Slugs Attack: Three Cheap Ways to Save Your Flowerbed
The flowerbed needs regular weeding and loosening of the soil
Slugs can ruin any flowerbed, but there is no need to immediately reach for chemicals. A Novosibirsk agronomist has listed three ways to get rid of the pest quickly and without extra expense. They can be used not only in the flowerbed but also in the vegetable garden.
Eggshells
The first method is mechanical. Slugs have no protection, so any sharp barrier will be insurmountable for them.
“You can crush eggshells and sprinkle them around the flowers. Conifer litter or coarse sand will also work,” listed Lyudmila Shubina, an agronomist and candidate of agricultural sciences.
Sweet traps
Take small rags and soak them generously in sweet compote or beer. Lay them out in the flowerbed in the evening. During the day, slugs hide. They will follow the scent of the shelters and gather under the rags.
“All that remains is to walk through the flowerbed at noon and collect the rags. Shake the slugs into a bucket of salt water. In the evening, lay out the fragrant bait again. That way, you will gradually get rid of the pest,” the specialist emphasized.
Wood ash
Another barrier option is wood ash. The pest cannot cross it without harming itself. Ash will also serve as an additional source of potassium for the plants.
The soil will need to be sprinkled after every rain. Ash can be replaced with mustard powder.
What else to read about flowers
Caring for hydrangeas: what to do if the leaves turn yellow and how to extend blooming.
The five most important things to do in the flowerbed in July — the list.
Earlier, a gardener explained how to care for phlox in August so they bloom until late autumn — three main principles.
