Perhaps you have a snail infestation and would like to fight it naturally without chemicals. If a pokeweed grows in your garden, this is certainly possible, although it requires a little effort.
How do pokeweeds help against snails?
Pokeweeds can be used to control slugs and snails by cooking, drying and grinding roots, seeds or berries. Four tablespoons of it in a liter of water are used to water the snails. The saponins contained break down the mucous membranes of the snails and their eggs.
How do I use pokeweed against snails?
Since pokeweeds are poisonous, you should handle the plants with caution and avoid any contact with skin. It is best to always work with gloves, especially if you have an allergy or your skin is very sensitive.
Use the roots and seeds or even the berries to combat snails. Boil these parts and then dry them. When dried, grind the plant parts. Mix four tablespoons of it in a liter of water and pour it over the snails.
The saponins contained in pokeweeds attack the mucous membranes of the snails and their eggs and decompose them. By the way, you are also doing something good for your soil by increasing its pH value. The microorganisms and soil creatures that are supposed to loosen and mix the soil do not feel comfortable in acidic soil.
Will my pokeweed grow back again?
The pokeweed is quite fast-growing and very easy to reproduce. So she will recover quickly, especially if she feels comfortable where she is. Here it can even happen that the pokeweed starts to grow and crowds out other plants.
In this case, you should at least prevent the pokeweed from spreading further. If the plant grows too much, then at some point it will be time to fight it. Young pokeweeds are often quite easy to pull out in early summer, but older ones have to be dug up.
Snail control with pokeweed:
- Pokeweeds are considered poisonous!
- Avoid skin contact
- working with gloves
- Seeds and roots suitable for snail control
- Saponins decompose the mucous membranes of snails and their eggs
- Cooking, drying and grinding roots, berries and/or seeds
- also increases the pH value of the soil
Tip
If you have a lot of snails and pokeweeds in your garden, then use the plants as a natural remedy against your snail plague.
