Snails are not picky when it comes to plants, but there’s more than one natural way to deter them – and the good news is you probably already have the ingredients at home
If you’ve noticed sneaky snails munching on your garden plants then you’ll be glad to know experts have revealed one fool-proof way to keep them at bay.
As we come into spring and the days become just that bit brighter, more of us are spending time in our gardens. In fact, according to the Royal Horticultural Society, 30 million Brits will be doing a spot of gardening in 2025. Aside from getting you outdoors, it comes with the added benefit of improving the look of your garden. Popular plants to grow in the UK include flowers like roses and hydrangeas. Many of us also like to cultivate fruit and veg, such as lettuce, radishes and strawberries. Growing your own fruit and veg can help you save money. Plus, it also allows you to avoid ingesting the kinds of nasty pesticides typically used on supermarket produce.
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The one problem? Snails tend to come out in full force during spring, particularly as they enjoy the cool, damp weather, as well as the blooming vegetation. Snails are omnivorous and have evolved to eat just about everything. They enjoy nibbling away at worms, rotting veg, animal waste and even cannibalising other snails. They’re also massive fans of fresh produce like mushrooms, lettuce leaves and berries. Equally, they enjoy soft, green leaves and young plants that haven’t fully grown yet.
Aside from wrecking your garden, there are other reasons you might want to deter a snail infestation. They can attract unwanted predators like black ground beetles, which will also cause problems in your home. They also tend to leave a slimy residue behind them, known as a ‘snail trail’. This isn’t just unsightly – it can lead to fungal infections in plants. Of course, they’re not all bad. Since snails feed on dead produce, they are an important part of the decomposition process and help recycle much-needed nutrients into the soil.
So, how do you get rid of them in a safe way? While it can be tempting to use snail pellets, these can be damaging to the environment and also unintentionally cause harm to other wildlife. Instead, an expert recommends using garlic. A kitchen staple credited with warding of vampires, the strong-smelling herb is actually great at repelling snails.
Morris Hankinson, a gardening expert and the director of Hopes Groves Nurseries advised: “Prevention rather than eradication is key. My favourite way to repel slugs and snails is a garlic water mix sprayed around the plants.” This is because garlic contains allicin, a compound that irritates their mucous membranes. You likely already have garlic lying around in your cupboard. However, if not, this incredibly cheap and versatile ingredient can be picked up at Sainsbury’s for just 24p.