Topic: Do slugs & snails eat herbs?

[tabbycat]

Do they keep away because they don't like the strong taste or do they just go for it anyway and decimate them like they do everything else?

I'm wondering what to put in the bed that's right next-door to the compost heap and if herbs aren't on the menu for slugs, then that's what I'll plant.

Don't see any sense in planting anything tempting right next to where they all hang out  ;D

Tabby

[Larkspur]

Hi, I've never known them touch mint, rosemary or thyme ;) but I wouldn't vouch for them or any other herbs next to a compost heap.

[saddad]

I have a small herb bed near my bins and apart from a sacrificial comfrey and self sown borage they leave it alone. They also seem to detest Buckler leaved (French) Sorrel which self set along the front of the bins and makes a nice tangy salad addition but needs washing!
 ;D

[Georgie]

They rarely eat chives or garlic chives but they do eat parsley, coriander and basil in my experience.

G x

[kt.]

I have only ever grown mint. It grows in abundance and has never suffered from any pest disease at all.   Touch wood :o

[Mrs Ava]

They graze off my basil as it germinates in the greenhouse......slimey critters!

[Georgie]

EJ, have you noticed they seem to go for the green leaved basil rather than the purple stuff?

G x

[tabbycat]

Thanks for the observations.... it would seem that they don't like the really "woody" or "oniony" herbs but like the soft leaved annual ones.

Maybe I'll put all the really offputting herbs right next to the heap in a deep barrier and hope that they don't attempt to venture through it to get to the tasty stuff

(i know that's just wishful thinking though.... they'll yomp through anything to get at nice tender seedlings  ::))

Tabby

[Mrs Ava]

I have never successfully germinated the purple basil Georgie....or do the snails feast on mine before I spot it is through!!!!????

[Georgie]

I have never successfully germinated the purple basil Georgie....or do the snails feast on mine before I spot it is through!!!!????

I've grown dark opal these last few years but next year I'm trying red ruben.  Will happily send you some seeds or seedlings if you like?

G x

[Multiveg]

I do notice slimy molluscs on the allium family, but probably because they have an instinct to climb up!
Parsley succumbs to them. Basil had holes in last year.

[Mrs Ava]

ooo Georgie......you temptress! ;D

[MattD]

Whenever I plant thyme it is reduced to a bare patch covered in slime in a couple of nights.

Presumably the slugs and snails would taste of the herbs they had just eaten. javascript:replaceText(' ;)', document.forms.postmodify.message);
Wink

Thyme would be good for a French style escargot, basil perhaps for thai snails.

[mc55]

hmm, my herbs are the only things that the slugs haven't munched - but they are in a gravel path, so maybe thats why.

I've heard that slugs detest lavender, something to do with the oil - perhaps you could use that as a barrier between your herbs and the compost area ?