Roses are particularly susceptible in the fall, as many continue to bloom. If not protected from slugs, these flowers can easily become damaged or fail to grow properly.
Slugs pose a significant problem in the fall due to their preference for rainy weather and the shelter provided by fallen leaves.
It’s vital to eliminate any slugs feasting on roses as they can slice open the shoots, preventing them from hardening and entering dormancy during winter. This increases the risk of frost damage, which can weaken the plant and hinder its ability to flower come spring. The news comes as gardener’s 10-second trick means you’ll never run out of garlic again.
Fortunately, Angelo, an expert from Deep Green Permaculture, has shared a simple solution to keep slugs at bay: sprinkle used coffee grounds around your garden.
Angelo stated: “Since caffeine is toxic to slugs and snails, it can be used as a barrier can deter them from crossing treated areas, and as a means of eliminating them after they come in contact with it.”, reports the Express.
Coffee grounds are acidic and abrasive, which can deter slugs by irritating their bodies and drying them out, making them less likely to crawl over it.
Caffeine is also known to affect slugs’ nervous system if they absorb it through their skin, and can damage or even kill them in high concentrations.
However, roses love coffee grounds as they can act as a natural fertilizer to give them a small boost of nitrogen, which will help keep their foliage healthy as it prepares for winter dormancy.
It will also attract earthworms that will aerate the soil, which can help keep roots healthy during the colder weather.
Using coffee grounds is a simple yet very effective way to keep slugs out of your garden as well as strengthen roses so they will grow bigger flowers once spring arrives next year.
How to use coffee grounds to stop slugs eating roses.
All you need to do is collect coffee grounds from your morning drink, or see if any local coffee shops give them to gardeners for free in your area.
It is incredibly important to only use leftover coffee grounds as they are quite potent, and need to be diluted in water before using them otherwise they can overfertilize the soil.
Then, simply mix one part coffee grounds with three parts water. Leave the solution to sit for at least 24 hours.
If you wish, you can then strain the coffee grounds out of the liquid as you just need the water to keep slugs away.
Pour the coffee-infused water into a watering can and then water the soil around rose plant or where you have spotted roses in the past. Apply after it has rained or every few weeks, and slugs should stop munching on your roses for the rest of the year.
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