At this time of year, slugs and snails can become a real problem for gardeners. Though they live in our gardens all year round, they tend to hide in dark, damp places during the heat of summer, so they do the most damage over winter as they venture out further.
There are around 1400 varieties of slugs and snails in New Zealand, including 30-odd native species of slugs, which eat algae, fungi, and tiny organisms that live on plants.
Most of the slugs and snails that eat your garden are not native. They live where they are unseen - in the fallen leaf litter, under mulch and around dark, damp places. At night, they munch on fruits, vegetables, and the soft leaves and stems of plants – especially young transplants.
Though problematic, we must remember that slugs and snails are a part of nature's cycle, and there is no need to control them with toxic chemicals, which will simply end up in our waterways and food.
There is another way - here are my tried-and-true organic methods for tackling slugs and snails in the garden over winter.
1. Find them first
In daylight, regularly check all the dark, damp places around your growing bed while they sleep - under lids, wood, in mulch and the corners of your raised beds.
Plants with dense, close leaves seem to attract a lot more slugs and snails too, probably because they offer cool, dark shelter during the day and a ready food source at night. If you see them, remove them.
2. Make it easy for them
One of my most effective controls to protect younger plants is to snap the lower leaves off brassicas and position them in a circle around new seedlings. The slugs and snails will eat what is in front of them rather than using the energy to travel up a plant. In the morning, look under the leaves you left and remove any pests you find.
To protect your more established plants, I recommend feeding your slugs and snails with a pile of old brassica leaves about three metres away from the bed. Watch them flock to it!
3. Work in harmony with nature
Hedgehogs and birds are natural predators of slugs and snails, helping to solve the problem for you. This time of year, they are welcome guests in our gardens with no fruit to protect from the birds.
I also consider the tiger slug a beneficial pest, as they will eat other smaller slugs (as well as your plants), so are worth keeping around.
4. Trap them without chemicals
Beer traps really do work and they're cheap and easy to maintain. Push shallow lids down in your garden beds, so they are at soil level, then add some cheap beer - which they seem to love best. The slugs and snails drown in their drink and just need to be emptied out every couple of days.
Give these methods a try and see for yourself - happy gardening and good luck!
Find out more about the Grow Inspired Academy at growinspiredacademy.com or follow Claire on Facebook @growinspiredwithclairemummery or Instagram @grow.inspired.
