Food-Gardening Lessons From A Wartime Victory Garden

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Tag: Snails

How Do I Stop Snails and Slugs from Eating My Hostas?

“How to prevent snails from eating hostas?” Question from Madelaine of Irmo, South Carolina

“How to prevent snails from eating hostas?” Question from Madelaine  of Irmo, South Carolina

Answer: There are lots of great products on the market that ward off slugs and snails. Some are even OMRI Listed for organic gardening. Here are my top three favorite slug repellents and deterrents.

  1. Pelletized Iron Phosphate Killers – These include products like Sluggo and Bonide Slug Magic.  The products are safe to use around pets and wildlife.
  2. Diatomaceous Earth – Sand-like diatomaceous earth is very sharp at the micro-level, and cuts through the tender exteriors of slugs and snails. Add a layer around your hostas before they emerge in spring, and it should really help. It is typically OMRI Listed and completely safe for pets, wildlife, and humans.
  3. Beer Traps- slugs and snails die a little less cruelly when they fall into a drunken beer stupor and pass on in beer traps. (Please click here to learn how to make one.)

Happy gardening!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

What is Chewing on My Brugmansia Leaves?

“I have a Brugmansia, and something is eating at the leaves. I have tried soapy water with oil, and I have tried broad-spectrum herbicides. Please Help!” Question from Lizzy of Ocala, Florida

Answer: Your pictures came through! The damage is caused by chewing pests and there are several that will attack Brugmansia. Cabbage moth caterpillars (cabbage loopers), snails, and slugs will all chew on Brugmansia. Tomato hornworms will too, but this looks more like slug or cabbage looper damage.

Cabbage Looper Inspection and Management

Start by checking the plants from top to bottom for little green caterpillars. If you find them, these are cabbage loopers. You might also see little white moths flittering around your plants. These are cabbage looper moths. The easiest way to get rid of loopers is to simply remove them by hand and put them in soapy water. If you find loopers, also check for clusters of small, round, yellowish eggs on the bottom of leaves. These are looper eggs and must be scraped off. To further manage loopers, you can sprinkle the plants with BT, which is approved for organic gardening and only harms the caterpillars chewing on your plants.

Slug or Snail Inspection and Management

Slugs or snails like to hang out beneath or just below the soil line of pots, so this is the first place to check for them. They come out at night to do their damage. There are several organic ways to keep them away from your Brugmansia. I would purchase some diatomaceous earth and sprinkle it liberally on the surface of your potting soil. To us, it feels like coarse sand, but to slugs, it is very damaging. It cuts their soft exteriors and keeps them away. You could also apply a thick layer of perlite on the top of your potting soil. Slugs don’t like it either.

Brugmansias grow so quickly that pretty soon a little chewing damage won’t do them any harm. In fact, I would upgrade your plant in a larger pot as soon as it bursts forth. In just a few months a plant can grow as much as three feet and eventually reach huge proportions (15-feet or more unless yours is a dwarf variety). I recommend planting in Black Gold® Moisture Supreme Container Mix. Also be sure to add extra flower fertilizer because they are really heavy feeders.

I hope these tips help. Happy gardening!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

Does Beer Really Kill Snails and Slugs?

“Does beer really kill slugs and snails and how? Also, what’s the best way to use it if it does?” Question from Greg of Olympia, Washington

Answer: Yes! Beer is a safe way to attract and kill slugs. The yeasty sweet smell lures them and the ethanol in the beer kills them, or they simply fall into the traps and drown. The key to a smart slug beer trap is covering it in a way that just targets the slugs that feast on your vegetables, hostas, and other favorite plants. (Other insects desirable critters may also be attracted to beer as well as the neighborhood dogs.)

How to Make a Slug-Only Beer Trap

Take an empty lidded plastic container headed for the recycling bin. (A large yogurt or cottage cheese container works well). Cut four elongated holes 3 inches up from the base of the container, so you have enough space to add the beer. Set the container down into the soil, so the holes are just at ground level. Fill the container with cheap beer (the sweeter the better) and the slugs will enter into a blissful demise. Large holes may be needed to accommodate snails.

I hope that this helps!

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist