I'm having trouble getting my direct sown veggies off the ground this year. I have a known slug problem, and am using beer in cat food cans, which is "catching" a lot of them, along with some earwigs.

However, either a lot are still going for my plants or something else is on the prowl. For example, I had cucumbers sprouting yesterday, and this morning when I checked they were gone. All but one of my green bean plants has bit the dust.

This is the second year I've used my raised beds. I added homemade and purchased compost in the early spring, and am using sugar cane mulch, pulled away from the spots where I'm waiting for seeds to come up.

Other stuff is getting chewed on too - capsicums and tomatillos for example, both of which I started inside.

Also, my basil and hot chili plants are looking a bit brown after a week in the ground, and they are getting plenty of water.

Any ideas? Any other bugs that could be doing this damage, or is it likely still the slugs?

Any issues with using sugar cane mulch on a veggie garden?

Thanks much,

Dorothy