Slugs and snails are two of the most common garden pests that love to wreak havoc overnight, devastating cherished plants – but one woman has shared a way to keep them at bay
Slugs and snails reign as the notorious villains in our gardens, infamous for their stealthy night-time ambushes on our prized plants.
Yet the experts have waved the red flag concerning chemical pellets – they threaten our furry companions and can wreak subterranean havoc when washed into the soil, wiping out critical microorganisms that our greenery depends upon. However, reaching for familiar natural foes like salt or a dose of coffee could spell disaster for your dirt. But chin up – there’s a guilt-free, eco-friendly DIY solution thanks to Mrs Green, the sage of sustainability at Little Green Blog. She shared her garden-saving grace: “Luckily we’ve discovered our own natural, effective and safe remedy. It doesn’t use any toxic chemicals, so will not harm children or pets.”
“It doesn’t destroy the soil or the environment and it doesn’t play on our conscience too much as it doesn’t actually kill the slugs, it interferes with their breeding pattern. The less they can breed, the less slugs you have in your garden.”, reports the Express. Her secret arsenal against the slug siege? Neem oil. “Our wonder ingredient is neem oil. Extracted from the neem tree in India, it is a potent product containing azadirachtin a powerful insecticide.”
Neem oil heralds a new era of pest control; it protects the soil and its inhabitants while thwarting the reproductive cycle of these garden marauders, preserving the tranquillity of your verdant sanctuary. The oil has an “extremely bitter taste they hate that will irritate slugs” and makes plants less appealing to these pests, who will not want to feed on nearby leaves.
What you’ll need:
- Two tablespoons neem oil.
- One tablespoon liquid laundry detergent.
- One litre hot water.
Liquid laundry detergent contains surfactants which can stick to plant leaves, ensuring the neem oil stays in place longer. It also creates a slippery surface on the plant foliage, making it much trickier for slugs to get a grip.
Method:
- Combine the ingredients in an empty spray bottle, secure the nozzle, and shake the solution vigorously to mix it up.
- Mrs Green advised: “Really agitate the mixture vigorously until all the neem oil is dispersed into an emulsion.”
- Once you’ve got your solution, spray it onto the plants you’re looking to shield, but choose a clear sunny day for the job as rain can rinse the solution right off. Reapply after any rainfall or every couple of weeks during autumn, which is prime slug breeding time, and your greenery will be slug-free before you know it.
- Mrs Green added: “You can use it as often as you like with no ill effects, but we use it weekly or fortnightly while the seedlings are at their vulnerable stages. Once the plants are established, we stop using it.”
