[slopym]

has anyone tried using garlic to deter slugs?

i was told to stew the garlic in water and to water the soil with a diluted mixture

i don't have any exact measurements

i tried some today, we'll see

[subaru]

Hi slopym

Have not tried it but I know the French use it on snails

All the best

Subaru

[slopym]

perhaps i should have added some butter and a pinch of salt

[busterthehorse]

Slugs ... The eternal question ...

[busterthehorse]

I've done this this year. I've got one of those miracle grow hosepipe end bottles, that I've used up, and is empty ...

So, I found a 'recipe' on google for slugs ... Which is - Fill the bottle about and inch and a bit with fairy liquid, and add some liquified garlic (I use about a whole bunch - 9 or 10 cloves done in a blender) and fill the rest of the bottle with water and shake it up ! The reason the garlic  needs to be blended is that otherwise it blocks up the top of the bottle and when you switch it to 'feed' it acts like as if you are on 'water' and is not using whatever is in the bottle.

I spray the whole garden lightly (or sometimes more) with this spray ... including the hedges, to get the smell all around ... the fairy liquid cleans the plants and deters aphids and other bugs ... I do this once a week ... I've found this the best 'tip' I've had as a gardener up to now ... hope this helps .

[busterthehorse]

Sorry, I've just re-read your post - Yes, the longer the liquified garlic is in the bottle before spraying the better, And I suppose you could soak the garlic in the bottle and just take the cloves out before spraying ... I left my last bottle for about four days and I could smell the garlic as I was spraying the garden  the last time I did it

[slopym]

thanks for that

so, I should be spraying the plants and not the soil

from what i've read now it seems that this works

and its cheap

recipie i found

Garlic Wash Recipe
Take 2 bulbs of garlic, crush them, and boil them rapidly in two pints of boiling water for approximately 4-5 minutes, or until there is a very strong garlic smell.
Let the liquid cool then strain it.
Top up to the two pints mark again and bottle the result.
To Use – Put one tablespoon of the Garlic Wash into one gallon of water and water over the plants with a fine rose making sure the whole plant is covered. This is a completely natural product and should do none of the other plants any harm.

[Ruby Red]

This is the recipe I posted on here from a lady who grows hundreds of Hostas ! She says it works a treat, so she should know. Theres nothing slugs like more than Hostas.  

[Blue fingers]

I've been spraying garlic water on everything and its made a big difference, ie you can tell if I miss a night!  :roll:

It also seems to be putting of the cats as the amount of mess I find has gone from masses to barely any!  

[pumpkin-queen]

I read about garlic being a good deterrent for slugs last year (they go back to where they've been by following their own scent). But not only does it deter them, apparently if you get the garlic water on them they die after a couple of hours. We've been using a very unsophisticated bottle of water with couple of cloves in, left out in the sun and then poured over plants. We just keep topping the bottle up. Definitely has an effect.

[Blue fingers]

But not only does it deter them, apparently if you get the garlic water on them they die after a couple of hours.

Oh no, the reason I chose it over other slug stuff was because it doesn't hurt the slugs!!  

Not that I've sprayed any on them that I'm aware of so I guess I'll just have to look before I spray it.  

[mangiatutti]

can anyone recommend a solution to spray aphids/red spider mite  for fruit and veg grown organically in greenhouse and on veg plot outside?

[Earthy]

In the greenhouse I think keeping it humid will remove red spider mites.  We have pea shingle over plastic membrane on the floor of our greenhouse so just pour water over the stones in the morning.

I also grow marigolds and basil which I believe keeps the aphids at bay.

Hope that helps.