If your garden is your pride and joy, you might be tired of those pesky snails and slugs that eat away at your plants.
But if you want to make it a problem of the past, you might want to listen up… because gardening experts are raving about a hack that costs 55p and claims to get rid of the pests for good.
A gardening expert recommends using cucumbers to get rid of pesky slugs and snails. Photo: Getty Images
Charlene Welch posted on the Facebook group Gardening On A Budget Official: “Slugs and snails are really bothering me this year.
“I tried coffee grounds and copper tape, but neither worked.
“Any advice would be appreciated, thank you!”
A foil tray with slices of cucumber, a smell they hate.
Gardening Expert
Luckily, Charlene had no shortage of suggestions, and other gardening enthusiasts were quick to share their tips in the comments section, with one common answer…cucumbers.
“Put cucumber slices on an aluminum foil tray – it has a smell they hate,” one gardening guru suggested.
“It's worth buying a packet of Bakewell Tarts – you can keep them for the whole summer.”
A second person commented: “Munching on cucumbers makes me full.”
And a third added: “Put some cucumber slices on some tinfoil and google it, it worked for me!”
So how exactly does the 55p vegetable work to repel garden pests?
According to one gardening expert known as the “Green Goddess,” cucumber skin contains curvitasin.
She explains: “When the chemical comes into contact with aluminium it reacts and releases an odour that is imperceptible to humans but which makes slugs and snails run from the area like crazy.”
Slugs were plaguing my garden and devouring my plants but I discovered the easiest way to get rid of them at just £1. It's that easy
Another popular answer among hundreds of responses was garlic.
“Mix garlic with 750ml water, leave overnight, strain into a jug the next morning and pour into a spray bottle. The smell is intense but they really hate it,” one person wrote.
“There are no vampires within a mile.”
She further recommends: “Spray with garlic water, crush some garlic, add boiling water, leave overnight and strain into a jar.”
Meanwhile, another person explained: “Just put a few crushed garlic cloves in some water and sprinkle it around your garden.”
Daniel Skolfield of Expertgate also recommends the 21p method, saying: “Homemade garlic spray can be a more effective repellent than slug-killing insecticides, but only if used regularly.”
Comedian Tom Allen swears by using garlic as a slug repellent.
In fact, he likes to grow his own “garlic squash” and water the plant every night.
Why having slugs in your garden is a good thing
Sure, they will devour your precious plants, but having slugs in your garden can be a joy.
Rebecca Miller, deputy editor of Fabulous magazine and novice gardener, believes you should learn to live with slugs rather than trying to eradicate them completely.
“As a society, we've been conditioned to believe that we need perfect gardens with straight edges, short grass with neat stripes, and flowers constantly blooming.
But untidy hedgerows, an abundance of tall, insect-infested wildflowers, and insects and slugs swarming in flower beds are entirely natural and necessary.
We understand that plants are very important to you, but we need slugs and snails – they provide food for all kinds of mammals, birds, slow worms, earthworms and insects and are part of the balance of nature.
Removing these would disrupt the ecosystem and could cause great harm, especially to thrushes, which feed and breed on them.
It's estimated that UK gardeners use around 650 billion slug repellents a year. Find natural alternatives. Toxins from slug repellents can enter the food chain and kill hedgehogs, who consider slugs and snails a tasty treat.
If you're really stuck, consider using diatomaceous earth, a natural compound approved for organic use that can be used to control pests.
While you're there, try your hand at growing a “sacrificial plant.”
Sacrificial planting, commonly known as trap planting, is the practice of intentionally growing plants to attract pests. By selecting vegetable or ornamental plants for slugs to nibble at, they will avoid your more valuable plants.”
