My plants were covered in slugs and pests until I tried a 75p trick gardeners swear by – using a kitchen staple
IF you have a garden, you are probably counting down the days left till summer.
While we can’t promise wall-to-wall sunshine, there is an easy way to prevent pests from taking over your garden and it’s completely chemical free.
You won’t have to spend a small fortune on bug spray either, as this DIY solution uses a surprising item you probably already have in your kitchen.
This nifty hack comes from the Gardening UK - Hints, tips & advice group on Facebook, after one member revealed that their garden has been in undated with slugs and snails.
They wrote: “How do [you] protect hostas or any other plant from snails and slugs? Tried with coffee powder, water + liquid soap and pellets but no success as of now.
Clearly fed up, they added: “Last year, I also faced the same issue.”
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While most of us would immediately grab some industrial strength pesticide, others in the group had au natural approach.
In fact, countless members suggested using a homemade garlic spray to protect the prized plants.
For those who aren’t naturally green-fingered, this spray uses some garlic mix with a little water to naturally repel pests in your garden.
Not only does the smell help to ward off creepy crawlies, the high amount of allicin in each clove also interferes with their senses and confuses them.
If you are tempted to make this spray yourself, you will need a clean spray bottle, a blender, a fine mesh strainer, a whole head of fresh garlic, water and some dish soap.
Start by peeling the garlic cloves and giving them a quick blend with 235ml of water.
You can then add 700ml of water and 30 ml of your dish soap to the mix before letting them steep for 12 hours.
As this happens, the garlic will infused the water with allicin and sulfur.
Before it is ready to use, you'll need to strain it with your mess strainer and decant the mix into a spray bottle.
For the best results, you'll simply need to lightly spray the DIY solution, ensuring that you give an even coating all over your plants to prevent pests.
You won’t have to wait long for the beasties to be banished from your garden, with users only needing to reapply every few days or after rainfall.
Just remember to keep it stored in the fridge, whenever you are using it.
Other members of the group recalled who effective it was, with one Facebook user saying: "I’m planning to try garlic spray this year on my lupins and echinacea. No Hosta has survived my snail pit so far!!"
Another added: "I’ve got mine in pots which is a bit easier. Garlic spray is said to be the way to go. Sharp grit around base perhaps."
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If you weren’t already sold on this tried and tested hack, you can find a pack of 3 garlic bulbs at Asda for just 75p right now.
With each costing just 25p, it means you won’t have to spend much to get your garden in full bloom this year.
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