Last updated on May 25th, 2012
Are slugs and snails eating your hostas?
Well, if your summer has been a damp and cool one (like mine), you have probably seen a good deal of destruction by these slimy beasts. Here at A Garden for the House, slugs and snails have not only attacked my hostas, but my delphiniums and zinnias, too. So what’s the best remedy for these malevolent mollusks? Beer? Poison? Repelling strips of copper? Read on, and I’ll tell you my own, safe and simple slug-solution. (And if you have a special technique for dealing with slugs, please share it here).
Slugs and snails are physiologically acidic. This explains why they are naturually found in wooded areas. There, the soil pH is normally low (acidic). They detest alkaline, or “sweet” soils. Hostas, delphiniums and vegetables of all kinds enjoy soil with a fairly high pH. Thus, if you sweeten your soil, slugs will most definitely avoid your garden.
The best cure for slug-inviting acidic soil is lime. In your vegetable patch, hosta bed, or flower border, simply sprinkle a layer of lime there according to package directions,and water it in. The goal is to raise the soil pH to something between 7.0and 7.5. Call your county agent – he or she will leap at the chance to test your soil’s pH.
Now, what do you do when your garden features alkaline-loving hostas, along with acidic-preference ferns, astilbes and rhododendrons, all growing together in the same bed? Well, you simply restrict the addition of lime to the hostas.
And here is where the “magic circle” technique makes sense. First, water plants thoroughly. Then pour one cup of lime in a circle around each hosta. Where growth is too thick for individual circles, outline the entire hosta bed with lime. Move a few leaves aside, too, and pour a little lime between the plants.
In my Woodland Garden, early morning visits there revealed hundreds of slugs and their slimy trails on my hostas. After liming the plants three days ago, I have not seen a single one; they refuse to pass over the threshold of lime. Mercifully, they are not attracted to my ferns, astilbes and rhododendrons.
Do you have some special trick for dealing with slugs and snails? By all means, share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Related Posts:
What’s Eating My Apple Tree?
My Woodland Garden
Astilbes: Perennial Perfection
Fabulous Ferns
Gardenlady says
Well, it sure beats putting something poisonous down. Sounds like its okay to use around dogs.
Justin says
I've tried this: Put one package of yeast, one cup of water and a tablespoon each of sugar and salt in a mason jar. Shake it up. Set it on its side behind effected plants. The slugs will come running. They love yeast!
The only problem? The jar gets filled up with slugs overnight.
Frankly, the lime-deal is probably a better solution. I'll have to try it. Plain old lime, right?
Andrew Thompson says
I agree. Save the beer for the gardener.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Gardenlady – I've researched the effects of horticultural lime on dogs, cats and wildlife; it is not harmful.
Justin – yes, the yeast-in-jar is a suitable bait, but doesn't ultimately solve the problem.
Andrew – I couldn't agree more!
Janis in Chicago says
Thanks for the tip, Kevin! I have slugs all over the beautiful lettuce in my raised vegetable bed. Can I add lime to the bed?
Robert says
That photograph of the slug was chilling. Where do you learn all this information about how to deal with such a variety of gardening problems?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Janis – yes, you can sprinkle lime on the soil surrounding your lettuce. But have the soil tested, too, until you achieve a pH of 7.0 or 7.5.
Robert – I have researched soils and soil amendments over a very long period of time!
Andrew Thompson says
My garden center had some kind of copper stripping material that is supposed to repel slugs. Does it seem worthwhile?
Eric says
If you make this circle of lime around your hostas, do you have to replace it after a heavy rain?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Eric – I would only refresh the lime if a heavy rain washed it away. Thanks for asking!
Penelope says
Where would one go to purchase lime please?
Joe says
Slugs are horrid to look at and even worse for the vegetation. I tried copper wire but no luck, what woeked for me was a nematode called nemaslug slug killer.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Welcome, Penelope – You can purchase lime at any garden center.
Welcome, Joe – Great to have those beneficial nematodes in the garden. Did you apply only once — or every 6 weeks?
Broken Barn Industries says
I use cheap beer in tipped Mason jars. Works great but I have to keep an eye on the dog- caught him drinking the beer WITH dead slugs in it- ew!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Broken Barn Industries — yes, dogs seem to love the malty flavor of beer. Fortunately they don't care for garden lime!
Den-Den says
Diatomaceous earth (used for swimming pool filters) looks smooth & powdery, but actually it's composed of sharp jagged edges. snails & slugs have soft under-bellies & don't like to crawl over the D.E. Sprinkle that around your hostas. It's the same as if we humans tried to walk over glass shards.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Welcome, Den-Den. I do have a bag of D.E., but have been a little nervous about using it. I've read that besides slugs and snails, it will also kill beneficial insects, including ladybugs and honeybees.
I've also read that the type of D.E. which is used for swimming pool filters should never be used in garden application. It is poisonous to livestock, pets, and even people. The agricultural-grade type is not toxic.
Syracuse Girl says
I slow down my slug population with night hunting… a flashlight and a bucket of soapy water. (the soap is necessary to drown them otherwise they crawl out of the bucket.) Sprinkle a row of fine corn or even cornmeal as bait and they come out in mobs for their last meal. I also use a trash picker upper to pick up and drop in the bucket of suds, (have no clue as to their true name but it lets you pick up things without touching it)
The key is be faithful. Breeding more slugs is what you want to stop.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Syracuse Girl – nice to meet you. What a great, non-toxic tip! If I were a slug, I'd be very wary of visiting your garden 🙂
Kay Kdwell says
My hostas are surrounded by mulch. Should the lime go under the mulch or would it be okay to put it on top. I have gone to a lot of work to make my flowerbeds look nice, but now the slugs are ruining them by eating everything in sight!
Kristina says
Kevin, thanks for all these amazing tips!! I read in another post that wood ash can be used to sweeten the soil. Would the ash have the same effect as the lime? If so, do you still recommend lime before ash? I love your newsletters, thanks for all your hard work!!
Barb L. says
Hi Kevin. I am a new reader and love your photos and ideas! I have been plagued by slugs for years, maybe because my yard is surrounded by huge pine trees and probably acidic from all the dropped needles. I am going to buy a bag of lime right away! The other ideas posted here also sound great. My remedy is crushed egg shells around the lettuce, etc. The sharp edges discourage the slugs.
Sometimes I go “slug picking” with disposable gloves on. Do you know when slugs reproduce? I want to get them before that happens during the season. Yuck!
Linda Brooke says
(Copper) pennies and coffee grinds seem to work too.
Becky o' Cali says
I tried the egg shell thing and that did not keep my snails and slugs at bay. Went night hunting last night and was a little freaked out by how many snails and slugs I found! Caught probably 50 or so. While my chickens will love the treat this am, I know that there are plenty more where that came from. I’m gonna go find my some lime! Thx for the advice!
Kitty Ondeng' says
As my 17 year of daughter and I are reading all these suggestions, our skins are crawling at the thought of night hunting and having a bunch of slugs to figure out what to do with. I think we too will go off and get a bag of lime. We are fed-up with slugs and slug slime.
Tammy L. says
I saw mentioned using coffee grounds. Please don’t. I am all for getting rid of the slimy critters but coffee is cruel. I managed a garden center for several years and read about using coffee in a trade magazine so ran my own experiment. Does it work? Yes. BUT it is cruel because it takes too long for the slugs to die. The coffee grounds act like battery acid on your skin, it eats holes in the slugs but slowly. It took over 2 hours for slug to die that I experimented on. I don’t like cruelty to animals, even slugs that are deserving. Please use something else.
P.R. says
Thank you for all the advice about getting rid of snails in the garden. I’m off to the garden store to purchase lime.
Should you put new soil on the top of the present garden after the snails are gone?
A.P. says
I am going to try the lime. I also sprinkle sharp egg shells around the plants
Becky Eagle says
Since ash is free from our pellet stove or fireplace, will this also be a source of lime? I know if too much ash gets into our pond from a nearby forest fire it will kill my koi. Told this happened because lye is in ash. But is there also lime is wood ash? From Becky South Dakota
J.E. says
I was wanting to know how to use the lime with mulch also. Do you put it below the mulch or just on top and water.
Danah Arnold says
I’m having a horrible time with SLUGS. They have found there way into my home. Only in the kitchen. I see them on the outside of my house but I can’t figure out how they are getting in. I have put our slug bait. But was really wondering about the lime. Does it really work I know it’s good for you lawn
Danah Arnold says
Slugs have found there way into my kitchen and I want to know if the lime really works. I know it is good for you lawn. I see the slugs outside my house but I can’t figure out how they are getting in.
Andy says
in a neighborhood with many dogs,cats,birds, children, I had planted many hosta but suddenly had slugs. The plastic soda bottles were perfect. At the sloping shoulder top, cut off that top. Place the slug bait in the (dry) bottom piece. Now invert the top piece into the bottom piece. Tape the joint (DUCT tape or cheap fat tape) The slug is attracted to the bait, crawls into the “pouring” open top end. Birds etc cannot get in, nor rain or hose water. Joke is on me, however, when the next winter those plastic bottles were exposed. My neighbor teased me “think you are going to get those to grow?!
Nancy says
Thanks for the lime advice, I have many, many slugs where we removed two old pine trees, hence acidic soil. I also have a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water, and spray slugs when I see them, It kills them within a few minutes. By the way, my hens won’t eat slugs, I would love some Indian runner ducks, but style of fence would not contain them, and foxes would be a problem.
Liz @ Home and Gardening With Liz says
Great article. I just shared this on my blog hoping to pass on some helpful tips. I’ve included a link back to this post (I hope that’s okay with you). I’m glad you shared this info!
Liz
Marcella says
Thanks for the lime advice went out today and bought me a bag…could not for the life of me figure what was causing holes in my hostas leaves..I read on here that the slugs come out at night so I waited and armed with a flash light and gloves went out tonight I was amazed to see so many slugs on my hostas! I will spread my lime tomorrow and see what happens….thanks again
Tricia says
I am confused about my slug problem. I have tested the soil and it is off the scale alkaline. In which case the pests would not want to live in my garden. I have removed thousands of slugs and snails over the past 2 years since moving into my new home: early morning and night hunting/ beer traps/ copper tape and as a last resource slug pellets (but I have found that these also kill worms so I am reluctant to use them).
New trick. Cardboard laid over the ground and perhaps covered with soil (or not ) over the winter attracts slugs to hibernate beneath. Then in your own time it s possible to go out , turn over the cardboard and with tweezers pick up the slugs. I spent 3 hours one day and picked up over 2,000 baby hibernating slugs. I put them into “dog poo bags” with salt and shook them up and then put them in the bin. They are dead. Hopefully they did not suffer too long!
Still confused though about the acid/ alkaline issue. I know they do not like sand because this is sharp. Thank you for the coffee bean tip but why do they like my compost bin that is full of coffee grounds?
I am wondering if there is a similar effect to humans drinking lemon water to reduce acidity in their body. Does any one have any info?
Tricia