Gardener's 90p homemade spray that stops slugs invading your garden
Gardeners are being advised to make a homemade garlic spray to stop pesky slugs and snails from munching on plants - and it also helps to keep roses blooming time and time again
Slugs and snails might be slow and gooey critters, but don't let that fool you – their appetites are anything but slow.
Your garden is an all-you-can-eat buffet for these ravenous little beasties, who gobble up plants, leaves and flowers in their constant quest for grub. These sneaky molluscs tend to shy away from daylight dining, preferring instead the cool of night to chow down on the fresh young sprouts ahead of spring.
With the current mild and moist weather, these slithery intruders won't be snoozing in hibernation anytime soon. Gardening pro Karen Gimson, who's pruned and preened as a landscaper and head gardener for over two decades, has shared her wisdom on combating these munching marauders.
It turns out, slugs can't stand allicin – the very chemical that gives garlic its punch – which acts as a natural deterrent. Karen revealed: "It deters slugs, but does not poison them. This means the slugs are left available as food for birds and mammals such as hedgehogs."
She swears by a "tried and tested" homemade garlic spray to keep the pests at bay. This secret formula she's been using isn't just effective; it comes straight from Sienna Hosta, an award-winning nursery known for shunning chemical treatments, reports the Express.
Plus, with garlic bulbs only setting you back about 90p at the supermarket, this DIY defence isn't just wildlife-friendly and non-toxic to pets – it's a proper bargain too. To whip up your own batch of this slug-repelling concoction, you'll need the following:
As well as being an effective and budget-friendly solution to deter slugs, Karen said: "I've found it also deters aphids and is good for spraying roses."
To try the hack for yourself, follow these simple steps: Combine the garlic and water in a pot and place it on a medium heat on the stovetop. Boil the garlic until it's soft, then mash it with a fork to extract as much juice as possible.
Strain the mixture to remove the skins, leaving behind a cloudy liquid. Transfer some of the solution to a spray bottle or watering can and then spritz the mixture on your plants and around your garden once a week.
Applying after rainfall brings the best results. If the weather is rainy and damp, you'll need to increase the dosage of the mixture and apply it more frequently.
Karen recommends: "You'll need to repeat the treatment regularly, especially after rain. I put my mixture in a three-litre Hozelock sprayer and leave it in the potting shed ready to treat them."