| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? 09:13 - Feb 13 with 2436 views | ThisIsMyUsername |
Question for TWTD's resident gardeners.
My girlfriend has a yearly issue with slugs getting into loads of the outdoor plants that she tries to grow, whether in individual pots or in the ground.
She has tried lots of suggestions that she read about online but nothing has solved the problem. She doesn't want to do anything that will kill the slugs (i.e. pellets) but wants to solve the problem of course.
Any recommendations please for effective strategies? Thanks in advance. |  |
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| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 09:16 - Feb 13 with 1743 views | NthQldITFC |
Do everything you can to encourage hedgehogs and frogs into your garden. A wildlife pond if you can, and hedgehog routes through stupid modern fences, as well as some wild space for them to hide and hibernate in.
Or eat the slugs yourself.  |  |
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| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 09:16 - Feb 13 with 1732 views | gtsb1966 |
Copper strips |  | | |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 09:17 - Feb 13 with 1726 views | ThisIsMyUsername |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 09:16 - Feb 13 by NthQldITFC |
Do everything you can to encourage hedgehogs and frogs into your garden. A wildlife pond if you can, and hedgehog routes through stupid modern fences, as well as some wild space for them to hide and hibernate in.
Or eat the slugs yourself. |
She lives in a new-build residential estate so that's not going to be an option unfortunately!
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| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 09:49 - Feb 13 with 1664 views | Herbivore |
Grow less delicious plants. Copper strips sort of work but not entirely. Grit/gravel around the bottom of plants is also meant to work but was only partially effective when we tried it. |  |
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| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 09:58 - Feb 13 with 1628 views | Benters |
Yeah funny old things slugs,as a gardener you are supposed to hate them but if you have a look at one they are blooming marvellous creatures.
I try not to kill anything if I can help it,but I’d go for the Hedgehog option,and I have those in my garden. |  |
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| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 10:12 - Feb 13 with 1532 views | Meadowlark |
Nothing works! They've been particularly prolific the last couple of years, due to the mild winters I guess. I have a pond, and frogs and hedgehogs are regularly seen, but they don't even make a dent in the slug population. If you go out after dark you can pick 'em up and move 'em somewhere else, but it's time consuming, and messy, and it doesn't really work either.
I'm not averse to slug traps and using RSPB approved pellets, but neither of these really work either.
Just plant loads more of what you want and accept that the slugs are going to decimate them. |  | | |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 10:14 - Feb 13 with 1518 views | Pinewoodblue |
Hand pick them each evening and gift them to a neighbour. |  |
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| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 10:17 - Feb 13 with 1496 views | Ryorry |
I scatter all the prickly prunings from shrubs in my garden around the yummy young lettuces etc that slugs love. It does seem to keep them away but makes weeding even more of a painful chore. Eggshells also work, but less effectively so, and you have to scatter them thickly, so need to eat an awful lot of eggs. |  |
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| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 10:31 - Feb 13 with 1450 views | Basuco |
If all else fails then the final resort is the slug pellets, not the nicest way to get rid of them but they are very effective. |  | | |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 10:36 - Feb 13 with 1434 views | NthQldITFC |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 10:12 - Feb 13 by Meadowlark |
Nothing works! They've been particularly prolific the last couple of years, due to the mild winters I guess. I have a pond, and frogs and hedgehogs are regularly seen, but they don't even make a dent in the slug population. If you go out after dark you can pick 'em up and move 'em somewhere else, but it's time consuming, and messy, and it doesn't really work either.
I'm not averse to slug traps and using RSPB approved pellets, but neither of these really work either.
Just plant loads more of what you want and accept that the slugs are going to decimate them. |
I don't have many hedgehogs or frogs these days either (bloody humans), so what I do is I go out after dark too, wait until I hear you go back in, and then bring all my slugs and snails round to your garden.
Works for me. | |
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| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 10:41 - Feb 13 with 1409 views | Meadowlark |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 10:36 - Feb 13 by NthQldITFC |
I don't have many hedgehogs or frogs these days either (bloody humans), so what I do is I go out after dark too, wait until I hear you go back in, and then bring all my slugs and snails round to your garden.
Works for me. |
Ah! That explains it!
Can you cut my grass too next time? | | | |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 10:50 - Feb 13 with 1392 views | leitrimblue |
Copper, gravel or rough stone and beer traps ( unfortunately
beer traps are killers, though amusing) |  | | |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 10:56 - Feb 13 with 1371 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
A nightly trip out with scissors is Miss Slave's go to method of control. |  |
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| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 10:57 - Feb 13 with 1368 views | bobbyramsey |
Coffee grounds are supposed to be effective. I have a friend who collects the local Costas used coffee to spread on her garden. |  | | |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 11:05 - Feb 13 with 1336 views | backwaywhen |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 09:16 - Feb 13 by NthQldITFC |
Do everything you can to encourage hedgehogs and frogs into your garden. A wildlife pond if you can, and hedgehog routes through stupid modern fences, as well as some wild space for them to hide and hibernate in.
Or eat the slugs yourself. |
Buy some beer traps and yes it’s beer not bear lol , you fill them with beer and put around the areas your trying to protect , the beer a attracts them and once they get in they drown in the beer .
I thought my wife was joking when she bought them ……they worked a treat . |  | | |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 11:06 - Feb 13 with 1332 views | ThisIsMyUsername |
Thank you for all the replies. I believe she has already tried the egg shells and gravel. I'm not sure about the copper strips or coffee grounds; I'll suggest those.
Seems like there aren't really any methods which are absolutely effective. | |
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| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 11:07 - Feb 13 with 1326 views | backwaywhen |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 11:05 - Feb 13 by backwaywhen |
Buy some beer traps and yes it’s beer not bear lol , you fill them with beer and put around the areas your trying to protect , the beer a attracts them and once they get in they drown in the beer .
I thought my wife was joking when she bought them ……they worked a treat . |
Google slug beer traps…..thank me later . | | | |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 11:11 - Feb 13 with 1318 views | leitrimblue |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 11:05 - Feb 13 by backwaywhen |
Buy some beer traps and yes it’s beer not bear lol , you fill them with beer and put around the areas your trying to protect , the beer a attracts them and once they get in they drown in the beer .
I thought my wife was joking when she bought them ……they worked a treat . |
I just dig small holes in the ground around the most precious crops, then put a small containers ( plastic cup, old glass etc) in hole and drop a couple of inches of Guinness (other beers are available ) in the bottom.
Cups are full in the morning, then leave slugs out for the birds etc | | | |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 11:23 - Feb 13 with 1274 views | TheBlueGnu |
I would ask for advice from Geoffrey Whitehead | |
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| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 11:30 - Feb 13 with 1250 views | Meadowlark |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 11:07 - Feb 13 by backwaywhen |
Google slug beer traps…..thank me later . |
They are super effective, but I'm not convinced they don't attract ALL the slugs from miles around...! | | | |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 11:33 - Feb 13 with 1236 views | BarcaBlue |
Heard on tv recently that garlic spray is the most effective, haven't tried it though. |  | | |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 12:34 - Feb 13 with 1081 views | ronnyd |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 10:17 - Feb 13 by Ryorry |
I scatter all the prickly prunings from shrubs in my garden around the yummy young lettuces etc that slugs love. It does seem to keep them away but makes weeding even more of a painful chore. Eggshells also work, but less effectively so, and you have to scatter them thickly, so need to eat an awful lot of eggs. |
Then you get constipation. | | | |
| Methods to stop slugs eating plants? on 12:35 - Feb 13 with 1077 views | nodge_blue |
Id agree with the comments that it's very difficult to do. Last Summer Id go out in the dusk and see dozens on the lawn. If we have a dry Summer they tend to do less well. Last year stayed reasonably damp throughout.
There are plants they like less.
Ive grown some salads etc in containers that I raise off the floor. Thats helps. Raised beds with a gravel path around it helps a bit. But you need to watch when stuff grows up as they just hide in the leaves in the day or down the sides of the beds. |  |
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