Video: Organic Slug Control for Your Garden

organic slug control

Slugs: just saying that word gives us all the heebie-jeebies, right? But my newest video focuses on organic slug control because I know everyone deals with them or snails.

Slugs and snails aren’t technically insects, but rather mollusks. We gardeners tend to lump them into the generic category of “bugs” that cause a lot of damage. And not just in our flower gardens, but also in our veggie patches. Because of this, I felt it would be a good topic for this week’s video.

It might seem a bit early to talk about them, considering our garden is covered in snow! But I wanted to give you strategies and tools so you’re ready to go.

Gardeners have occasionally told me that they’re having problems with slugs, even though they use row covers. As much as I love the covers for plants like broccoli and cabbage, covers won’t work for slugs. Why? They — or their eggs — are probably already in the soil. Both slugs and snails lay eggs in the spring and fall.

These creatures are nocturnal — meaning they’re active at night — and are particularly drawn to moist areas. In the video, I emphasize the importance of fixing leaky faucets or hoses to make your garden less hospitable. It’s also important to water early in the day so the soil and plant leaves are dry before nightfall.

In addition to that, what other types of organic slug control are in the video?

  • Trapping slugs under boards or going out to the garden at night with a flashlight to hand-pick them
  • Using organic slug bait and WHY organic is so important
  • Making beer traps (really). Be sure to use cheap beer rather than a fancy craft beer!
  • Sprinkling diatomaceous earth around the base of susceptible plants
  • Spraying garlic oil to repel them
  • Using copper rings at the base of single-stemmed plants such as kale, broccoli or cauliflower. This is a simple DIY project. The rings last for years and are so effective!

As I mention in the video, I’m the author of The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook. It is filled with information on identifying both beneficial and damaging insects. I focus on ORGANIC controls! There are also DIY projects (such as the copper rings) in it. This book (and the others I’ve written) are in my Amazon store. Just look for the “Susan’s Books” category.

In the “Organic Gardening Products” section of my Amazon store, you’ll find items we use for controlling slugs. These include the Sluggo slug bait, diatomaceous earth, garlic oil, and copper tape. (As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. However, that will not impact the price you pay in the least.)

One last thing before we get to the video (sorry). After all of the slug information in the video, there’s one more section you’ll want to watch. Last week’s video was about row covers, but I forgot to show how to set them up. So at the end of this video, I demonstrate that.

Here’s my video on Dealing with Slugs in Your Garden:

I hope you’ll find this video tremendously helpful! And, as always, if you have questions, just drop me a note at Susan@SusansintheGarden.com.

Here’s a link to my YouTube channel. I’ve done quite a few videos on dealing with insects organically. Here’s my Insects playlist so you can pick and choose the ones you’re interested in.