You could keep slugs and other pests out of your garden for as little as 55p.
If you’re growing plants in your garden, you’ll know how annoying pests can be. Slugs, snails, and some flies love nothing more than snacking on your freshly grown plants, damaging the delicate leaves and making your flowers work twice as hard to grow.
Slugs and snails predominantly come out in wet weather and are usually more active at night, which means it’s almost impossible to catch them in the act and remove them from your garden before they chomp at your greenery.
But there is something you can do to keep them away from your precious plants.
According to one novice gardener on TikTok, there’s a homemade repellant you can make that keeps all sorts of pests at bay – and it’ll only cost you 55p to put it into action.
Ellie describes herself as a “first-time gardener”, and said she was battling with flies and other insects that have been nibbling at her flowers and the vegetable plants she’s trying to grow.
But her father-in-law suggested she use garlic to combat the problem – and she’s been seeing fantastic results so far.
She said: “As suggested by my father-in-law, a cheap and eco-friendly way to repel these [pests] is actually to use garlic. Here you can see I’ve chopped up the garlic. You want to chop it into a very fine paste and put it into a spray bottle.
“Fill [the bottle] up with water and just spray it directly onto your plants. This will work for a number of pests such as flies and slugs, and you can use it on most plants as it’s very natural. It’s only garlic, but I have heard of people using lemon with it, too.”
According to Gardener’s World, garlic can be an effective way to deter slugs and snails from your garden. However, they state you must spray your plants regularly for it to be an effective alternative to harsh chemical repellants.
They state: “Take two full bulbs of garlic and add them to a saucepan containing two litres of water. Boil gently until soft and then use a fork to squash the bulbs down, releasing as much of the garlic and juice as possible.
“Pour the solution through a sieve to remove the skins. Then dilute this solution by adding 2 tablespoons to five litres of water. Spray or water your plants once a week or after rain.”
How to repel pests from your garden
Garlic sprays can effectively repel slugs and other pests, but there are alternative options. Mixing one tablespoon of washing-up liquid with water can help repel aphids and whiteflies, while one tablespoon of chilli powder can repel chewing insects.
You can also keep insects at bay by creating natural barriers around your plants. Floating row covers can prevent cabbage worms and beetles from reaching your crops, while organic mulch like straw or woodchips can deter pests and keep soil healthy.
Some plants can even help keep pests away. Marigolds deter whiteflies and aphids, basil repels flies, mosquitoes, and some beetles, and nasturtiums can keep away cabbage moths and aphids.