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Can mint keep snails and slugs away from endangered plants?
I am always skeptical at first about new methods to keep slugs away.
Hence, I also put mint to the test—see videos below.
Contents
Theory: Mint against snails & slugs
The slug control discourse gave rise to the idea of using the dried mint leaves from the previous year as mulch against slugs.
Reports state that potato plants mulched with mint were largely spared by the slugs.
For me, this was an occasion to carry out this practical test.
Dried Mint Leaves
Click on the image leads to an offer on Amazon UK.
Practical test: Does mint help against slugs?
Since I had some old mint tea leftovers, I formed a small wall out of it and placed freshly collected slugs and snails in the middle.
The result is shown in the following time-lapse video.
Video: Mint against snails Test
I was surprised how well mint worked.
The leopard slugs turned around immediately, and most of the other snails were also successfully deterred.
However, in the end, two still crawled over it…
Conclusion
You can clearly see how the slugs are repelled—not 100%, but a large proportion.
It is still questionable whether mint remains effective in wet conditions.
I suspect not because it seems to be the touch that has deterred the snails and not the smell.
If you have had any experience with mint against snails, I would be happy to hear about it!
It would also be interesting to know if there are certain types of mint to which the snails react better or worse.
In the test it was a mix of two varieties, but unfortunately, I can’t remember exactly which ones.
It is still questionable whether mint can also be planted as a protective strip: With plants against slugs?
And are freshly picked leaves also effective, or only the dried ones?
Future tests could provide information about this.
Mint in the garden
Since mint was successful in the test, I recommend growing mint yourself in the garden.
Then you always have enough mint leaves for tea and to ward off snails.
But of course, you can also buy already dried leaves.
However, these are sold as tea and are therefore relatively expensive.
Dried Mint Leaves
Click on the image leads to an offer on Amazon UK.
Since you can also use them well in the kitchen, as a cold extract and for teas, it is advisable to grow different mint varieties in your garden.
But be careful: mints are invasive and can spread quickly.
An advantage of mint is that it is a slug-resistant plant/herb.
Therefore, you can plant and harvest them without worry.
Pollinating insects, such as bees and bumblebees, also love herbs like mint!
Herb garden seeds | With Mint Seeds
Click on the image leads to an offer on Amazon UK.
Alternatives
In addition, it is possible to cultivate slug-resistant vegetables and herbs.
There is also a long list of flowers that slugs dislike eating.
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Long-term slug control focuses on attracting natural enemies of slugs and snails.
Here, you will find an overview of measures to control slugs and snails.
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Peaceful Slug Control & Plant Protection
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| Slug Repellent Copper Tape | Garden Cloche | Multipack |
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| Sheep Wool Pellets | Slug Collars | Multipack |
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Last update: January 22, 2023
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very interesting, thanks for your experiments. We have a lot of mint in our garden which doesn’t get attacked by slugs or snails so I will try spreading some around our plants which are attacked with vigor, & I will also try the dried, and hopefully report back sometime