Common pests slugs and snails

The bane of every gardener's life
Time to do: spring

Slugs and snails love seedlings and tender young crops. Slugs decimate ground-level crops and emerging seedlings, while snails are also energetic climbers and will readily find their way into containers and pots. It is when plants are small and succulent that they are particularly vulnerable to slugs and snails. Once plants have reached a good size and are growing strongly and fruiting consistently, they can usually survive all but the worst slug attacks. The best ways to deal with these unwelcome visitors are either to use organically approved slug pellets little and often around crops, or to go on regular slug and snail hunts at dusk, disposing of them by whatever method you prefer. Some gardeners chop them up, drown them, or transport them some distance away. Beer traps are another popular choice, but do remember to empty them regularly. Copper rings or tape around pot rims are also very effective, giving snails a tiny electric shock when they pass over them.

TIP Use barriers such as grit. broken egg shells or manufactured slug gels and barriers to prevent slugs and snails getting to your crops.

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