growing · May · 2 min read
Gardening With Slugs — The Battle Begins
Our honest, six-season report on what actually keeps slugs off seedlings — and what we no longer bother with.
"Please do not send in unsolicited slugs." — We're still having a laugh about this line from the introduction to an RHS slug survey in 2020.
A perfect storm of breeding conditions last spring meant that 2024 went down in many people's memory as the year of the slug-and-snail epidemic. Our inboxes and chat forums are already full of questions about how to keep Gastropods from nibbling young plants. There is lots of advice out there but nothing (safe) that has been proven to be effective above all other methods. Here are your options.
Physical control
Scattering broken egg shells around affected plants, spraying a garlic solution onto the plants, fixing copper tape around pots, beer or Marmite traps (they're attracted by yeast), mulching around plants with bark or horticultural grit, lamb's wool or wool pellets.
The top method to a slug-free patch, though tiresome, is to go out after dark, pick off our slimy friends by torchlight, and collect them in a pot for disposal at some distance.
Biological control
Nematodes (natural predators) are effective, but you'll need to commit to treating your patch or pots regularly throughout the season. Create wildlife-hospitable corners so that hedgehogs and birds that feed on slugs and snails are attracted to your garden.
Many of the popular methods of control are detailed in this Gardener's World article, optimistically titled 'How to get rid of slugs'.
ID your slugs
If all else fails, have a look at this video which will help you to identify the slugs you have (there are over 40 species). Well done if you can get through the film without squirming. The main takeaway here is that not all slugs feed on live plants — some are an important part of the composting process. So if you're lucky enough to have a population of the 'good' slugs, be sure not to throw them out with the 'bad'.
We'll no doubt return to the topic of slugs and snails before the season is over. In the meantime, good luck with getting to know and live with yours 😊
For more advice on growing cut flowers sustainably, read how to make a no-dig flower bed, the best flowers to grow for cutting, or join The Best Bunch Membership for monthly masterclasses.
