The Secret To Keeping Slugs Out Of Your Garden Is Hidden In Your Kitchen

Some think slugs are creepy, and others think they're cool. Either way, finding them munching on seedlings or roots is upsetting. Since slugs are nocturnal, it can seem like they make quick work of your garden despite being slow creatures. If you can't catch them by hand, you can use an ingredient you probably have in your pantry: baking soda.

Getting rid of slugs can be unpleasant if you find them to be icky, so you may appreciate this hands-off approach! Prevention is the best way to eliminate them, and baking soda will do just that. You can also take other preventive measures to ensure they don't come near your garden. For example, you can mow the lawn, pick up buckets, bricks, and other things they can hide under, and remove any weeds. When you do these things, you can kiss your slug troubles goodbye. While those tasks need no explanation, adding baking soda to your garden might not be as intuitive. Here's how to apply it so these pests don't come back.

Baking soda is a harmless ingredient for humans, often used to make delicious chewy cookies. But when used against slugs, it's dangerous! There aren't any set-in-stone studies or research about how or why it kills slugs, but many gardeners are on the same page about baking soda being an effective way to get rid of them. Slugs are sensitive to moisture levels and need to stay on the moist side. Since baking soda contains sodium, coming into contact with it or ingesting it could dehydrate them. Moving across the soil will become incredibly unpleasant, resulting in fewer slugs hanging around your garden. You can also sprinkle it directly on the slugs to kill them faster. But, if you're close enough to do that, you might as well scoop them up and discard them.

Some gardeners are opposed to using baking soda because of the damage it can do to your garden. It might make the soil too salty, which can affect plant growth or damage leaves if applied in high amounts or builds up over time. Baking soda washes away with water so you can save your plants if they don't respond well to the treatment.