Snails are a common nuisance in gardens, luckily there are natural ways to keep them away. Find out how to help you get rid of snails and keep your garden healthy.
Spring is coming, and with it gardening season. It is a relaxing activity that many of us enjoy. However, there are times when this task becomes frustrating due to slugs attacking the plants. But, there is an easy way to get rid of them in the garden. Find out which one!
Snail on plant – Source: spm
Snails can cause considerable damage in the garden. They attack all plants and their insatiable appetite for leaves can decimate an entire garden. Snails have a thing for greenery, which is why it’s often the healthiest plants that are the most vulnerable to their invasions. Fortunately, there is a simple solution to drive these intruders out of your garden. Planting some flowers will effectively scare away snails and slugs and you can enjoy your beautiful garden.
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Why are there so many snails in my garden?
Gardens and lawns are particularly attractive to snails and slugs because they are often irrigated or watered on a regular basis. In addition to this, the gardens provide them with plenty of shelter from the sun and wind which can dry them out, as well as a wide variety of leaves and young shoots which are often their favourites. Even during periods of light rain in some areas, these intruders take advantage of the moisture in well-kept gardens and lawns.
During sunny days and hot summer months, snails and slugs hide in cool, damp corners and come out at night or on cloudy or foggy days. You can find them in or around your garden, cosily and moistly under dense groundcovers, neglected undergrowth, leafy debris, abandoned boards, and similar objects. By eliminating these hiding places, using drip irrigation instead of overhead irrigation, and planting drought-tolerant plants that require less water, you can make your landscape less attractive to these pests.
What flowers keep snails away?
Nasturtium
The nasturtium is a popular garden flower with many uses. It is used in cooking, medicine and cosmetics. For gardeners, the nasturtium has an important application: it acts as a natural repellent against snails. This is due to its specific smell that these pests do not support. However, what most discourages snails is the bitter taste of its leaves. The low requirements and easy growing of nasturtiums make them an excellent choice for any garden.
Lavender
Narrow-leaved lavender is not liked by snails because of the unpleasant coating of its leaves. The delicate hairs with which they are covered effectively discourage pests from consuming them. The intense aroma of this plant also deters them. In addition to snails, lavender acts as a repellent against ants and aphids. It is worth planting it near plants susceptible to attack by these pests. In addition, lavender is a beautiful and undemanding plant that will wonderfully decorate the garden.
panicle flower
Otherwise known as ‘phlox’, it is a fragrant plant that develops lush white, pink or purple flowers in summer. Phloxes attract butterflies and other beneficial insects while repelling pests such as snails and slugs. These pests also dislike the structure and taste of its leaves.
Lilies
Lilies are popular garden flowers that require little maintenance and beautifully decorate the garden. It grows very quickly and does not require replanting, making it a plant that can grow for up to 30 years in one place. The daylily is an effective barrier against snails thanks to its lush leaves. They are narrow, long and grassy, forming dense clumps that repel these pests.
Sedum
Sedum is also not a demanding garden flower. It has great resistance to frost, drought, disease and all pests. Its thick and fleshy leaves are not edible for snails which therefore avoid them. Sedums perfectly decorate garden rock gardens, and you can create interesting decorative compositions from them.
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Removing a snail from a plant – Source: spm
Other natural tricks to scare away snails
Besides plants in the garden to get rid of snails, there are some home tricks that will also help you:
- The ashes : The ashes are a natural repellent for slugs and snails. Place the ashes around the perimeter of the pot so that when they enter through the wall of the pot they meet this ash surface. As the snails do not like it they will eventually leave.
- Egg shells : Sharp surfaces, such as eggshells, are good repellents. Once crushed, spread them on the surface of the plants.
- Lettuce or celery: you can put small lettuce or celery traps. Instead of attacking the plant, the snails will eat the lettuce.
- Garlic : prepare a maceration with 4 crushed cloves of garlic per liter of boiling water. Leave to act for 12 hours, filter and dilute with 1 liter of water then spray on affected crops.
- Use drip irrigation: snails and slugs love moisture. If you use the drip irrigation method, the plants won’t get that moisture that other types of irrigation cause, and the shellfish will go to other areas in search of moisture. It is also very useful to water in the morning rather than in the evening.
- Slug and snail traps: to provide shelter and be able to catch them, we can put tiles, stones, branches, bowls or other similar objects where slugs and snails can shelter during the day. This will make it easier to locate and eliminate them manually.
- Shady and damp places in the vegetable patch and garden: slugs and snails like to take refuge in shady and damp places, and they choose them to lay their eggs. Keep areas with these characteristics under observation, especially during times of greatest activity for these molluscs.
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