As the weather warms up, many Britons are tending to their gardens. However, BBC presenter and gardening expert Monty Don has issued an urgent warning: feeding plants incorrectly can cause severe damage, particularly by attracting slugs.
In his blog, Don advises gardeners not to feed plants any more than necessary and always feed the soil rather than the plant. This avoids a spurt of soft, sappy growth that slugs love. He stresses growing plants as 'hard' as possible without mollycoddling them.
Other tips include using a cold frame to keep slugs at bay, or growing plants in boxes on a table out of reach of the slimy creatures. Don also warns against using chemicals like slug pellets, as they risk harming other wildlife.
Instead, he recommends encouraging natural predators such as hedgehogs, thrushes, frogs and shrews to help control slug numbers. With up to 20,000 slugs and snails potentially in a garden, these measures are crucial for protecting plants.
