TV gardener David Domany has shared his top tips for keeping slugs and snails away from your garden – and you can “cleanse” them all up with one 35p kitchen item.
Slugs can be a threat to your garden (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
by
Rom Preston Ellis, Angela Patrone 17:12, July 17, 2024
Slugs and snails are the bane of every gardener and can wreak havoc on beloved plants.
These slimy pests are notoriously nocturnal, emerging under cover of darkness to devour greenery in your garden, and TV gardening guru David Domany recently appeared on ITV's This Morning to give us his top tips for keeping your garden safe from these pesky invaders.
David acknowledged that while slugs and snails “are certainly beneficial to your garden”, they can also cause great damage. He explained that dampness in the garden attracts these pests, so he advises: “Avoid watering late at night – water in the late afternoon so the sun can dry the ground out.”
Gardeners might be surprised to learn that the trails left by slugs and snails serve as a form of communication and navigation, reports the Express. To block slugs' and snails' trails back into your garden, David recommends using a spray bottle filled with a mixture of vinegar and water to “clean up the slugs.”
Vinegar spray is a popular natural pest repellent used indoors and outdoors and is effective at repelling slugs, but be sure to only spray it on slugs that have not yet reached your plants, as the acidity of the vinegar can harm them.
Not only is vinegar a common household item, it's also very affordable – white vinegar can be bought from Sainsbury's and Tesco for just 35p – and David said the traps are “pretty effective”. Gardening enthusiasts can buy purpose-built slug traps or use plastic containers.
To use this method, simply fill the soil with beer and bury it; the slugs or snails will fall into it, then you can release them safely. You can also use barriers to keep the slugs away, but David's favorite option is crushed eggshells, because “slugs don't like to crawl on eggshells because of their sharp texture.” Also, what slugs “hate” are plants with fragrant leaves. These plants include chives, onions, lavender, and rosemary.
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