Get on the trail of those pesky snails
SLUGS and snails are considered by many to be the gardener’s public enemy number one. The mere mention of this deadly duo is enough to strike fear into the heart of the most rational grower, and it’s a reaction that’s easy to understand, given that the slimy pests have a huge appetite for the leaves, stems, flowers and fruits of many plants.
Over the years, I’ve met gardeners who have been pushed to their limits by these gluttonous critters. Some even stop growing certain plants because they get so distressed at seeing them gnawed to pieces. If that sounds like you, don’t give up. It’s time to make a stand and reclaim your garden.
There are lots of ways to prevent plants from being ravaged. You can put down barriers, trap the pests or use a direct method of attack. Attracting beneficial creatures into your plot will help keep numbers down, and those with vulnerable gardens could grow plants slugs and snails are less likely to eat.
Both slugs and snails are gastropods, invertebrates within the mollusc family. Snails live above ground, in places like cracks and leaf litter, while 95 per cent of slugs reside underground, moving upwards at night or in overcast weather. It’s estimated that there are a whopping 200 slugs in every cubic metre of soil.
They have a rasping tongue that works like a file, creating large, irregular holes in leaves.
Damage can sometimes be confused with that of caterpillars or other chewing pests, but slugs and snails will often leave a trail of silvery slime behind. Snails are great climbers and can inflict harm high above ground.
Over the past 70 years, many gardeners have stocked up at the start of the growing season on slug pellets containing metaldehyde, scattering them around plants as a defensive measure. Back in April, the Government banned their sale and use due to the risks metaldehyde poses to the environment and to wildlife.
A good alternative to the outlawed pellets are those containing ferric phosphate, which are certified for organic gardening.
Rather than dumping them in piles or sprinkling liberally, it’s best to space pellets about 2in apart. As a bonus, any pellets left by the pests will release iron into the soil as they decompose.
Some gardeners like to put a protective ring around plants, using coffee grounds, broken eggshells
They will chomp and chew your favourite plants...but there are wildlife-friendly ways to reclaim your plot
and other household items, or by buying barrier products, such as wool pellets. I’ve met people who swear by barriers, but in a recent test, the Royal Horticultural Society found that most made little difference to the damage sustained by plants.
Sadly, plants in containers are just as susceptible to attack as those in the ground. A popular way of deterring the pests is to encircle the pot, trough or raised bed with a band of serrated barrier tape – made from copper, it emits a tiny charge of static electricity if they try to cross, resulting in them making a U-turn.
Organic gardeners have long used beer traps to lure slugs away from vulnerable plants. Consisting of shallow containers filled with beer, the traps are best set every 3ft or so. On their nocturnal adventures, slugs are attracted to the smell of yeast in the beer, fall into the container and can be disposed of in the morning.
Purpose-built traps are available from retailers, but it’s easy to make your own by recycling margarine cartons or yogurt pots. Sink the container into the ground, making sure the rim is above the surface to prevent beetles and other beneficial creatures falling in.
In recent years, I’ve tackled slugs head-on with Nemaslug, a biological control containing microscopic, slug-killing worms known as nematodes. Available online, sachets containing thousands of the predators are mixed with water and sprinkled over the soil. A single application will last up to six weeks.
Apart from the above measures, it’s a good idea to make your garden more wildlife-friendly – and a pond, the right plants and a few habitats will attract helpful beasts that eat slugs and snails.
For example, hedgehogs, frogs and toads devour slugs, while thrushes will crack open snail shells to extract their soft bodies.
Finally, stop the heartbreak of seeing cherished plants being reduced to lace doilies by introducing more slug-proof plants to beds and borders.
Plants that have tough, hairy or bitter-flavoured leaves tend to be left alone by the pests, including euphorbias, ferns, lavenders, penstemons, roses, fuchsias and hardy geraniums.
Of course, hostas are famed for being martyrs to slugs and snails. None of these leafy perennials is slug- or snail-proof, but some are more resistant to attack.
Those with thick leaves or coated in a shiny, waxy layer tend to remain unharmed, along with varieties that have blue leaves or a heavily corrugated surface.