Gardeners are being urged to put garlic in their watering cans every week until October to help banish slugs. The advice comes as rain is forecast for parts of the UK, which could bring slugs and snails back to prized plants after recent heatwaves kept them at bay.
Why garlic works against slugs
Many common slug deterrents are ineffective, according to garden experts. Beer traps actually attract more slugs, eggshells feed them, slug pellets harm other wildlife, and copper tape wears away and is often too weak. Garlic, however, does keep slugs at bay.
One garden expert who has appeared on BBC Gardeners' World shared a recipe on the Sienna Hosta Blog. They wrote: "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."
How to make and use garlic wash
The expert advises putting two full bulbs of garlic in two litres of water in a saucepan, boiling until soft, and squashing to release the juice. After sieving out the skins, dilute two tablespoons of the liquid in five litres of water in a watering can or sprayer. Apply the mixture to plants once a week from February to October, with higher doses and more frequent applications in wet weather.
New Forest Hostas supports this method, recommending spraying plants every 7-10 days or after heavy rainfall. Their recipe involves crushing two whole garlic bulbs, boiling them in two pints of water for 10-15 minutes, straining the liquid, and diluting 1-2 tablespoons of concentrate in eight pints of water for a garden sprayer. They note the mixture produces a pungent smell, so it may be best to prepare it outdoors.
