Coffee and slugs
Can you use coffee granules or instant coffee to prevent slugs and snails in the garden? This idea has been around for a while and, of course, sparks curiosity among gardeners looking for natural solutions. At the bottom of the blog is a video where you can take a full look at weather coffee can help protect your plants from these common garden pests. And if you don’t have 2 minutes and 53 seconds to spare, I’ll show you the highlights anyway.
Using a barrier should be a long term solution against snails.
I am glad you’re considering using a barrier to stop slugs and snails from eating your plants, as they’re one of the quick wins if you get it right. If slugs can’t get to your plants they can’t eat them afterall!
In the experiment at the start, the coffee grounds showed impressive results. Initially, no slugs crossed the coffee pathway, while seven slugs made their way down the earth path instead (which you can see in the above picture). This trend continued, with no slugs or snails venturing more than halfway down the coffee pathway and 34 going down the earth pathway. This clear outcome suggests that slugs and snails, if given the choice, avoid crawling over coffee grounds.
So, can coffee grounds be used to stop slugs and snails from eating your plants? The answer appears to be yes. Based on these results, coffee grounds may act as a natural and effective deterrent for slugs and snails, preventing them from damaging your garden.
BUT—and there’s a big “but,” as you can see from the image below. While slugs don’t like to crawl over our favorite caffeine-filled drink, they will certainly do so if there’s a tasty treat on the other side. Not only that, but its effectiveness appears to drop off rapidly after a short period, especially after rain. Additionally, it has other negative aspects, such as making the earth acidic, so it can’t be used very often either way.
OVerall summary of the effectivness of Coffee Grounds in preventing Snails.
Overall Rating: 18 – Fair
Impassability:
Rating: Poor – 6
Environmental impact:
Rating: Excellent – 5
Cost-Effectiveness:
Rating: Excellent -5
Maintenance Required:
Rating: Poor – 2
How to use coffee to stop slugs?
So, considering all of the information above, how should you use coffee in the garden to stop slugs? Well, as the video and last image above show, it’s not the most reliable method, but it does have some effect. Using coffee in an area sheltered from the rain will make it more effective, as it will last longer. Additionally, using it around plants that prefer acidic soil will have unintended benefits, as the soil will gain added nutrients and acidity.
Since it’s not very reliable on its own, using coffee in conjunction with a more effective barrier will allow you to combine this cheap and organic solution with something more impenetrable, further deterring slugs. However, we only recommend that barriers be used as a first tactic against slugs and snails when protecting potted plants. In this case, a slugstand is your best option. If you’re trying to protect plants that are planted directly in the ground or in raised beds, for example, you should start with Step 1 of our 3-step plan to becoming slug-free and then choose a barrier afterward.
summary of using coffee in repelling slugs
Coffee is a useful ingredient in a gardeners cookbook against slugs and snails. However unless you like to drink coffee anyway, i wouldn’t go out and get some just to protect your garden from slugs and snails, that’s for sure.
So if you’re still wondering how to stop snails eating plants naturally,? Dive into my comprehensive 3 step guide to tackling slugs and snails in the garden. From natural deterrents and effective barriers to tips on managing your garden environment and removing pests when necessary, this guide has you covered. Keep reading to protect your plants the natural way following our 3 step process.