Even the very best of gardeners can be driven to despair by slug invasions, with the hungry creatures quite happy to chomp away on your beautifully laid plants and flowers without a care in the world, causing all sorts of damage.
Fortunately, there are ways to stop ravenous slugs from making themselves at home in your garden this summer, with one simple, everyday kitchen item said to be particularly effective at keeping them at bay.
The godsend item in question should only set you back 21p, and you'll most likely have a few knocking about somewhere in your fridge drawer already.
The clever gardener recently shared the smart hack in the Facebook group Gardening UK, the Daily Express reports.
She wrote: "I have to share this win - I can confirm garlic water keeps the slugs and snails away. I have not been able to get my dahlias to grow at all this year, as soon as there was a shoot it was eaten.
"Having a dog I needed pet-friendly options. I tried wool pellets, copper tape, gel, midnight hunts, but I could not get rid of them.
"I made some garlic water, spray once a day and this is what I have. I'm not sure if they will catch up and flower this year but I'm just so pleased it works."
Slugs are said to absolutely loathe the scent of garlic and, best of all, this natural spray won't cause any damage to your flourishing plants.
Advising fellow group members on how to whip up a concoction for themselves, she continued: "Boil a clove in a litre of water for 10 minutes and then you use it diluted and spray or water onto vulnerable plants. I find it really effective."
You can pick up a bag of four garlic bulbs from Sainsbury's for a relatively 85p, working out at 21p per bulb, or a single bulb for 24p.
On average, one bulb will contain around 10 to 12 cloves, meaning you'll have enough to make multiple mixtures, should you need to.
Do you have a top gardening tip to share? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com
