A GARDENING expert has come up with a simple and effective way to protect your garden from slimy nuisances hell bent on destruction.
Nancy Birtwhistle, best known for winning series five of The Great British Bake Off, has shared an easy way to keep flowers, fruit and vegetables in perfect condition until you are ready to pick them.
Nancy explained on her website: “Even the keenest eyes can oversee bugs and pests and if left untreated can soon damage your favourite roses, shrubs and veggies.
“I have spent time reading and trying various natural bug treatments over the past two years.
“Some potions had no effect whatsoever and after much trying and failing, trying and failing I consider the following two recipes to be effective.”
You will need:
Rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid which is toxic to not just slugs but also aphids, caterpillars, mites and flies which will all keep away from your flowers.
Cut the rhubarb leaves into sheds with scissors, then pour one litre of cold water into a saucepan, add the leaves, and then simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir the mixture and make sure the nettles are completely submerged in the water.
Then place the lid on and leave the mixture outside in your garden.
Forget about the mixture for at least a week, but it is better to wait two weeks, then take off the lid, stir the mixture and strain it.
But Nancy warns, be prepared for the stench when you do eventually open the lid.
At this stage the repellent will smell “really awful” according to Nancy which is why it works so well to stop pests from eating your plants.
It may be best to wear gardening gloves and an apron to make sure the liquid does not get on your clothes.
Place the liquid in a spray bottle and add two drops of eco-friendly washing-up liquid and six drops of clove bud oil, then give it a good shake and spray.
Retired NHS worker Nancy said: “This spray I will use on my vegetables as it not only kills aphids, the clove bud oil will deter insects.
“The washing up liquid helps it to stick to the leaves and not run straight off and the foul-smelling nettle water is adored by plants and will give them a welcome liquid feed.
“I would not harvest any vegetables until two days after spraying and wash well,” added Nancy who lives in Barton on Humber with husband Tim.
Make sure to only spray both of these homemade repellants in the evening as spraying during the day could harm pollinating insects that are active in the daytime such as bumblebees.
Nancy explained: “Always spray after the sun has gone down, when the weather is still and dry.
“Never spray during the day when our important flying insects – bees, wasps, butterflies, ladybirds etc are out doing their best.”
Yes, they chomp your precious plants, but having slugs in your garden should be celebrated.
Rebecca Miller, Associate Editor for Fabulous, and novice gardener, believes we should work in harmony with slugs and not try to get rid of them altogether.
“We’ve been conditioned as a society to believe we must have gardens with straight edges, short lawns with pretty stripes and perfect borders with flowers constantly blooming.
But unruly hedgerows, abundance of tall wildflowers buzzing with insects, and bugs and slugs galore in flowerbeds is totally natural – and necessary.
I understand that your plants might be very precious to you, but we need slugs and snails. They provide food for all sorts of mammals, birds, slow worms, earthworms, insects – and they are part of the natural balance.
By removing them, we upset the ecosystem and can do a lot of harm – thrushes in particular thrive on them!
It is said British Gardeners use some 650 billion slug pellets per year! Please find a natural alternative – the poison from slug pellets enters the food chain and can kill hedgehogs, who consider slugs and snails as a tasty treat.
If you’re truly desperate, consider using Diatomaceous Earth – it is a naturally occurring compound approved for organic use, that can be used for pest control.
And while you’re at it, challenge yourself to grow “sacrificial plants”.
Sacrificial planting, commonly known as trap cropping, is the deliberate act of growing plants to attract pests. Pick a slugs favourite vegetable or ornamental plant for them to nibble on, and they will leave your more precious plants alone.”
