Q: Our first flower bed in Georgia last year was beautiful Wave petunias. Tried the same thing this year but lost many plants to slugs. The nursery said to spread diatomaceous earth around the plants. We did, and soaked it in with the hose, but it didn’t seem to help.

A: Diatomaceous earth (DE) consists of razor-sharp microscopic particles that pierce an insect’s skin. It becomes ineffective when wet. Further, I’ve seen a slug crawl unharmed over a razor blade so I don’t think DE would deter these slimy creatures, even if the powder was dry. Try an iron phosphate bait (Sluggo and Escar-Go!, etc).