Gardeners may be able to keep slugs and other pests at bay using a common household item that costs absolutely nothing, it has been suggested. With a promising weather forecast pointing towards a scorching bank holiday weekend, many will be venturing into their gardens to care for their plants, but pests like slugs can represent a persistent problem.
However, those seeking to protect their plants could safeguard them with an old plant pot, suggested Richard, the green-fingered presenter of Sheffield Made Gardens and Sheffield Made Plants on YouTube. He offered the tip as part of a series highlighting why you should keep your old plant pots rather than discarding them. In his video, Richard observed that pests appeared to have gone on an "absolute rampage" this year, with his marigolds suffering.
He said: "This year, it seems like slugs and other pests have been on an absolute rampage. My marigolds over there have been eaten by something in the greenhouse. So, I need something to keep them at bay. And plastic pots are just the answer."
Richard explained that gardeners should grab a pot that fits over the plant, especially those susceptible to pests like marigolds. He then demonstrated using scissors to snip through the drainage hole and carefully cut around the base to create a protective "collar". He continued: "And then we can get in there and just cut the bottom off like so. Just go all the way around. Doesn't have to be too neat. And there you have it. So that has just created a nice collar that I can stick over my susceptible plants and just dig it into the soil a little bit, just so it protects them a bit better."
This follows BBC Gardeners' World icon Monty Don sharing his own advice for warding off what he says are often viewed as the gardeners' "public enemy number one". Speaking about slugs and snails in a blog post, he said: "But they are superb at recycling waste vegetative matter but do not discriminate between a fallen leaf and a delicious young seedling."
Monty noted that slugs — of which there are more than 30 species in the UK — largely live underground and flourish in damp conditions, while snails reside above ground, favouring "dark nooks and crannies". To tackle slugs, Monty advised: "Avoid slug pellets as they are chemicals that can harm other wildlife. Instead, have a small slug-free cold frame or tape where you can raise tender young plants and check for slugs daily. Do not feed plants any more than is absolutely necessary and always feed the soil, not the plant. This will avoid a spurt of soft, sappy growth that slugs love. Without stressing them with sudden temperatures or cultivation changes, grow your plants as hard as possible, which means do not mollycoddle them."
He also suggested encouraging a variety of predators into your garden, noting that he had everything from frogs to hedgehogs in his.
