Gardeners are being urged to put garlic in their watering cans each week until October to help banish slugs, according to garden experts.
Slugs and snails can damage plants, chewing through fruit and vegetable crops and razing anything green. Recent heatwaves have kept these pests at bay, but with rain expected in parts of the UK over the coming weeks, they could still threaten prized plants.
Why garlic works as a slug deterrent
Many common slug remedies are ineffective: beer traps can attract more slugs, eggshells may feed them, slug pellets harm other wildlife, and copper tape wears away and is often too weak. Garlic, however, does keep slugs at bay, according to garden experts.
One garden expert who appeared on BBC Gardeners' World shared how it works on the Sienna Hosta Blog. The blog states: "As seen during our appearance on BBC Gardeners World we use garlic wash as a slug deterrent on the nursery. Please find below the recipe that we use and find very effective. The quantities aren't exact and you can always alter them as you wish."
Recipes for garlic wash
The Sienna Hosta Blog recommends putting two full bulbs of garlic in two litres of water in a saucepan. Boil until soft, then squash to release as much garlic juice as possible. Sieve out the skins and dilute two tablespoons of the liquid in five litres of water in a watering can or sprayer. Spray or water plants once a week from February to October, adding that "high dosage and more regular applications may be needed in wet weather."
New Forest Hostas backs this up, advising: "During the season you should try and spray your plants every seven to 10 days or after heavy rainfall. Remember that the more consistent you are the better effect it will have." They also suggest going out into the garden an hour or so after dark to find the culprits.
Their recipe involves taking two whole bulbs of garlic, crushing and placing them in a saucepan with two pints of water, boiling for around 10-15 minutes. They note the process produces a pungent smell, so it may be best done outside on a camping stove or similar. Once cooled, strain the liquid into a plastic bottle for a concentrated mixture. To dilute, use one to two tablespoons of concentrate in eight pints of water, place in a garden sprayer, and cover plant foliage with the mixture.
