Snails and slugs can destroy a garden in spring by eating newly established flowers or spreading fungal infections by leaving a slimy mucus trail on plants. However, you do not have to spend time handpicking snails or spend money on pricy pellets as there is a much easier way to get rid of these unwanted pests.
Morris Hankinson, a gardening expert and the director of Hopes Groves Nurseries has shared that a simple way to stop snails munching on plants is using garlic. He said: “Prevention rather than eradication is key. My favourite way to repel slugs and snails is a garlic water mix sprayed around the plants.”
It may seem bizarre, but snails will react to the sulphur in garlic, which has an extremely pungent smell that acts as a natural repellent.
Garlic’s components can be mildly toxic to slugs and snails, and its strong scent can also cause them great discomfort.
The smell will irritate slugs and snails and confuse them if it is near your garden plants, making them appear extremely unappetising.
This is a simple and eco-friendly way to repel unwanted pests such as snails without harming beneficial insects like bumblebees or butterflies.
How to make a snail repellant using garlic
To begin, place two bulbs of garlic in a large saucepan filled with water.
Cook the garlic for a few minutes until it is extremely tender. Once ready, switch off the heat and let the water cool down. Then, squeeze the juice out of the garlic and into the water.
Morris said: “Sieve the mixture so you have just the water which will be a little cloudy and store in a cool, dry place. When you want to use it, dilute two tablespoons in five litres of water and spray over your plants weekly.”
Garlic water can be extremely potent, and not diluting it can make it too intense for plants, leading to plant discolouration.
You only need a little garlic scent to drive the slugs away, so always mix it with water.
Water plants with garlic repellent once a week or after it has rained, and snails should stay away from your beloved plants.
It is best to apply this solution when the weather is much cooler in the early morning or evening, as this is when slugs tend to be most active.
