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Against snails and slugs: 6 plants that effectively repel harmful mollusks
22.02.2023 06:50
Updated: 14.04.2023 05:41
Snails, slugs and other gastropods, despite their harmless appearance, are capable of causing serious damage to crops.
They carry diseases and infections and eat the juiciest parts of plants.
You can get rid of the problem using chemicals and folk remedies. But to prevent the problem from appearing, you can plant plants that repel pests.
Thyme
An aromatic oil plant that effectively repels gastropod pests. The groundcover plant produces ethers with a rich smell that spreads over a large area.
With it, any crop will be under reliable protection. And thyme is also a wonderful medicinal plant, which shows itself in folk medicine and cooking.
The culture does not tolerate only stagnant water for excellent development. Otherwise, it is completely undemanding to the place of growth, does not need additional feeding.
Parsley
The spicy, rich aroma of parsley allows it to be used as a natural repellent. This property of the plant appeared due to the essential oils secreted on the leaves.
The crop likes sunny areas, does not tolerate severe cold and long absence of moisture. It can be planted in rows or bunches as a useful neighbor among cabbage, tomatoes or pumpkins with squash.
Sage
The plant is known for its medicinal properties, honey plant. It contains biologically active substances that release a smell into the air that repels all insects and gastropods.
The spicy smell is due to essential oils released on the branches of the plant. Sage can be propagated by seedlings, seeds and cuttings. But gardeners in the middle zone recommend growing it exclusively as an annual.
There are no difficulties in caring for sage. It easily tolerates drought, is heat-loving and shows qualities even when planted in boxes.
Lavender
The plant is widely used in cosmetology, medicine, cooking. And its fatty oils and rich aroma are a repellent against insects, slugs, and various flies.
Lavender bushes planted next to nightshades and other popular crops can protect against snail invasions, provided there is high humidity from frequent rains. At the same time, lavender is not the most capricious plant, preferring bright sunny areas and rare watering.
Basil
Aromatic basil, used in cooking and folk medicine, acts as a repellent against garden pests.
The above-ground part of the spice has a high concentration of aromatic ethers, which, when spreading, have a suffocating effect on slugs.
The culture, despite its prevalence, is quite demanding in terms of soil composition, temperature conditions, and watering.
Basil will not thrive in poor soil or cold summers with poor light, so it is best grown in containers to control the climate when needed.
Rosemary
A useful spice plant that has the ability to repel pests in the garden. Rosemary has a rich, bright aroma, which is a mixture of citrus, coniferous, camphor, and mint.
The plant loves warmth and can freeze in a sudden cold snap. Therefore, it is best grown in a flower pot, so that when the temperature drops, it can be brought into the house or greenhouse. If necessary, rosemary can be placed near plantings attacked by gastropods.
Numerous plantings with odor-repellent properties will not protect against a huge invasion of pests. But if the problem is small-scale, they can become a high-quality and useful preventive measure.
