Gardening pro shows £5 two-ingredient plant solution, slugs ‘won’t go near it’

AS the weather gets warmer, gardens across the UK are starting to bloom.

But blooming flowers and crops also bring with them unwanted pests that want to nibble on them.

1

Although it is normal for slugs to feed on leaves, ripening fruits and vegetables, excessive feeding can cause the plant to die.

It is most common in moist and mild conditions.

Fortunately, this can be prevented.

Tried and tested by garden enthusiast Sam Koopje: a two-ingredient trick for plants that slugs “won’t go near.”

This ingenious method costs £5 and is very easy to follow. Anyone can do it.

Sam, who shared their tip on the TikTok page @bilgemehmet23said it’s about modifying a plastic plant pot.

You do this by cutting a hole in the bottom of the pot so that the roots can grow into the soil.

He then smears Vaseline around the edge and sprinkles salt over the edge. He then places the planter on top of his crops.

He swears that you don’t need to buy expensive salts and can just find the ‘cheapest’ ones on the market.

His partner Billie also confirmed in the video that the trick “really works.”

Cheap salt

She said, “If we don’t put it up, we’ll have another slug problem tomorrow morning. They just won’t go near it.”

Because there is a hole in the bottom of the plant pot and Sam places it over the plant, a shield is created and he can continue to water the plant.

The shield also provides greater deterrence to snails.

He says, “This protects my plant and I can also water it individually.

“People laugh at me, but I’ve actually had problems with snails before, so I thought, let’s just give it a try. And it worked for us.”

According to Doctor Gordon Port, a senior lecturer at the University of Newcastle, salt causes severe dehydration in snails.

Tips to keep pests out of your garden

• Plant plants like peppermint to repel rats.
• Place Garden Net Pest Barrierover your flower beds.
• Fill open containers with beer and place them in the ground to repel slugs.
• Spraying plants with Neem oilto repel ants, flies and spiders.
• Sprinkle your flower beds with Diatomaceous earth.
• Mix 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid, 10 drops of peppermint oil and 4 cups of water and spray this on the flower beds.
• Place eggshells around your plants to protect them from slugs.

He said: “Salt essentially draws the water out of their skin – an osmosis effect – and they die of dehydration within minutes.

“Snails and slugs are extremely dependent on a high water content in their bodies. They need water constantly to replenish losses.

“We don’t know how much pain they feel when they come into contact with salt, but a snail stuck in granules will try to wriggle away, secreting a lot of mucus to clean their skin.”

According to experts, Vaseline is also a good way to protect potted plants from snail damage. The smooth texture makes it difficult for a snail to grab onto a surface.

His advice sparked a huge response on TikTok, with over 4,000 people responding en masse to the comments to share their opinions.

Another suggested, “I cut up cucumbers and put them in the same spot every night. They eat until they are full and never touch my plants/vegetables.”

Someone else added: “I’m making something similar.

“I warm up the Vaseline first and mix in lots of table salt and peppermint oil. Works great. Easier to apply this way.”