Slugs are the bane of gardeners’ lives, regularly topping surveys of garden pests. They munch the new growth of precious plants, demolish seedlings overnight and munch irregularly-shaped holes in leaves, stems, flowers, tubers and bulbs and potatoes, leaving their silvery slime trails behind.
Slugs are active for most of the year but are a particular problem in spring, when there’s plenty of young growth for them to eat. They are mostly active after dark, especially when it’s warm and damp. In hot, dry weather they bury themselves in the soil or hide in cool, dark places to avoid dehydrating.
There are over 40 species of slugs in the UK. Not all slugs eat live plants, however – many of the larger ones eat decaying or dead plant material and they are an important part of the composting process.
Despite your best efforts, some losses to slugs are inevitable. Accept that your garden is never going to be slug free, and find ways to work around this.
Make sure you prioritise the protection of the most vulnerable plants – all seedlings, new growth on most herbaceous plants, and all parts of especially susceptible plants such as delphiniums, hostas and dahlias. If you’re growing plants in pots, make sure there isn’t a ‘bridge’ of leaves from one plant to another, as slugs can travel from pot to pot this way.
Sow extra seeds so you have seedlings waiting in the wings to replace any that are eaten by slugs, and grow more than you need so you still have some crops left over after a slug attack. And add plenty of slug-resistant plants (see our list below) to keep damage to a minimum.
There are many options for controlling slugs. The best approach is to combine several methods, starting early in spring. Here are some ways to controlling slugs in your garden, some of them recommended in a survey of readers of BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine.
Slugs can be a huge nuisance for gardeners trying to grow baby sage plants These slimy pests can quickly devour tender sage leaves and damage young plants if left uncontrolled. As a sage plant owner, it’s important to know how to effectively get rid of slugs without harming your plant or the environment.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll discuss various methods for controlling slugs on baby sage from physical barriers to natural remedies. We’ll also provide tips on preventative measures to stop infestations before they start. Read on to learn how to protect your precious herb from these annoying garden invaders!
Identifying Slug Damage on Baby Sage
Before applying any control methods, it’s important to properly identify if slugs are in fact the culprits attacking your sage. Look for these telltale signs
- Irregularly shaped holes in leaves, usually along the edges. These are often accompanied by slime trails.
- Silvery trails of dried slime on leaves or surrounding soil, indicating slug movement.
- Visible slugs or snails on the plant, especially during cooler and more humid parts of the day.
- Rapid defoliation or disappearing seedlings.
If you spot these signs, it’s almost certainly slugs that have set their slimy sights on your baby sage!
Physical Barriers to Stop Slugs Reaching Plants
One of the most effective ways to protect sage plants from slugs is to create physical barriers that prevent them from reaching the plant. Here are some simple but useful barriers to try:
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Copper tape – Strips of copper tape can be placed around pots or plant bases. When slugs crawl over it, they get a mild electric shock that deters them.
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Diatomaceous earth – This powdery substance made from fossilized algae is abrasive to soft slug bodies. Sprinkle it around the base of plants.
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Crushed eggshells – Eggshells are sharp and uncomfortable for slugs to slither over. Crush them and create a perimeter around plants.
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Coffee grounds – Used coffee grounds are thought to deter slugs due to caffeine. Scatter them around sensitive seedlings.
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Gravel or sand – Add a gravel moat or band of sand around sage plants to irritate slugs and block access.
Handpicking Slugs for Removal
For small gardens or just a few sage plants, handpicking slugs can be an effective (if gross) removal method. Check plants thoroughly in the early mornings and evenings when slugs are most active. Pick them off and drop them into a bucket of soapy water to dispatch and prevent return. Always wear gloves when handling slugs.
Handpicking works best when done diligently and frequently, especially after rainfall when slugs are on the move.
Attracting Natural Slug Predators
Nature provides some excellent slug control solutions in the form of animals that like to eat slugs and snails. Attract these predators to your garden by providing habitat and food sources:
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Ground beetles – They feast on slug eggs and larvae. Leave areas of leaf litter and avoid applying chemicals.
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Toads and frogs – These amphibians love a good slug snack. Provide damp, shady areas for them live and breed.
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Birds – Many birds will pick off slugs and snails. Attract them with feeders and bird houses.
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Hedgehogs – A hungry hedgehog can eat dozens of slugs per night! Give them access through small hedgehog highways in fences.
Utilizing these natural slug predators is an eco-friendly way to control populations without any chemicals. Be sure not to use poisons that could harm the animals.
Organic Slug Control Sprays
For those who prefer not to touch slugs, organic slug sprays provide chemical-free pest control:
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Iron phosphate baits – Iron phosphate baits are specially formulated pellets that slugs ingest and causes them to stop feeding, resulting in death within 3-6 days. These are non-toxic to people, pets, birds, fish, and bees when used as directed. Look for brand name products like Sluggo.
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Garlic and garlic oil sprays – The strong odor of garlic deters slugs. Make DIY garlic sprays or purchase commercial repellent sprays made from garlic oil extracts. Reapply after rain.
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Diatomaceous earth spray – As mentioned before, diatomaceous earth powder can be made into a spray by mixing with water and applying to foliage. Avoid breathing in the dust by wearing a mask.
Always read and follow label directions when applying organic slug sprays. Target just the infested plants and reapply as directed after rainfall.
Preventing Slug Infestations
Implementing preventative measures is key to avoiding major headaches from slug devastation. Here are some organic gardening tips to discourage slug populations:
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Eliminate hiding spots by keeping the garden free of debris. Remove piles of dead leaves, weeds, or garden trash that slugs can use as cover.
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Avoid heavy mulching right around the base of plants, as slugs love damp mulch. Leave a 3-4 inch bare ring when mulching.
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Water plants in the morning to allow time for foliage to dry out by evening when slugs are active. Avoid overhead watering.
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Check for and seal any gaps in garden fences or walls where slugs can enter from outside areas.
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If possible, raise vulnerable seedlings up on benches or tables to make access harder for slugs.
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Remove slug eggs from the soil by handpicking or using shallow cultivations to disrupt them.
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Switch from small-leaved lettuce varieties to more slug-resistant options like romaine lettuce.
Following these tips diligently makes your garden far less inviting to slugs looking for their next meal.
With persistence and a multifaceted approach, gardeners can win the battle against slugs on baby sage plants. Start with preventative measures like cleaning up debris, choose physical barriers like copper tape to block access, handpick visible slugs, and attract natural predators. For more serious infestations, organic sprays can provide chemical-free pest control.
Protecting young sage plants from slug damage ensures you can enjoy an abundant harvest. With the methods detailed in this guide, you’ll be well equipped to get rid of slugs in your garden without using any harsh chemicals. Just remember to be vigilant and take action as soon as you spot those telltale slime trails. Your sage plants will thank you!
Create a slug zone
In a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine survey, the most popular approach to dealing with slugs was to go out with a torch after dark to pick them off plants, bucket of salt water at the ready. The best time to do this is two hours after dusk, so this means late nights in the height of summer. You might prefer to wear a pair of gloves to carry out this task. Our experts have tested a range of different types to find the best garden gloves, two of which would be suitable for removing slugs:
To make the job easier, you can deliberately attract slugs to a dark, shady corner using something they’re attracted to – old veg leaves, dried cat food, bread rolls, oats or bran. As they congregate for a feed at night, swoop in and collect them.
Alternatively, check slugs’ hiding places during the day. They hide anywhere that’s cool, dark and moist – under plant pots, pot saucers, tread boards on the veg plot and garden furniture. Some BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine readers also found that the old trick of using grapefruit skins or bricks can also be effective – slugs hide under them during the day. Check under these places regularly and remove any slugs you find. Slugs can also lurk under dead plant material in borders. Clear it away and it to the compost heap – the slugs will continue the composting process there.
Also look out for clusters of slug eggs in spring and autumn – slugs can lay them in batches of 50 at a time. They look like translucent white balls, a few millimetres across. They’re often found under plant pots, stones, in moist pockets of soil and in other cool, dark, places. Leave them out for the birds, or squash them as soon as you spot them. In spring, rake over the surface of the soil to expose them, leaving them for centipedes and birds.
Sprinkling salt does kill slugs, but it is also harmful to plants.
Water in the morning
This ensures that the soil has dried out by the evening, when slugs are most active. Wet soil at night can create a slug highway between plants.
Copper rings can be effective slug deterrents – if a slug tries to cross one it receives an ‘electric shock’, forcing it back. Put rings around vulnerable plants such as hostas – bury them deep as slugs may reach the plant from underneath.
Some gardeners also swear by sticking copper tape around the rim of pots, although a recent trial by the RHS found this to be ineffective. Research is ongoing, however.
- Buy copper rings from Crocus, Dobies and Suttons
I don’t have any more slugs. 3 simple proven ways to get rid of slugs without chemicals
FAQ
Will slugs eat sage?
How do you kill slugs but not plants?
How to stop slugs from eating seedlings?
Can you sprinkle salt around plants to kill slugs?
How do I get rid of slugs in my garden?
The sweet scent will lure slugs in, distracting them from their usual meal: your plants. If a predator doesn’t get to them first, collect the fruit scraps the next morning and kill any live slugs by dumping them into a container of soapy water. 5. Gather a Search Party
How to prevent slugs?
Let’s look briefly at some of the best ways to prevent slugs. Copper barriers may prevent slugs from crawling up plants to eat their leaves, flowers, stems, and fruit. Some say that placing copper wire around plants stops slugs from coming close. The copper reacts with the slug’s slime, giving it a shock.
Does spraying slugs kill a plant?
The spray literally melts the pests before your eyes. Gardeners who use this method believe that the dead slug bodies help deter other slugs from moving into the area. As long as you’re not spraying zillions of slugs every night, the solution shouldn’t affect plantings.
Are slugs destroying your garden?
Slippery, slimy and squishy, these soft-bodied pests munch their way through plantings, sometimes leaving behind holey leaves, other times wiping out entire beds of seedlings. Because they tend to feed at night, it can be tough to diagnose whether slugs in the garden are the culprit responsible for plant damage.