Seeing what a wet summer we have had, snails and slugs will be most prevalent. It seems they can’t resist the lushest of foliage. There are a number of ways of combating them without having to resort to slug pellets.

If you put in your garden old pots or large stones, they will certainly encourage slugs to creep under them; you can lift them out and dispose of them. There is also the beer trap as I have mentioned in previous editions, also you can use hollowed out grapefruit or orange halves which will also attract them.

To save your most precious of plants you could also surround them with grit, as slugs do not like abrasive surfaces. Also available in garden centres are copper strips or tape which can be wound around pots and containers therefore giving the plants protection. Slugs don’t like coming into contact with copper.