Monty Don has shared three simple ways to ensure your garden stays free of the ‘destructive’ slugs and snails that are invading the UK.
Speaking to BBC Gardener’s World MagazineThe nation’s favourite horticulturist said slugs were “invaluable” and kept his garden healthy.
However, many gardeners view them as “pests” and adding simple measures to keep them away can help ensure your garden stays healthy.
‘I know that many gardeners consider slugs and snails to be destructive pests with no positive characteristics, but in fact, they are an invaluable part of the recycling system that maintains a healthy garden.
“They feed on decaying material and return it, digested, to the soil, increasing the organic content and making it more accessible for further digestion by bacteria. That’s why we need them.”
Popular gardening expert Monty Don (pictured) has shared tips on how to save your garden from slugs and snails.
First of all, Monty, who also talked about the gardening jobs you should do in July, said that the best step is to grow healthy plants.
He explained that slugs and snails are more likely to attack weaker plants first and are more likely to eat a “rotten leaf” than a “young, succulent lettuce.”
He suggested letting your plants grow up to be as ‘tough’ as possible to avoid this, i.e. don’t overfeed or ‘pamper’ them.
Other ways to damage plants include improper handling and transplanting, as well as over- or under-watering. The weather can also have a detrimental effect on plants and cause some damage.
According to Monty, you should avoid overfeeding your plants. You should consider fertilizer as a supplement rather than the mainstay of your plants’ diet, and only use soil or potting soil.
“This will prevent the formation of a shoot of soft, sappy leaves that slugs love,” Monty explained.Your plants should be strong and able to withstand adversity, but not get sick or weak.
Her second tip is to “foster” and “maintain” a healthy and balanced ecosystem in your garden.
Monty says he has achieved this by encouraging “masses” of creatures into his garden, including animals that eat slugs and snails, such as frogs, toads, centipedes, beetles and thrushes.
Many gardeners across the UK are finding lots of slugs (pictured) and snails in their gardens at the moment.
It’s worth noting that if you want to attract these creatures to your garden, you should avoid using toxic chemicals, including slug pellets, and make sure you have plenty of cover.
Another thing to keep in mind about this tip, according to Monty, is that your garden may suffer some “collateral damage” from the other critters.
His final tip is very simple and requires very little more than a small amount of your time.
You just need to make sure that you have a specific area in your garden that you check every day, to make sure it is “more or less” free of snails and slugs.
This area, Monty added, should be used for young plants and those that may be less robust and need supervision.