As the weather warms up, many people will be spending more time in their gardens – but it’s important to keep an eye out for slugs, which can cause a lot of damage to plants and flower beds
Slugs can cause damage to garden plants and vegetables (stock image)(Image: Dennis Sandig via Getty Images)
A gardener has revealed his “best method” for deterring slugs – and surprisingly, it doesn’t involve eggshells or bark. With lighter evenings and milder weather now here for the foreseeable future, many people are eager to smarten up their gardens and make the most of their outdoor spaces.
Flowerbeds and plants can quickly become infested with slugs, resulting in considerable damage. Tell-tale signs include ragged, irregular holes in leaves, decimated seedlings, or foliage covered in slime-trails that can destroy new growth overnight.
Slugs thrive in damp conditions and are particularly attracted to root vegetables and potato tubers, which they burrow into – but gardening expert Simon Akeroyd may have the answer.
The professional gardener boasts over 25 years of experience and, like many specialists, shares his expertise on social media.
In a recent TikTok video, Simon suggested using sheep’s wool to repel slugs. He explained: “Best method of controlling slugs – I find this is the most effective way of reducing slug damage.
“Next time you’re on a walk in the countryside (this is near me on Dartmoor), you’ll often find loads of sheep’s wool attached to barbed wire, branches, etc.
“Collect as much as you can – slugs don’t like moving over the uncomfortable, dry, fibrous material – place the sheep’s wool around plants in pots.”
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He went on: “Sheep’s wool is also a great mulch – it retains moisture and suppresses weeds. Also, place wool along the rows of veggies. I find many slugs don’t like to cross the wool. It’s not 100% protection but it does seem to reduce damage.”
Simon wrapped up the video by urging viewers to “enjoy” searching for wool while out on a countryside walk.
In the comments section, fellow TikTok users were eager to share their reactions. One person said: “Yes! I’m doing this with the echinacea I transplanted from pot to soil. I was horrified at the first night’s slug attack. It is working, though I have to rearrange it regularly as something moves it about at night.”
Another said: “I keep learning so much about plants and gardening from this account, it’s insane.” While a third simply said: “Brilliant.”
Someone else commented: “You’re fabulous, wish we could be neighbours.”
However, one person shared: “We put coffee grounds down as it was said that they don’t like crawling over that… they did.”
Another asked: “What about dog hair? Silly question I know but my long haired [German shepherd] hair would come in handy lol.”
The expert replied: “Yes, I use my dog’s fur clippings. Just make sure they haven’t had a recent flea treatment.”
Simon’s latest gardening book, Way to Grow, was published on April 9. In it, the seasoned gardener outlines “100 of [his] top tips to help you save time and money and have fun while growing plants”.
Designed for everyone from novices to “more experienced growers”, the guide covers a wealth of handy hints, including how to reuse and repurpose coffee grounds and “old tights”, alongside ideas to “water pots with lengths of string”, fashion a watering can from a milk carton, and nourish plants using banana skins.
Potato enthusiasts can grow their spuds in “a tower built from chicken wire”, while plant lovers can discover how to “grow a cactus from supermarket fruit”, among a host of other tips.
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