Bushy violet-blue flowers adorn the liver balm in its heyday. With them he enhances many a perennial bed like an artist. Many gardeners know that it is poisonous. But did you know that it is also a popular food for snails?

Snails love liver balm

This perennial favors the spread of snails

Snails like to eat the liver balm. If you have the choice between him and other perennials, you will definitely fall for him. They love the taste and smell the liver balm from afar.

Therefore, liver balm favors the spread of snails. Don't plant this perennial in large numbers! Unless you like snails… It's also a good idea not to plant the liver balm too densely and allow the soil between each plant to dry out from time to time.

Protect liver balm from snails

If you plant liver balm to admire its flowers, you should protect it from snails. It is not always necessary to collect the animals in the evening hours. There are other options such as keeping beneficials:

  • Hedgehog
  • frogs
  • toads
  • ducks
  • Design a garden close to nature
  • Provide shelter: hedges, dead wood, piles of leaves, bushes

You can also build natural barriers to keep snails away. Among others, these slimy beasts don't like to crawl over anything dry like:

  • lime
  • sand
  • rock flour
  • wood ash
  • sawdust

Here are other ways to keep snails away from liver balm:

  • Install a snail fence (at least 15 cm high, with sharp edges facing outwards)
  • regular hoeing of the ground destroys snail eggs
  • Frame planting of aromatic herbs such as thyme and hyssop

Liver balm as bait for snails

Some gardeners also plant liver balm because they intend to use it to keep snails away from other perennials or vegetables. The snails prefer the liver balm to most other plants. To do this, you should place the liver balm in the immediate vicinity of the other endangered plants that are worthy of protection, ideally in groups of several.

tips

Although snails love liver balm. That doesn't mean he's completely harmless. It's toxic to us humans.

Category:

Herbs