Slugs and snails can be a real headache for hydrangea lovers, munching on everything from the lush green leaves to those beautiful blooms. If you want to keep your hydrangeas looking their best, you’ve got to have a game plan. Here’s how to treat affected plants and send those slimy intruders packing using some of my favorite gardener-approved tips.
How to Keep Slugs Away from Your Hydrangeas
Using bark mulch around your hydrangeas is a total win-win. Not only does it help regulate nutrients and keep the soil nice and moist, but it also acts as a natural deterrent for slugs. For the best results, make sure the layer is thick enough, and try mixing in a little straw. The rough texture makes it much harder for slugs to crawl across.
Other household items that act as great deterrents include:
- Sawdust
- Coffee grounds
- Wood ash
Another pro tip is to master the art of watering your hydrangeas correctly. Slugs are night owls and love damp surfaces. If you water in the morning instead of the evening, the plants have all day to dry off, making them much less attractive at night. Also, try to water directly at the base of the plant rather than splashing the leaves.
How to Get Rid of Slugs for Good
If you’ve already got an infestation, the most effective (though slightly tedious) method is to hand-pick them off the plants in the evening. To make this easier on yourself, try the “flowerpot trick.” Place some upside-down terracotta pots near your hydrangeas. The slugs will crawl inside to hide from the sun, and you can simply collect them all at once the next morning. It’s a quick task that makes a huge difference!
You should also try to make your garden a sanctuary for natural predators. Critters like hedgehogs and frogs absolutely love snacking on slugs and will do the heavy lifting for you. As long as you have a few of these “garden helpers” around, a small number of slugs won’t pose much of a threat to your Hydrangeas.
While there are plenty of chemical pest control options out there, I usually recommend avoiding them. They often contain harsh chemicals that can harm more than just the slugs. By sticking to natural deterrents and manual removal, you can keep your garden healthy, safe, and slug-free!
