Monty Don warns against common gardening mistake that will create breeding ground for slugs and snails

MONTY Don has warned gardening fans that a common mistake could create an inviting environment for slugs and snails.

The Gardener’s World star revealed that although many people see them as “pests” slugs are actually “invaluable” to a healthy garden.

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Monty Don shared his top tips for getting rid of slugs[/caption]

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He said it is important not to overfeed plants[/caption]

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Monty said slugs love to feed on young plants[/caption]

Speaking to BBC Gardener’s World Magazine, he said: “I know slugs and snails are seen by many gardeners as destructive pests without any redeeming features, but in fact they are an invaluable part of the recycling system that keeps a garden healthy.

 “They eat decomposing material and return it, digested, to the soil, increasing the organic content and making it more accessible for further digestion by bacteria.

“So we need them.”

However, for those keen to rid their gardens of the invertebrates, Monty warned that overfeeding plants could be the cause of your problems.

The horticulturalist explained that slugs and snails are more likely to attack weak plants and “rotting” plants, rather than young and healthy ones.

Therefore, he suggested not overfeeding or “mollycoddling” the plants, to make them as hardy as possible.

Monty said that plant food should be seen as a supplement rather than a mainstay of a plant’s diet.

He said that overfeeding plants leads to a “spurt of soft, sappy growth that slugs love”.

“Your plants need to be tough and able to withstand hardship, but not ill and run down”, he added.

You can also damage plants, and make them more attractive to slugs by over or underwatering them, and by damaging them when transporting them.

Another of Monty’s tips for a slug free garden, is to encourage a healthy ecosystem in your garden.

He revealed that in his own garden, he has done this by attracting creatures that eat snails and slugs such as frogs, toads and centipedes.

If you do want these animals to inhabit your garden , make sure to avoid using toxic chemicals such as slug pellets, as this could kill them.

However, Monty warned that the introduction of these creatures may lead to “collateral damage”.

The gardening professional’s final tip, is to create a specific area in your garden to look at every day, to make sure that it is “slug free”.

Use this area for your young plants, and those which are less robust, and need extra supervision.

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