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Snails
Plants affected: Almost any soft, lush plant. Hostas are a particular favourite. Hairy or furry plants are usually fairly safe.
Symptoms: Snails climb, so look for slime trails and nibbled leaves, even on plants in pots and containers. Snails devour the soft green bits between the leaf ribs, leaving a ‘skeleton’ behind.
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Prevention/Control: Collect by hand and dispose of them. To protect plants, surround them with piles of prickly leaves or really sharp grit. If using slug pellets, apply sparingly. A ring of petroleum jelly around the top of pots can be an effective prevention method, particularly with hostas.
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| Slugs
Plants affected: Almost anything soft and lush.
Symptoms: Similar to snails, except nearer to the ground, and slugs will eat all parts of leaves. They can even attack underground. Potatoes are a common target.
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Prevention/Control: Biological controls are effective. These use nematodes which are natural predators. They are simply watered on to the ground. If using slug pellets, apply sparingly. You can also sink containers of beer in the ground. The slugs will be attracted to the beer, fall in and drown, although as you may have seen on the programme, this is not always guaranteed to work.
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