AIBU to stop slugs and snail eating our plants using no chemicals?

[Sausageheadset]

Any tried and tested success stories?

Nemaslug is what you need, once a month.

Nematodes work but slowly and I looked at the price of them thus year- £20! I only have a small garden so I know it's not worth it really. Ugh. We are overrun with them too. My rhubarb didn't stand a chance

Beer traps....a little beer in a jam jar with some water so they fall in and drown. Apparently it’s the yeast they love.

If you have the stomach for it you can make your own nematodes. You have to catch the slugs and leave them in water to break down, then strain it and bingo, your own nemaslug mix. The only difference is that the bought stuff is dry.

Go out at night with a torch, catch them and release them far far away from your garden

Yes, go out once the sun has set and grab them all then.

Also keep your garden as clear as you can. Leave as few places for them to hide as possible. Long term, especially in the winter, look out for places that slugs will lay eggs - eg within old bags of compost, under any rocks etc and turn them over.
But for us, nematodes were the best.

I won't usee chemicals in the garden anymore. Trying my best to be hedgehog friendly.So I go out 'slug bucketing' at twilight .Literally picking them off -wearing rubber gloves naturally! - and putting them in a bucket of water.And although it's been hot and dry I've just noticed some holes nibbled in some new plants so have so put 3 beer traps in my large border.That catches a fair few,if you remember to top them up.

I have given up and only plant things that snails don't like eating!!

Beer traps

Chickens!

The chickens will, of course, destroy most of the plants, but there won’t be any slugs or snails.

Copper tape is supposed to work - no idea if it does though

I just don't grow anything that's too attractive to them tbh. Delphiniums and lupins would be impossible in my garden.

I do have a pond and so masses of frogs which helps I think.

Lots of ideas here.

www.cat.org.uk/ihateslugs/btshomepage.tmpl
Including going outside at night and cutting them in half with scissors. Not sure I could do that.

We put copper tape round the plant pots, that deterred them.

I've learned to grow plants they don't eat.
Trees. Daffs, lavender, tulips all colours, London Pride, Snow in Summer, Aubretia, Poppies, mint, Buddleia, primroses.
I sprinkle diatomaceous earth around young plants where bees etc. don't go and it seems to lessen the onslaught.
I keep meaning to get nematodes but the weather can be too cold and kill them off before they have chance to work.

Copper tape on pots, definitely.

Normally my winter pots of pansies are decimated by our slippery foe and reduced to stumps.

I put the tape on in autumn, and this winter the pansies have been beautiful.

If you have the stomach for it you can make your own nematodes. You have to catch the slugs and leave them in water to break down, then strain it and bingo, your own nemaslug mix. So are you saying that the nematodes in nemaslug are present in the soil, and that buy allowing slugs to rot down in water, the nematodes feed and breed until you have a useable quantity?

I've never found the copper tape works. I have used beer traps with some success.

The best things I've found are sending OH out to do a nightly check with a torch, and covering some surfaces (greenhouse floor, veg patch floor) with gravel or slate chips - the slugs don't seem to like going over those. Also I put most of my beds as raised - this also seems to help.

Hi - I've some hostas which the slugs love and was advised to water them with garlic water. Just put a few cloves in a watering can to soak overnight and then water the plants.

Also as others have said look under the pots and in corners - I pick them up and then dump on some waste ground away from the houses.

Really interested in the DIY nematodes - please tell us more.

Never mind eating plants. The bastards are at my back door at night and I have a meltdown when the dog wants to go out.
Personally I'd incinerate slugs

Copper tape on pots, definitely.
Well it does work but unfortunately when we used it the magpies stole it

We also tried going out at night to catch them but it is a never ending job. Miss one night and there are just as many all over again.

I had some success by simply going out each evening and picking the bastard snails off the hostas. It was disgusting, and no doubt cruel, but I used to put them into an empty milk carton, then put the lid back on to suffocate them. not envy.

Now, I am lucky enough to have a couple of hedgehogs in the garden, and rarely see snails or slugs!

Vaseline around tho tops of pots worked quite well for us.

Do NOT salt the bastards, they melt....

I saw a frog in my front garden this evening. Hopefully on a slug hunt. How do I attract hedgehogs 🤔