Slugs and snails
The problem Plants with succulent leaves (such as hostas), seedlings and young plants with soft and sappy foliage are eaten away, and often only the midrib of the leaf is left intact – hostas can be turned to lace. The culprits A wide range of slugs, from the larger brown field slugs that feed above ground to small black keeled slugs that attack potatoes and other roots. On chalky ground, snails are the more common culprits and can demolish plants overnight. Of summer bedding, they are particularly fond of tobacco plants. The solutions The most obvious (and most tedious) is hand picking those pests that attack above ground. Slugs and snails hate bright sunshine and hot, dry weather, so the best time to find them is at night with a torch. If you only have a few plants – in pots, perhaps – this is an effective means of control. Take the pests somewhere else if you prefer not to kill them, but remember they have a homing instinct, so take them for a car ride. Copper collars placed around hostas as their buds push through the surface of the soil in spring are effective, as is copper tape around the rim of pots. Half grapefruits, crushed grit and eggshells spread around plants are rarely a deterrent. Beer traps (empty yoghurt pots sunk into the ground and filled with beer) will catch some slugs and snails, but not all. Biological control in the form of slug-attacking nematodes can be watered on to kill subterranean slugs, but the earth needs to have reached a suitable temperature in spring. Encouraging wildlife makes a difference – remember that frogs and toads will help with slug control (small ones), as will hedgehogs, and song thrushes feed on snails. In severe cases, look to plants that are resistant to attack, such as those with hairy leaves or tough, leathery foliage. Organic slug pellets based on ferric phosphate are available.