'Instant' solution to rid your garden of slugs and snails - and it's homemade

Slugs and snails in the garden are notorious for hiding under leaves in damp spots, gorging on practically everything in their path.

They pose a particular threat to vegetable gardens as they feast on both foliage and produce. Unfortunately for many gardeners, an infestation can wreak havoc before it's even detected, with munched leaves and slime trails as common indicators of their presence.

In the battle against these slugs and snails, some intrepid gardeners opt for homespun remedies, with one touted to yield "instant" success. The experience shared on Facebook by one individual showcases just how simple yet effective natural deterrents can be.

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Lara Smith excitedly stated: "Something very exciting happened tonight. So I was spraying my hostas after it had gone dark and saw a snail and slug on their way. I sprayed the garlic solution in front of them and they instantly turned away. I thought I would try a bit more to see what happened.

"So I did it again in front of it and a larger area, and they turned away again and avoided the whole area covered with garlic spray." Known to detest strong scents, slugs and snails unsurprisingly shy away from garlic, reports the Express. This bulbous plant acts as an excellent repellent, safeguarding crops from pest-induced ruin.

The allium family, which includes garlic, is acclaimed for its pest-repelling properties, driving away various insects and pests, slugs and snails included. To fortify their verdant sanctuaries, gardeners may employ fresh garlic or its derivatives. Lara further elaborated on her process for concocting this potent garlic spray.

She explained: "To make the homemade garlic spray, I put one chopped garlic glove into 500ml warm water, and started to use it after I left it overnight. I left it outdoors where there was no direct sunshine with the garlic in and put it in a spray bottle when I needed it.

"Don't know how long you could keep it as I am new to it. But I made mine two weeks ago." The concoction can be kept for several months in the fridge, so go ahead and prepare a few bottles to use later on.

In the comments, a fellow green-fingered fan shared their experience, saying that the mixture remains effective even after a year, provided it's stored correctly. Hazel Taylor commented: "I've kept garlic spray from one year to the next and it still works - if kept somewhere cool."