It may not be the first thing you think to do but, it turns out, putting a towel in your garden could lead to saving your plants. At least, that’s what one gardening guru thinks. According to Glen, it could work wonders when it comes to protecting your plants from slugs and snails. Slugs can be around at any time of the year, but they’re more active during spring and autumn. Generally, they prefer the cool, moist conditions of spring and autumn, as they thrive on young plant growth and decaying matter.
This means they’re still around, so this simple trick could come in handy. Glen, who posts under the name Grow Den With Glen on TikTok, said placing a towel outside could be the answer to your outdoor woes.
He admitted there’s nothing more frustrating than putting the effort into planting your seeds, watching them grow and then seeing them get “devastated” by slugs and snails. But he said a rough old hand towel or tea towel could solve the problem.
Glen admitted the trick has worked “really well” for him in the past, and the slugs and snails appear to hate it. He said the towel gives an “element of warmth” to the roots of the young plants.
When watering, the water should drain through nicely, and slugs and snails “hate the feeling of it”. So, if you pop your seedlings on a towel, it could prove to be a huge help.
If you’re growing things like sweet peas, cucumber, melon and sweetcorn – he said you should see a “huge difference”. Young plants can also benefit from it too.
He said you could cut the towel into strips to make the most of the material, and it works as a humane way to keep the pests at bay. Who would have known an old towel would come in so handy?
It turns out you can learn something new every day, as towels, particularly tea towels, can act as a great natural barrier against slugs. The rough texture of the towel acts as a physical barrier, and this creates an uncomfortable texture for slugs to crawl over.
This method is often recommended as a way to protect plants, and prevent them from being eaten. It’s an easy way to keep slugs and snails away without using chemicals.
The video has been viewed hundreds of times since it was shared, and people are keen to try it. It’s a simple hack that anyone can try out.
If you’re looking to deter slugs in the garden, there are a few other methods you can try too. The key is to create physical barriers and to deter them with natural repllents, if possible.
You can also use beer traps to try and tempt them away from your plants. When it comes to creating barriers, slugs don’t like sharp or prickly materials, so using crushed eggshells, pine needles, sharp sand or bark chips could help.
Slugs can also be put off by copper tape or wire, as they don’t like the mild electric charge copper emits when it comes into contact with their slime. You can wrap copper tape or wire around pots or raised beds.
Slime barriers can also be effective. Some gardeners use slimy or greasy substances, such as petroleum jelly or WD-40, and put it around pots or seed trays.
If you’re looking for natural repellents, they don’t like the smell of coffee or garlic. Some people also say tea bags can help to keep them away too.