Page 30 - SV 3 2024

Learn to love slugs and snails!
Lis Speight of Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) tells us why we should make friends with garden molluscs.
Slugs and snails have long been viewed as a gardener’s greatest foe, but this reputation isn’t wholly deserved. These much-maligned creatures are the theme for this year’s Wild About Gardens campaign, organised by The Wildlife Trusts and the Royal Horticultural Society.
We are joining forces to challenge the negative perception surrounding slugs
and snails in gardens across the UK. The ‘Making Friends with Molluscs’ campaign aims to encourage us all to reconsider the role of these lowly creatures in our gardens.
There are around 150 species of slugs and snails in the UK, and only a small fraction of these pose problems for gardeners. The majority contribute positively to the garden ecosystem in a number of ways.
While they may not be as valued as earthworms, slugs and snails provide several important services in our green spaces. One of their most significant roles is as nature’s clean-up crew; molluscs feed on rotting plants, fungi, dung and even carrion, helping to recycle nitrogen and other nutrients and minerals back into
the soil. They can also clean algae off the glass of greenhouses, leaving behind their trademark trails.
Many of our much-loved garden visitors, including frogs, song thrushes, and ground beetles, rely on slugs and snails as a key food source. They also make up part of a hedgehog’s diet.
By supporting these molluscs, gardeners indirectly support a diverse array of wildlife.
In addition, territorial slugs, such as leopard slugs, can be helpful in warding off other species of slug and therefore protecting plants from grazing.
Follow these five tips to live harmoniously alongside slugs and snails:
1. Provide shelter: Create
habitats for slugs and snails
by leaving log piles, mulch, and natural debris in garden areas. These spaces offer shelter and a food source for these creatures, and it may make them less likely to venture out into your vegetable bed.
2. Selective planting: Choose plants that are less attractive to slugs and snails or are more resilient
to their feeding habits, such as lavender, rosemary, astrantia, hardy geraniums, hellebores and hydrangeas.
3. Barriers: Try using barriers – such as copper tape and wool pellets – which may provide some protection for vulnerable plants from slug and snail damage.
4. Handpick and monitor: Regularly inspect plants for signs of slug and snail damage, and manually remove any you find, relocating them to your compost heap or areas with less vulnerable plants. Consider evening patrols with a torch, as slugs and snails are most active at night-time.
5. Encourage predators: Create a haven for natural predators of slugs and snails, such as ground beetles, song thrushes, frogs, and toads, by providing suitable habitats, such as long grass, log piles and wildlife-
friendly ponds. Predators help to naturally regulate slug and snail populations, keeping their numbers in balance.
The Wildlife Trusts want everyone to avoid using pesticides, such as slug pellets, which can indiscriminately harm other creatures which might eat the dying slugs or snails. Instead of trying to control them, you could try growing a range of plants that snails and slugs tend to not eat, such as onions and hardy herbs.
These marvellous molluscs help to enrich and aerate the soil, and they’re also a great food source for other incredible animals such as newts and beetles. By learning
to appreciate and co-exist with these creatures, gardeners can adopt a more wildlife friendly approach to gardening.
For more information on the benefits of slugs and snails in gardens, download a free copy of the Making friends with molluscs guide, which is available on the charities’ joint Wild About Gardens website: wildaboutgardens.org.uk
For more information about BBOWT and its work visit bbowt.org.uk.
This article first appeared in the Oxford Times of 21st March 2024 and is credited to the ‘Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust.’
Winter Zoom Talks 2023/2024
Our winter zoom talks are now complete for this season.
We started our programme of talks back in November and completed at the end of March. Sincere thanks to
our speakers for volunteering their time and sharing their methods for growing including tips and hints for success. A big thank you also to our members who attended. We hope you enjoyed the talks and gained some tips to help you in your garden this year.
For members who were unable to attend, the good news is we have now recorded all the talks and they are now available to view on our website library as a member only benefit.
• David Thornton – Growing Exhibition Shallots
• Jim Williams “Greenhouses” – how to make best use of them!
• Ivor Mace – Growing Large Exhibition Onions
• 2023 Year in Review
• Jim Pearson – Growing Cauliflowers
for Exhibition
• Malcolm Catlin – The journey of a
vegetable seed to the plot
• Phil Burgess – Growing quality veg in
a small home garden.
• An Evening with Medwyn Williams • Jason Ralph Smith – Autopots
• Vanessa Jones – A closer look at the
Asian Hornet.
We are very encouraged to see member attendance increasing year on year. We now look forward to planning a new Zoom Talks series for winter 2024/2025.
If any member is interested in giving a talk, please get in touch with Raymond Higgins.
30 Simply Vegetables