Topic: Garlic spray for slugs (Gardener's World last night)

[pye]

Last night's GW featured a "hosta-holic" who swore by a home-made garlic spray to keep slugs at bay. Has anyone here tried it on edibles prone to slug damage?

Link: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012s1qx

[manicscousers]

no, used it for greenfly, it's worked for that, so you never know  :)

[Ellen K]

Garlic schmarlic - I am a hostaholic too (and now out of the closet  :o ) and the only thing that really works is an army of hedgehogs to keep the slug numbers right down.

Even nematodes don't work that well for hostas so I have read.  New slugs come from miles around to feast.

Can't believe it works for other plants either and the first shower or heavy dew sends it in to the ground.

[grannyjanny]

Last year I spoke to someone from Riverford Organics & asked how they grew carrots as you can't enclose fields against the dreaded CRF. They said that the carrots are grown in Ormskirk & they use garlic spray on them. I'm going to give it a try.

[caroline7758]

Well, those hostas on GW certainly looked healthy so the must be doing somethig right!

[Obelixx]

They didn't just use garlic spray.  In early spring they sprinkle wildlife friendly slug pellets to kill th eblighters as they emerge.  then they sprinkle again t get any emetging from over wintered eggs and once te hostas ghet going they use the garlic spray.  It clearly works for them so why not just give it a try yourself?

[goodlife]

I've used garlic spray against fungal diseases on apple and pear trees with very visible results.
It didn't get rid of the black spot of on trees but reduced the damage ..a lot!
So seems like the garlic spray is really good all rounder..I wonder what it does to me if I rub it all over.. :-X ;D...reduction of wrinkles perhaps? ;D

[claybasket]

we have mealy bug on the Brussels sprouts will try the garlic spray on them it might work,washing up liquid didn't,the leaves turned yellowish.

[Kleftiwallah]

For some reason we cannot get sound on our computer, ::) could someone please tell me how to make this garlic spray?  I've got lots of garlic far too small to use in the kitchen.   :-*  Cheers,   Tony.

[goodlife]

You only need to chop few whole gloves with skin and all into container and cover with water..let them 'soak' for week or two..untill the whole concoction stinks to 'high heaven'.. ;D
Then take some the smelly stuff into sprayer or watering can and dilute with water...and off you go... ;)
If you need it to 'stick' better on surface of the leaves..few drops of washing up liquid will help for that.

[Kleftiwallah]

Many thanks for that.  ;) I'll fire up the processor.  ::)   I'll store it next to the Comfrey water, mare'stail water and Rhubarb water !  What an armoury ! ::)Cheers,    Tony.

[goodlife]

 ;D You won't need processor..not that small pieces..
It is enough if you chop the the whole bulbs in half..across the cloves 
Saved u a bit of washing up there.. ;)