How to use Garlic as a Natural slug and snail repellent
You don't - because it doesn't work
You’ve probably heard the claim that garlic is a natural slug repellent. There are countless recipes online touting the benefits of boiling garlic cloves in water, pouring the solution into a spray bottle, and using it as an eco-friendly way to deter slugs and snails. The idea is appealing—not only does it promise to protect your plants, but it also claims to do so without harming wildlife or introducing chemicals into your garden. We carried out multiple experiments with Garlic to try with an open mind see if it would prevent slug and snail damage as we have with many different repellents / barriers, but it’s not one we reccomend in our 3 steps to slug free guide.
The garlic spray recipe we followed in the experiment above was from Gardeners’ World, and it goes like this:
“A homemade garlic spray can be effective in deterring slugs and snails from your plants, but only if you spray your plants regularly. Take two full bulbs of garlic and add them to a saucepan containing two liters of water. Boil gently until soft, then use a fork to mash the bulbs, releasing as much juice as possible. Pour the mixture through a sieve to remove the skins. Dilute this concentrated garlic solution by adding 2 tablespoons to five liters of water. Spray or water your plants once a week or after rain.”
Sounds promising, doesn’t it? But is it really the magic cure that we hear so much about from other Gardeners? Unfortunately, despite its good intentions, this popular advice often results in wasted time, effort, and, ultimately, disappointment. Many gardeners, including myself, have tried this method with an open mind, only to find that their plants were still ravaged by slugs and snails. We share with you In the video below the results of these two experiments above. The results? Underwhelming, to say the least. Neither the raw garlic nor the spray lived up to its reputation, leaving my plants just as vulnerable as before. It won’t be a product i’ll be reccomending in my slugshop – where i’ll aim to only stock the best quality products which actually work. I am not sure why people reccomend garlic spray, i assume they just find out about it on a google search and do the same with no research, plus some confirmation bias. either way, it certainly won’t be making an entry into my 3 steps to slug free- comprehensive guide.
But don’t take my word for it, i am just an internet stranger, take a look for yourself:
Even though it’s immpasilibity as a barrier is non existent, i’ll still review it like i do all barriers / repellents for slugs and snails like in my 3 step to slug free guide by rating it from very poor = 1, poor = 2, fair= 3, good =4, excellent = 5 with immpassability counting for half of the score (so amplify it’s rating by 3), as it’s a barrier / repellent first and foremost afterall.
Impassability:
Rating: very Poor 3
Slugs and snails arn’t repelled in the slightest against Garlic in it’s raw form or in water it’s been boiled in. If anything it’s an attractant as they will often eat Garlic.
Environmental impact:
Rating: good = 4
It’s a natural product and will decompost and is non toxic, the only reason i didn’t give it an excellent rating is wasting food isn’t good for the enviroment and it has none of the desired repellent effect.
Cost-Effectiveness:
Rating: very poor = 1
Even though it’s an inexpensive product it has no effect, so it can’t possibly have good cost effectivness
Maintenance Required:
Rating: poor =2
Total score 11 – poor
Even in a world where garlic spray was incredibly effective at repelling slugs and snails from your favorite garden plants and seedlings, it would have to be reapplied everytime it rained and often slugs will come out when it’s just rained when all the garlic spray would have washed off.
conclusion and what to do to actually protect your plants from slugs and snails
Well, I wish garlic spray was the magic cure. But, while it’s well-intentioned, spreading this misinformation only leads to wasted time and effort—leaving your plants to be eaten by slugs regardless. Since I began researching slug prevention and the damage they cause to gardens back in 2019, I’ve compiled a shop featuring the best products and a simple 3-step guide to help you effectively protect your plants. I suggest you check it out and leave the garlic where it belongs—in your kitchen.