Controlling Slugs With A Garlic Wash
Today I was planting some fresh strawberries…
I had received twenty five young strawberry plants sometime back, forced them a little in the greenhouse and planted them out today.
Before planting I laid down a weed suppressant material and when the plants were safely in the ground place a net on top of the fruit to keep the birds at bay. Don’t worry I’ve three redcurrant bushes uncovered and I’ve just planted ten sunflowers at different spots around my home - that should keep our feathered friends happy.
It was then I began to think about pest control – or rather snail and slug control and remembered a garlic solution I had heard about on the ‘BBC’s Gardener’s World’ that deterred slugs from hostas, claiming that up to 80 percent less pellets were used so I think I’ll going to give it a try on the strawberries to see what happens.
I should say I haven’t tried this solution before but here is the recipe anyway.
Take two bulbs of garlic – crush them.
Add the crushed garlic to two pints of water
Bring water to the boil and boil for about four minutes or until you get a powerful garlic smell
Strain the mixture and bring back up to two pints.
Let the mixture cool – bottle
How to use
Measure one tablespoonful of the mixture into one gallon of water and use to sprinkle over the leaves of the plant. Do this in the late afternoon so it will actually dry on the leaves – that’s it