Unintentionally, the pretty marigold is extremely attractive to slugs. It exudes a very special smell that is extremely attractive to the voracious animals. You can use this as distraction fodder. However, if you want to enjoy the bright flowers, you should protect the marigolds accordingly.
Why are marigolds attractive to snails?
Tagetes attract slugs because they give off a special smell that is very attractive to the animals. To protect them, you can place rings of sawdust, rock dust or quicklime around the plant or use a snail fence.
Tagetes magically attract snails
Almost every gardener who has ever planted marigolds in the garden knows the picture: the plants that were still attractively flowering the evening before were completely eaten away by slugs during the night, creating a pitiful picture. Since slug pellets should be taboo in vegetable beds, you can use this effect and plant marigolds to combat slugs.
- Plant some marigolds.
- The snails will pounce on this food in the evening hours.
- Collect the animals and abandon or destroy them.
However, this approach should be used with caution in areas with a lot of snails, as the marigolds could also attract all the snails in the neighborhood.
Protect student flowers from snails
If you want to enjoy the pretty basket flowers of the various marigold varieties, you need to take appropriate measures to curb the snail plague. However, the often recommended beer trap should not be used in this case, as the smell of beer and marigold attracts snails. It makes more sense to get a ring from:
- Sawdust
- Stone powder
- burntlime
To sprinkle around the plants or bed. Snails shy away from dryness and avoid crawling over these surfaces. The barrier strips must be replaced after every downpour.
The most promising way to combat snails is with a snail fence (€89.00 on Amazon), which the animals cannot overcome. This not only effectively protects the lettuce, but also the marigolds from the slimy eaters.
Tip
Make your garden attractive to slugs' natural predators. Hedgehogs, moles, frogs and blackbirds actively support them in the fight against snails and other harmful insects.
