Blog Two: Slug management in harmony with the environment

In permaculture we look for ways to maximise outputs with minimum inputs. Following the principles and ethics: Earth care, People share, Fair shares. 

One of the founders of Permaculture quoted “You don’t have an excess of slugs; you have a duck deficiency!” This implies that in fact, the problem is the solution. We may ask ourselves; what eats slugs?! Then, encourage the predators. Eg other wildlife; ducks, hedgehogs, amphibians and song birds. 

Instead of looking at the slugs as a problem and using poison (even salt, increases the problem as it affects other wildlife down the food chain) take a natural approach and use what is around you.  

We favour affordable, eco friendly choices. These are some of the methods to try: 

A wildlife pond 

Creating a pond to support a wildlife area in your garden encourages frogs and toads which may eat slugs.  

Trees in the surrounding area will encourage Songbirds inc Thrushes, which eat snails.  

Companion planting 

Plants are like friends and protect one another together.  

We successfully use marigolds, calendula, lavender and strong scented herbs eg. Mints, Lemon balm (Melissa), thyme, rosemary, basil, tarragon and sage. This way means that you’ll have a constant ready supply of fresh herbs during the summer and autumn at least, in addition. Using these colourful, fast growing and scented herbs to protect our fruit and vegetables seems to work well.  

Choosing a material that slugs or snails don’t like to cross may prevent them from gaining access to your precious crops. The barbed stems of bramble blackberry bushes draped around, or spiky teasel heads (potentially effective against spring disturbance by squirrels). 

Woodchip 

This may affect the nitrogen content of the soil but it works well in a mixed planting area, eg crops and ornamentals.  

The surface is dry, rocky and brittle, not ideal for a slug to travel on. Add a handful around plants or scatter freely across the topsoil of well composted and fertilised soil. Surround your plants with a protective barrier for maximum impact.  

Woodchip is basically the resulting pieces from a tree shredder or chipper. Branches, stems, twigs, bark and even rose bushes after being chipped into mini pieces, act as a barrier, also suppress water evaporation and weeds.  

Copper 

A Copper collar, as deployed by the kitchen gardeners on brassica plants.  

Copper tape wrapped and stuck firmly around the tops of pots and raised beds in a thick enough barrier may be useful, in addition to other methods.  

Others swear by sprinkling coffee grounds (used coffee left over from percolating) around the plants or ground Cinnamon. 

Make a homemade shield from disused plastic bottles or plastic pots 

• Cut the 1.5lt or larger bottle into segments, to allow space for burying into the soil. 4-5 inches is best.  

• Using scissors, cut slits at various intervals 1-2 cm apart, around the top edge but leave a band of at least 1 inch at the base. 

• Place this protective shield over the top of a young plant and push down around it to bury the base and keep it firm and stable during growth.  

• This shield should prevent damage due to the weight of snail or slug, would bend the plastic down.  

This method appears to work equally well with an upside down plastic plant pot, as a collar with strips cut down from bottom to top. Always leave the rim in tact, to bury into the soil.  

Finally, resort to relocation. 

Collection by hand 

Requires a bucket or container. Leave a few bricks or stone /wood around the area which attracts the slugs to lie beneath them. Enabling you to go around collect them into a bucket and dispose of far away! Picking them off your plants and disposing of them onto other plants is a temporary solution.  

Sow plentifully 

Grow enough other plants for at least some to survive for your consumption. Ie leave some for the wildlife ‘pests’ and trust there’s sufficient for us all as well.  

Hanging baskets 

Place your plants of reach!  

These take regular watering as otherwise they may go dry, but some tomatoes, strawberries and lettuce do well up in the air! Place a tray beneath to catch excess water draining out. 

Harvest 

Wash your harvest eg. lettuce leaves well (rinse 3x in salted /vinegar fresh water) and see if you spot any baby slugs.  

Author: Theresa Webb, Kitchen Buddy / Gardener at Reap London / Garden Lead at Forster community garden