A recent groundhog-day experience with two snails, energized by the leaves of my jalapeno plant, raised my conspiracy antennae to the highest level.
Please allow me to explain:
The container which holds this particular plant is at least 3.5 feet off the ground. The grow-bag container has never set on ground level. The soil in the container is fresh out of the bag of fertilizer-enriched, big-brand, store-bought soil.
In order for the snails to get to the plant they would have had to climb the roughly textured wrought iron container, then climbed to, up, and inside the grow bag which the lone plant is in.
In making this trek, the hungry little snails by-passed all of the seedlings in grow bags at ground-level.
This brings me to the conspiracy theory:
Major brand-named soils contain eggs which develop in a slow, time-released method, which allow them to grow to adult stage while being watered and fed by organisms living in the soil. Having pests growing in the soil, means the novice and brand-preference gardeners will seek additional products that will resolve the dilemma.
Is it a leaf-miner? Oh, no worries, we’ve got a product for that….only costs $7.99
Are snails eating your plants? Oh, we’ve got a product for that, too. Let’s see, oh it’s on sale, only $5.49, regular price $8.99.
Ha! Before you know it, you’ve turned your minimalist-gardening hobby into a budget-buster. Bah-humbug to that idea!
Of course, this is purely theoretical rhetoric, which leaves me RME. Until, I can make peace with how the snails got nearly four-feet off the ground, into brand new soil, bypassing other plants on the ground, which by the way have snails, too, I will stand by my premise.
Of course, the wind could have zeroed-in on this container, blowing the snails succinctly into the soil. Or, they could have wings that scientists haven’t yet discovered. RME.
What do you think?
Any ideas?
That’s it for now. It’s time to make a trek out into the garden with crushed egg shells, lightly dusted with baking soda to serve as a deterrent to the pests. Of course, this is something I should do on a consistent basis, especially as the cooler, and more dewy autumn mornings start rolling in.
Until next time, happy gardening!!!
Peace.