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Every year the RHS publishes a list of popular pests: popular in that they are the ones about whom the RHS entomologists have had the most enquiries. Top of the charts this year are slugs and snails (everybody's bête noir) followed by the harlequin
The whole world seems to be teeming with life at the moment: the birdsong is delightful, the snails are on the march (in spite of my discovering at least three huge hibernation areas during the winter) and the plants are growing at phenomenal speed
Sometimes the best things are the subtle or quiet things. A little rustle of wind through a tree, the distant knock-knocking of a thrush beating seven bells out of a snail or, in this case, a modest wildflower lurking among the rough grass beside a
.The idea of wide, slightly quilted, deep bluish-green hosta leaves is captivating, but often the reality is completely different. The reality involves slugs and snails, nightly chewing the edges and perforating the centres of the leaves, leaving them
A chemical treatment used to kill slugs and snails.
A member of the Mollusca grouping, which includes Gastropoda - soft bodied, unsegmented animals, many of which live in hard shells, eg, slugs and snails.
, smoothing out any creases as you go.AdamTry salads in a pot decorated with this copper tape - it'll give slugs a run for their money and you'll have luscious leaves.Protecting plants from slugs and snailsChoosing slug-resistant plantsKeeping slugs off your
Mow lawns then trim new edges with a half-moon edging toolDig compost into borders to improve water retention Add copper rings to pots to protect plants from slugs and snailsHoe bare areas of soil on dry days to remove weed seedlingsReplenish gravel
)Pick off dead flower heads from spring bulbsProtect emerging shoots of delphiniums and lupins from slugs and snails using a barrier such as copper tape for pots or garlic granules
Tidy up piles of flowerpots and debris that could harbour snailsRaise patio containers on feet or bricks, to ensure their compost drains properlyAvoid walking on lawns covered with heavy frost, as you'll kill the grassProvide birds with fresh water
