Slugs and snails are two of the most common garden pests that love to wreak havoc overnight, devastating cherished plants. 

Experts warn against chemical pellets due to their threat to pets and the potential for rain to wash them into the soil, harming vital microorganisms required for plant health.

Despite this, resorting to common natural deterrents such as salt or coffee may also damage the soil. But fear not as there’s a safe, effective, homemade remedy that respects both your conscience and the environment, courtesy of Mrs Green, the eco-guru behind Little Green Blog.

She explained: “Luckily we’ve discovered our own natural, effective and safe remedy. It doesn’t use any toxic chemicals, so will not harm children or pets.

“It doesn’t destroy the soil or the environment and it doesn’t play on our conscience too much as it doesn’t actually kill the slugs; it interferes with their breeding pattern. The less they can breed, the less slugs you have in your garden.”

She revealed that the secret weapon in her fight against slugs is neem oil: “Our wonder ingredient is neem oil. Extracted from the neem tree in India, it is a potent product containing azadirachtin a powerful insecticide.”

Revolutionary in its approach, neem oil not only spares the soil and the critters within but also disrupts the reproductive cycle of these pesky garden invaders, ensuring your green haven remains serene and slug-free.

The oil has an extremely bitter taste that will irritate slugs and make plants less appealing to these pests, who will not want to feed on nearby leaves.

What you’ll need

Two tablespoons neem oil

One tablespoon liquid laundry detergent

One litre hot water

Liquid laundry detergent contains surfactants which can stick to plant leaves, ensuring the neem oil stays in place longer.

It also creates a slippery surface on the plant foliage, making it much trickier for slugs to get a grip.

Method

Pop the ingredients into an empty spray bottle, twist on the nozzle, and give the solution a good shake to mix it up.

Mrs Green advised: “Really agitate the mixture vigorously until all the neem oil is dispersed into an emulsion.”

Once you’ve got your solution, spritz it onto the plants you’re looking to shield, but pick a clear sunny day for the job as rain can rinse the solution right off.

Reapply after any rainfall or every couple of weeks during autumn, which is prime slug breeding time, and your greenery will be slug-free before you know it.

Mrs Green added: “You can use it as often as you like with no ill effects, but we use it weekly or fortnightly while the seedlings are at their vulnerable stages. Once the plants are established, we stop using it.”