Slugs and snails tend to be a big nuisance in July, as it is now peak growing season, as gardens are now in full bloom, but there is one plant in particular that these pests go wild for. Slugs are drawn to areas that are an easy source of food and will keep returning to any garden that has plants with large, soft leaves they can feast on.
Carol Bartlett, a gardening expert with over 30 years of experience, also known as The Sunday Gardener, has shared that the worst plants to grow in gardens are hostas, as slugs love them. She said: “There is just one ‘but’ when growing Hostas, which is slugs and snails. They can be ferocious. It is a sad fact of gardening that some gardens are more troubled by slugs and snails than some other gardens.”
Hostas are beautiful plants known for their distinct foliage, which looks especially striking in autumn, but unfortunately, they can attract more slugs and snails to your garden.
These plants have tender, moisture-rich leaves and are known to grow low on the ground in shady areas, which makes them highly attractive to these pests.
Once slugs find a hosta, they will keep coming back, as these plants make your garden more appealing and provide ideal conditions for them to reproduce.
You should also be careful if you are growing strawberries, potatoes, beans or lettuce in your garden this summer, as slugs are also particularly fond of these crops due to their juicy foliage.
However, if you do have a hosta or leafy plants in your garden, then do not worry, as you can keep slugs away without having to spend ages digging them up.
The first thing you should do is check what type of hosta you have in your garden, as slugs are less likely to be attracted to big hostas since they have tougher leaves.
Carol said: “The varieties reputed to be more resistant to slugs are: the larger thicker thicker-leaved varieties such as Big Daddy, Gold Regal, Liberty, Halcyon, and Silvery Slugproof. This does work; I have planted the large blue-leaved varieties and suffered much less damage.”
If slugs keep coming back, then you can naturally keep them back by creating a barrier with crushed eggshells, as it will be too sharp and pointed for them to crawl across.
Slugs are also known to love beer due to the yeast in it, and it is a very popular gardener trick to make a trap that will kill them so they stop coming back for good.
Certain plants will attract slugs to your garden, but there are also plenty that will keep them away, such as lavender, as slugs hate its strong scent, as it can overwhelm them.
Hostas will make a garden more inviting to slugs, which can make controlling them a challenge, but with a few simple gardening techniques, it is possible to keep these pests away.