I've never had much luck with copper tape myself. Tried it a few seasons ago, and honestly, the slugs just seemed to stroll right over it without hesitation. Maybe the tape I bought wasn't high-quality enough, or perhaps my placement was off—I did line the raised beds pretty carefully, though. Interesting to hear beer traps worked for you; I agree they're effective but found them a bit too messy for regular use.
One thing I've had surprising success with is crushed eggshells sprinkled around plants. It sounds overly simplistic, but the rough texture seems to discourage slugs quite well, at least in my garden. Plus, it has the added benefit of slowly adding calcium back into the soil. Might be worth experimenting if you're looking for something less messy than beer traps and less hit-or-miss than copper tape...
Glad to hear eggshells worked for you—I tried them once, but maybe I didn't crush them finely enough because the slugs didn't seem bothered at all. Might give it another shot now that you've mentioned it. Copper tape was a bust for me too, by the way. Honestly, gardening feels like one big experiment sometimes...but hey, that's part of the charm, right? Your outdoor space sounds lovely, congrats on getting it cozy!
Yeah, copper tape never did much for me either. I remember spending an afternoon carefully wrapping pots with it, feeling pretty clever...only to find slugs happily crawling right over it the next morning. Eggshells were hit or miss too, but coffee grounds seemed to help a bit. Honestly though, I've accepted that gardening is basically trial and error with dirt involved. Glad your space turned out cozy—nothing beats finally getting it just right.
I've had similar experiences with copper tape—honestly, I think the slugs around here just laugh at it. Coffee grounds did help a bit for me too, but what really made a difference was setting out shallow dishes of beer. Yeah, I know, it sounds like a waste of perfectly good beer (and maybe it is), but the slugs can't resist it. You wake up to a little slug party gone wrong in the morning, and your plants stay safe.
Gardening really is trial and error though...and sometimes more error than anything else. But when you finally get your outdoor space dialed in and cozy, it's totally worth all the slug battles and dirt under your nails. Glad yours turned out great—enjoy kicking back in your new cozy spot.
Ha, the beer method...sounds familiar. I've recommended that to a few clients who were desperate to keep slugs away from their new flower beds. At first, they always look at me funny—but after a couple nights, they're usually sold on it. Gardening really does test your patience sometimes, but you're right, once your space comes together and you can finally relax out there, all those slug battles don't seem so bad. Glad you're enjoying the payoff for all that hard work!