages:
    329
    Likes Received:
    207
    Location:
    Albuquerque, NM
    Hi all,

    I'm building an outdoor greenhouse, and I'm worried about garden snails. My yard is riddled with them, and I'd like to build the greenhouse with measures to keep them out, rather than have to battle them after the thing is built.

    My question to you all is: do you have any sort of underground barrier to keep snails out? Anyone know how deep snails can burrow?
     
    jai and Kipper like this.
  2. Jan 10, 2017 #2
    John Klinger

    John Klinger Active Member Supporting Member

    Messages:
    905
    Likes Received:
    207
    Location:
    Roseburg Ore
    I don't really have an answer to your questions but on the floor of my green house I have red cider rock. It seems to tear up there bottom. Where you live you should be able to get the cinder.
     
  3. Jan 10, 2017 #3
    KellyW

    KellyW Orchid wonk Staff Member Supporting Member

    Messages:
    6,563
    Likes Received:
    2,362
    Location:
    Redding, California, USA
    Kelly, I don't think snails can burrow into soil. Getting under leaf litter and mulch is about as far as they go. Snails and slugs will get into the greenhouse through very small gaps between the foundation and the glazing, under doors, through vents and any unsealed opening. They can come in when very small then grow once inside. Eggs and small ones can be on pots that you bring in that have been sitting outside. Also a new plant could be harboring eggs and tiny snails and slugs. So, IMO, Having a typical cement foundation down in the soil will be adequate to keep out mollusks.

    Are you building from scratch or getting a kit? Size, glazing, etc? Exciting ... give us some details :)
     
  4. Jan 10, 2017 #4
    TheKellylove

    TheKellylove Active Member

    Messages:
    329
    Likes Received:
    207
    Location:
    Albuquerque, NM
    So basically the snails will get in one way or another [emoji849]. How ever will I be able to keep up with all the pests in a greenhouse??

    We can't build with a cement foundation because the greenhouse is technically on an easement... to get around that, we are building a "temporary" structure with no concrete foundation. I think the plan is to build it on dirt, landscape matting, and then several inches of gravel. The structure will be held up with buried concrete piers.

    My husband is an engineer, so he's building me the best greenhouse he can dream up.
    I'm about to have a baby pretty much any day now, so I expect the progress to be quite slow.

    Size is 8x10. Glazing is triple wall 16mm polycarbonate, but there will be a pressure-treated lumber knee wall with some kind of aluminum siding. Hopefully the structure will be well sealed. I'm also worried about grasshoppers.
     
    jai likes this.
  5. Jan 10, 2017 #5
    KellyW

    KellyW Orchid wonk Staff Member Supporting Member

    Messages:
    6,563
    Likes Received:
    2,362
    Location:
    Redding, California, USA
    Sorry, I wasn't trying to discourage you. Just saying that there are other ways for snails to get in. Pressure treated lumber will work as a barrier too as long as it extends into the soil and the mollusks can't get under it or through gaps. Make sure you have a good seal on your door threshold.

    I have never experienced a problem with grasshoppers getting in the greenhouse but I don't have many of those around here typically.

    Speaking from experience, when you use the pressure treated lumber make sure you treat any fresh cuts with wood preservative. The untreated center of the pressure treated lumber will quickly rot when exposed to moisture.

    Congratulations on the upcoming new baby. Very exciting times ahead.
     
  6. Jan 11, 2017 #6
    carl

    carl Active Member

    Messages:
    450
    Likes Received:
    160
    Location:
    Sooutheastern Pencilvania
    Copper flashing should help. Just expensive.
     
  7. Feb 5, 2017 #7
    KellyW

    KellyW Orchid wonk Staff Member Supporting Member

    Messages:
    6,563
    Likes Received:
    2,362
    Location:
    Redding, California, USA
    Kelly, any greenhouse or baby updates?:)
     
  8. Feb 6, 2017 #8
    TheKellylove

    TheKellylove Active Member

    Messages:
    329
    Likes Received:
    207
    Location:
    Albuquerque, NM
    Haha. More greenhouse news than baby unfortunately. We have begun construction of the retaining wall and that's it. Structural materials are being ordered soon.
     
  9. Feb 6, 2017 #9
    carl

    carl Active Member

    Messages:
    450
    Likes Received:
    160
    Location:
    Sooutheastern Pencilvania
    Have plenty of fresh sphagnum ready to pot the baby. That's what I told everyone I did when my son was born (lo these 24 years ago).