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How Pine Cones Help Fight Snails and Slugs: Good to Know for Every Gardener
16.11.2024 01:20
Pine cones are often used in gardens and vegetable gardens as mulch and drainage.
Cones can also be used in the garden to protect crops from slugs and other pests.
Mulch
Pine cones, unlike wood mulch, better repel excess moisture, reduce soil erosion and transform a large flow of falling water into drops. In addition, pine cone mulch perfectly protects the soil from drying out.
Another advantage of this mulch is that in summer it perfectly protects plants from overheating and direct sunlight, and in winter it provides reliable protection from freezing.
Pine cones form an impenetrable and very dense barrier that weeds and pest larvae that overwinter in the soil cannot overcome.
It should also be noted that pine cone mulch looks very aesthetically pleasing and fits harmoniously into the natural landscape.
Drainage
This natural material is often used as drainage when planting conifers, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, blueberries, azaleas and other crops.
This type of drainage prevents the occurrence of root rot in berry bushes and fruit trees, prevents over-moistening of the soil, and promotes normal growth and development of the root system.
In addition, drainage from pine cones creates good soil air permeability, without which the full development of plants is impossible.
Protection from snails and slugs
Mollusks are a big problem for every summer resident, as they slowly destroy any vegetation on the site.
Snails and slugs pose a danger not only to cultivated plants, but also to humans, as they carry dangerous parasites.
If mollusks appear at your dacha, you can get rid of them using pine cones.
The sharp and strong aroma of the cones repels mollusks and creates unbearable conditions for slugs and snails to live in.
The spines at the ends of pine cone petals create a surface that is completely unsuitable for the movement of mollusks.
Any attempt to crawl through the prickly barrier of cones proves difficult.
Such an insurmountable barrier forces snails and slugs to look for other areas to move.
