One thing I know for sure is that teeny tiny baby slugs are much harder to pick up than snails. Our lettuce patch is full of them and, boy are they hungry.  I've been picking lettuce every evening and becoming more and more frustrated at the damage being done to our beautiful lettuce leaves.  I really don't like sharing my dinner.

Our typical garden predator is the common snail, annoying, but fairly easy to deal with if you can catch them in the act. Easy to pick up and dispose of. We had very cold weather here for a couple of weeks in December, which seems to have significantly reduced the number of snails on the prowl.  One would think that was good news.  I was actually pretty excited about it.  Still, our lettuce is being reduced to lace.  Tonight I discovered that our garden is being attacked by a host of baby slugs, who unlike snails, are not so easy to pick up.  These guys range anywhere from 1/8th of an inch to about 1 1/2 inches long; they are sticky and slimy and don't give up their hold on the lettuce leaf with grace. I attacked them with a pair of tweezers and a container of salt water.  It takes a stiff upper lip to do this kind of work, but I prefer my lettuce unslimed and unblemished.

The garden is now all planted.  We were so hopeful for good weather after our beautiful early start, but, no, this is Oregon indeed. Don't be fooled by a little sunshine.  Luckily, vegetables are hearty little things.  Most are doing well, or at least holding on in anticipation of coming warmth.  Some things are even thriving in the cool moist (understatement) weather - the spinach, lettuce, beets, carrots, peas and potatoes seem very happy.  The tomatoes are even looking pretty good, at least they haven't rotted in the ground yet, but I'm sure they'll benefit from some warm weather.  Hmmm, maybe tomorrow. . . . . .