A tip out of James Wong’s Homegrown Revolution to deal with enemies such as slugs and snails, caterpillars,aphids and whitefly … Garlic spray! I tried it out and it really works miracles.
– Blitz a bulb of garlic with a litre of water in a blender or pestle and mortar
– Leave to stand for a couple of hours and strain out the particles
– Spray all over your plants in the early evening when those slugs and snails are just getting set to make their night-time raids.
The sulphur based compounds in garlic not only kill but deter pests and unlike pellets will not be harmful to garden birds, swooping down to scoff their remains. Adding a handful of marigold leaves, which contain naturally occurring insecticidal chemicals, will make your garlic spray even more effective.
Just like slugs and snails, many flying insects are sensitive to the chemicals of the onion family, making the garlic spray really an effective way to limit their numbers. Neem oil based insecticides will also stop then in their tracks. If you really want to wreak vengeance, why not mix up your very own deathly cocktail of neem oil and garlic spray for a real double whammy!
