Slugs and snails can be a real nuisance in the garden, but Monty Don has shared his top tips for keeping them under control without using harsh chemicals
Monty Don shares top ways to deter slugs and snails without harsh chemicals this spring(Image: Getty)
For countless gardeners, slugs and snails prove incredibly frustrating. From devouring seedlings to leaving slimy trails, it can seem like an endless struggle, particularly during the summer months. While a straightforward solution might be scattering pellets to eliminate them, this approach isn’t recommended by horticultural experts, including Monty Don.
In an April 2024 blog post, the gardening expert revealed how he manages them in his garden. Monty said: “Slugs and snails are widely regarded as the gardener’s public enemy number one, but they are superb at recycling waste vegetative matter, and do not discriminate between a fallen leaf and a delicious young seedling.
“Slugs live largely underground in the soil and like damp conditions.
“Snails live above ground and love dark nooks and crannies such as old brickwork or a nice dry yew hedge, as well as clustering around the base of containers.
“Although there are over 30 species of slug in the UK, there are four main garden ones, and the biggest do not necessarily do the most damage.
“What you see is actually a tiny percentage of the population, and slug activity and densities of over 250,000 per acre are common.”
So, what options does a gardener have to maintain control? Firstly, Monty cautioned against using any slug pellets or chemicals that might harm wildlife, reports the Express.
Slugs can be a nuisance in the garden(Image: Raj Kamal via Getty Images)
Instead, maintain a compact, slug-free cold frame or table where you can cultivate delicate young plants and inspect them daily for slugs.
Monty continued: “Do not feed plants more than is absolutely necessary and always feed the soil, not the plant.
“This will avoid a spurt of soft, sappy growth that slugs love. Without stressing them with sudden temperature or cultivation changes, grow your plants as ‘hard’ as possible, which means do not mollycoddle them.”
Additionally, the gardening specialist urges Brits to welcome a diverse array of predators into the garden.
Monty revealed that he has numerous thrushes, frogs, toads, beetles, centipedes, shrews and several hedgehogs to assist him in keeping slug populations under control.
He continued: “This needs plenty of cover, an avoidance of toxic chemicals, such as slug pellets, and a degree of tolerance for collateral damage.”
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