It’stime tomake friends withslugs andsnails
AS a keen gardener, I’ve always been supportive of collaborations between The Wildlife Trusts and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
Gardens can be hugely valuable wildlife habitats and many gardeners get huge pleasure from seeing and encouraging nature on their plots.
Over the years, our joint Wild about Gardens programme has provided advice about supporting a wide range of species from hedgehogs to bees.
Past campaigns focusing on species such as frogs and bats were perhaps a little more challenging. Whilst frogs and bats might not be universally loved, this year’s focus, considering the target audience for the campaign is gardeners, is possibly our most challenging yet.
Persuading gardeners that they should throw a collective arm around slugs and snails is a bit like trying to sell sand in a desert – but all wildlife has its value, and we should at least try!
As a gardener with four decades of experience, I must admit there are times when slugs and snails cause me real angst – especially when they’ve feasted on a batch of carefully raised seedlings. But, over the years I have grown to appreciate that slugs and snails aren’t all bad.
Our Making Friends with Molluscs campaign kicked off yesterday, and aims to encourage gardeners to reconsider the role of these muchmaligned creatures in garden ecosystems. Their negative reputation isn’t deserved and is rather discriminatory – because out of around 150 species of UK slugs and snails only a small proportion pose problems for gardeners. Instead, most make a positive contribution and by learning to live side-by-side with our slow, slithering friends, gardeners can practise a more environmental friendly approach to gardening.
Whilst not quite in the same league as earthworms, slugs and snails do carry out several vital services in our gardens and on other green spaces.
They are a valuable member of nature’s ‘clean-up crew’; feeding on rotting plants, fungi, dung and even carrion. This helps keep out plots tidier and recycles nitrogen, other nutrients, and minerals back into soils.
Molluscs also serve as a key food supply for garden visitors such as hedgehogs, song thrushes and ground beetles. By being more accommodating of slugs, gardeners can indirectly support an array of other creatures.
Some slugs, including the leopard slug, also help keep other species of slug at bay – protecting our precious plants from damage.
In an effort to act as matchmakers between gardeners and molluscs, The
Wildlife Trusts and the RHS have developed five top tips.
■ Provide shelter: Create habitats for slugs and snails by leaving log piles, mulch, and natural debris in garden areas. This will make them less likely to venture on to your vegetable beds.
■ Plant selectively. Choose plants that slugs and snails are less attracted to or are better able to resist, such as lavender, rosemary and hardy geraniums.
■ Use barriers. Copper tape and wool pellets can provide some protection for vulnerable plants.
■ Handpick and monitor: Regularly inspect plants for signs of damage, and manually remove any molluscs you find – perhaps relocating them to your compost heap.
■ Encourage predators: Create a haven for natural predators such as ground beetles and song thrushes by providing long grass, log piles and wildlife-friendly ponds to encourage a more natural balance of species.
By adopting these tips, we hope people will be less likely to resort to pesticides. You’ll also be welcoming a host of other beneficial wildlife.
For more information on the benefits of slugs and snails,download a free copy of the Making Friends With Molluscs guide at wildaboutgardens. org.uk