Contents
Contents
The Bath Gardener, Neil Donovan, tells us why slugs aren't so bad for the garden
According to The RHS Slugs and snails come out near the top of the RHS Top Ten most enquired about pests every year.
Their devastating trails of eaten produce and plants in gardens had encouraged the use of pretty extensive control measures such as Slug pellets which can be harmful and in some cases fatal if eaten by your pet, toddler or any wildlife visiting your garden. Additionally using slug pellets introduces chemicals into the soils which may end up in your home grown produce.
Whilst slugs and snails may still be perceived as persistent pests by the RHS, they now recognise they are an important part of our gardens biodiversity and the planet’s ecosystem.
The Bath Gardener welcomes this change of perspective from the RHS as for many years we have been supporting and educating our clients on the importance of biodiversity within their gardens to create valuable wildlife ecosystems and safer gardens for families and pets.
Eco friendly gardening is increasingly valued by many gardeners and it was interesting at Chelsea flower show last year seeing the focus far less on design and greater attention on biodiversity-themed gardens including the use of weeds and bug housing to create micro ecosystems.
At The Bath Gardener we know first hand how frustrating and costly it is to have newly planted gardens devastated by these pesky molluscs and so we use a range of effective ethical non chemical methods. You can try a variety of the following methods...
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Mulching or egg shells around plants
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Copper tape, slug collars and metal fencing
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Incorporate a pond or bird table into your garden as frogs and birds love a juicy slug
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Planting tasty slug attracting plants such as cabbages and lettuces or delphiniums and hostas alongside prized plants
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Protect young plants under cloches
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Plant in containers and pots (with copper tape or wool pellets)
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Wool Pellets - form a protective barrier, are suitable for organic growers, stop slugs and snails in their tracks as well as forming a mulch that reduces moisture loss from the soil and reduces weed growth
