Slugs are arguably the garden pest that drives people to absolute despair. They lurk out of sight during daylight hours, and under the cover of darkness, while we slumber, they creep out and devour carefully tended vegetables and even flowers. Slugs remain active throughout much of the year but pose a particular threat in spring, when an abundance of young growth provides ample feeding. Moreover, given the recent prolonged wet weather, gardeners may notice considerably more slug activity than usual.
However, gardeners needn’t simply stand by and allow these slimy nuisances to ruin their cherished plants; it’s time to take action. According to two gardening experts, the secret to keeping slugs at bay lies in laying down wool, specifically sheep’s wool.
Their to use of the wool is its “great” capacity to “repel” slugs and snails from gardens.
They said: “It [the wool] stops slugs and snails, and as it rots down, it releases nitrogen into the soil so it feeds your plants as well.”
Since slugs travel on their own slime, extremely dry surfaces prove troublesome for them to navigate, and wool ranks amongst such materials.
Sheep wool retailers at Chimney Sheep also championed the use of wool to deter slugs. They said, “Slugs hate wool, which makes it the perfect natural slug repellent.
“They hate the texture and the prickly surface, which means they steer clear. So, barricade your most vulnerable plants with wool.” They also highlighted that the great advantage of using wool is that it actually “benefits your plants in lots of other ways too”.
The experts elaborated: “It adds lots of nutrients to the soil as it composts down and has excellent moisture-retaining properties, and the wool shield also deprives weeds of light, so it helps to keep those at bay too.”
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