People laugh at me but it works,’ says gardening pro as he shows £5 two-ingredient vegetable solution slugs ‘don’t come close’

NOW that warmer weather has arrived, UK gardens are starting to bloom.

But with the flowers blooming and the harvests come unwanted pests that want to devour them.

Although it is natural for slugs to feed on ripe leaves, fruits and vegetables, extensive feeding can result in the death of the plant.

And it can occur more commonly in moist, mild conditions.

Fortunately, this can be avoided.

Tried and tested by gardening enthusiast Sam, it’s a bargain two-ingredient plant solution that slugs “can’t go near”.

The ingenious method will cost you £5 and is super easy to follow, anyone can do it.

Sam, who shared his tip on his TikTok page @bilgemehmet23said it involves modifying a plastic vase.

This is done by creating space at the bottom of the pot by cutting a hole that allows the roots to grow into the soil.

He then applies petroleum jelly around the rim and sprinkles salt on the rim, before placing the vase over his plantings.

He swears that you don’t need to shell out for expensive salts, just find the “cheapest” one on the market.

His partner Billie also confirmed in the video that the trick “really works”.

Cheap salt

She said: “If we don’t put it there, in the morning we will have a slug problem again. They just don’t come close to it.”

Since there is a hole in the bottom of the pot and Sam places it over the plant, it means a shield has been created and he can continue to water it.

The shield also adds greater deterrence to slugs.

He says: “Then this will protect my plant and I will be able to water it individually too.

“People laugh at me, but I’ve actually had problems with slugs before, so I thought, let’s give it a try. And it worked for us.”

According to Dr. Gordon Porto, For a senior professor at the University of Newcastle, salt causes severe dehydration in slugs.

Tips for Keeping Pests in Your Garden

• Plant companion plants, such as peppermint, to repel mice.
• Place Garden Netting Pest Barrierover your flower beds.
• Fill open containers with beer and place in the soil to repel slugs.
• Spray plants with Neem Oilto repel ants, flies and spiders.
• Sprinkle your flowerbeds with diatomaceous earth.
• Mix 1 tablespoon of dish soap, 10 drops of peppermint oil and 4 cups of water and spray on flower beds.
• Place eggshells around plants to protect them from slugs and snails.

He said: “The salt essentially draws water out of the skin – an osmosis effect – and they die within minutes of dehydration.

“Slugs and snails are extremely dependent on a high water content in their bodies. They constantly need water to replace any losses.

“We don’t know how much pain they feel when coming into contact with the salt, but a slug or snail trapped in the granules will try to wriggle away while exuding a lot of mucus to clear its skin.”

According to experts, petroleum jelly is also a good way to protect potted plants from damage caused by slugs due to its slippery texture, which makes it difficult for the slug to stick to the surface.

His advice created a huge reaction on TikTok, with more than 4,000 people rushing to the comments section to share their thoughts.

Another suggested: “I cut cucumbers and leave them in the same place every night, they eat until they are satisfied and never touch my plants/vegetables.”

Someone else added: “I do something similar.

“First I heat the Vaseline and mix a lot of table salt and peppermint oil.