5 tips for dealing with slugs and snails – because one or both of these gastropods are found in the top three of British gardeners’ most wanted pest list virtually every year. There are differences between the two molluscs. The most obvious being that a snail has a coiled shell, which it carries on its back and can retract into completely. But there are plenty of similarities when it comes to ridding your garden of these pests.
The methods will not totally remove these gastropods but will help you to reduce their impact on your precious plants such as runner beans, sweet peas and hostas. But there are a selection of techniques for you to try. Including barrier controls; traps; predators; and cultural methods. The aim of all of these is to prevent slugs and snails from eating your plants. Some methods will be more suitable than others to the particular requirements in your garden. We’ll consider five of the methods that we at Plews have found work in our clients’ gardens over the years.
Snails and Slugs – Barrier controls
Raised beds are popular when we’re designing vegetable areas as part of an overall garden scheme. An easy and successful method of keeping slugs, snails from the runner beans growing in the raised beds has been to fix copper tape around the sides of the raised vegetable bed.
This is particularly useful when the raised beds have been built against a fence or garden wall. This dark, often damp area would otherwise make the perfect home for slugs, snails.
Coarse, sharp edged grit, or crushed eggshells set around favourite plants will reduce the likelihood of them being eaten. A decorative coarse mulch on which is set a group of hostas in pots has proved successful.
Snails and Slugs – Traps
5 Tips for dealing with slugs and snails wouldnt be complete without beer traps! These tempt snails especially it seems: perhaps slugs prefer champagne? The downside of these is that they can be bit disgusting to empty out. If you ‘re feeling in a recycling mood, a lemonade bottle with the cap removed and a couple of extra holes made in the underside provides a homemade version. You can fill this with beer or organic slug pellets, which are garlic based.
Snails and Slugs – Parasites
The parasite in question are microscopic eelworms, also known as nematodes. These are more effective against slugs than snails. Many of the commercially available nematodes, Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, for example, naturally occur in British soils. This means that they are approved for use in organic gardening by the Soil Association. Basically nematodes infest the slug and kill it. (See blog link below for my visit to the nematode factory)
Snails and Slugs – Predators
Take your pick! A wildlife friendly garden with even just a small pond will provide a habitat for frogs and toads who enjoy chomping on slugs. That blackbird who serenades you each morning will eat your snails, as will the equally choral thrush. If you’re concerned about the time you have to tend your garden, be reassured that wildlife gardens can be easy maintenance.
Humans are predators too, of course. Whether you eat snails as a delicacy in garlic butter or go round with a torch and a bucket at night. Just be aware that throwing snails into your neighbours’ garden is extremely bad manners. And the snails are likely to return as they seen to have an excellent homing instinct.
Snails and Slugs – Cultural methods
This is about picking slugs and snails then squishing or slicing. But it’s also about working with your garden rather than against it, thereby making less work for yourself.
Choosing resistant varieties of hosta, blue leaved hosta sieboldiana for example, is one way. Another is to try companion planting, or rather sacrificial planting. This is where you encourage the molluscs to munch on the marigolds rather than on your French beans.
And finally
Remember, not all slugs are bad slugs – the leopard slug, Limax maximus, is often found in compost heaps as it dines off rotting vegetation not fresh young lettuces. But you’ll find it around the garden too – and I always have a ‘pet’ leopard slug or two in the greenhouse to help protect seedlings. This large mollusc has been known to hunt and eat other, smaller slugs. As an hermaphrodite, it also has an interesting method of courtship.
As slugs and snails are a constant irritation to gardeners, we shall be looking at them again. You may find the blogs below helpful, or ask about Plews Garden Advice Visits to get a professional garden consultant’s expert advice on dealing with snails and slugs.
For further gardening advice and inspiration, check out Plews Potting Shed blogs, including the selection below and our monthly Tipsheet You could come and find us on Instagram – @plewsgd Pinterest and Facebook too.
And if you’d like some personal help, we offer a mix of practical sessions and theory in our bespoke Gardening Lessons and Courses. There’s a blog link below plus a pdf download with more info
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