If you're looking for a way to deter snails from your garden, coffee may be the answer. While most gardeners focus on using chemicals to kill or repel pests, coffee is a natural, inexpensive alternative that can be just as effective.
They noticed that a 1-2% caffeine solution killed nearly all the slugs and snails within two days. Concentrations as low as 0.01% put the pests off their dinner. A cup of instant coffee contains about 0.05% caffeine, and brewed coffee has more.
Caffeine in large doses is said to be toxic to slugs, and in smaller doses it can slow them down. It has also been noted that the mere smell of coffee deters slugs and snails. In addition, others state that ingredients in the coffee grounds stimulate their mucus production. This would deter them from crawling over.
Pouring salt on a slug will kill it in a matter of seconds, however, it generally takes quite a bit of salt to do so. The salt kills the slug through osmosis – it draws water from inside the slug and rapidly dehydrates it.
Plants that slugs hate
As well as those with tough leaves or woody stems that they find difficult to chew. The robust lacy fronds of shade-loving ferns and thick leaves of Geranium, Bergenia (Elephant's ears) and Saxifraga × urbium (London pride) are all too thick for them to sink their teeth into.
Crushed Eggshells
The edges are sharp enough to hurt slugs should they decided to slide over them. So, when gardeners spread the eggshells around their beloved plants, the crushed shell pieces are to form a protective barrier that slugs and snails should know better than to cross.
A spray bottle filled with plain white vinegar is a great cure for slugs that aren't on plants. An extremely effective mollusk dissolver, vinegar is also an herbicide-so don't spritz the salvia. 15) Or Garlic. New research has shown that garlic kills slugs.
Baking soda sprinkled onto slugs will kill them. But a far more effective way to deal with slugs in your garden is by attracting birds and other creatures that will eat them.
Plant slug repelling plants
Astrantia gives off a scent that repels slugs and snails and so acts as a natural pesticide. Wormwood, rue, fennel, anise and rosemary all have the same effect.
Line your borders with upturned eggshells. The sharp edges will stop slugs sliding past as they don't like the feeling. Create a rough area around your plants with sand or gravel to make it harder for the slugs to reach the plants they have their hungry eyes on.
Undiluted cold coffee can be poured on the soil near the plant. Most plants can probably tolerate being sprayed directly with cold coffee. However, flowering plants should be excluded, as the coffee deters pollinators as well as slugs.
To make a 1% to 2% soil drench add 1-part water to 2-parts strong brewed coffee. For example, use 1 cup water to 2 cups of coffee. To reduce slug feeding on foliage, add 9-parts water to 1-part brewed coffee and apply as a spray.
Coffee grounds are rich in nutrients, especially nitrogen. They also have some amount of other nutrients like potassium and phosphorous. Overall, this means that adding coffee grounds to your garden can work fairly well as a fertiliser. Coffee should be spread in a thin layer, rather than being clumped in one place.
If what you want is to fertilize the land so that your plants grow better, then instant coffee is perfect for plants. Coffee contain a great source of nitrogen and minerals, which give its peculiar brown color and in ecological terms, coffee are considered a green composting material.
Nematodes are the best way to kill slugs naturally – simply water onto the soil around your plants and let them get to work. Salt kills slugs naturally, however, it takes a lot of salt and should not be applied near your plants.
Repel Pests Aphids, caterpillars, snails, slugs, and other plant eating creatures can be kept at bay by simply sprinkling some tea leaves into the soil. It is believed that this works because these creatures do not like the smell of the caffeine present in tea.
Spraying WD40 on the outside of pots or planters will make them too slippery for slugs to climb. This can be effective for pots and planters that sit on a path or patio, but should be kept away from soil or other plants.
Egg shells are a super effective option when you spread them as a barrier ring around plants. If you live near a beach, you can also use crushed up sea shells. Broken egg shells and sea shells have sharp edges that hurt snails and slugs as they try to crawl over them.
A reader has asked for ways to control these blighters, without having to resort to poison. Trish (Tauranga): "Make a small flat container out of tin foil and put three or four slices of cucumber on it. The cucumber and tin foil together seem to give off an unnoticed smell that slugs and snails don't like.
Slugs love citrus, so don't throw away your orange or lemon rinds. Instead put them in your garden to bait the slugs and snails away from your plants. In the morning, check your peels to see if any slugs or snails are on them, and remove these from your garden.
Does Epsom salt work for slugs? Yes, Epsom salt for slugs can deter slugs in the same way that regular table salt can.