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 a distraction fodder. However, if you want to enjoy the bright flowers, you should protect the marigolds accordingly.
Snails love marigolds
Marigolds 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 night before were completely eaten up by slugs during the night and form a miserable picture. Since slug pellets (7.49€) should be taboo in vegetable beds, you can use this effect and plant marigolds against snails.
- Plant some marigolds between them.
- The snails will pounce on this food in the evening hours.
- Collect and abandon or destroy the animals.
However, this procedure should be used with caution in very snail-rich areas, since the marigolds could also attract all the snails in the vicinity.
Protect marigold from snails
If you would like to enjoy the pretty basket flowers of the different types of marigold, you need to take appropriate measures to contain the plague of snails. However, the frequently recommended beer trap should not be used in this case, as the smell of beer and marigolds attracts snails all the more. It makes more sense to use a ring made of:
- sawdust
- stone flour
- quicklime
To sprinkle around the plants or the bed. Snails shy away from drought and avoid crawling over these substrates. The barrier strips must be renewed after every downpour.
The best way is to fight snails with a snail fence that the animals cannot climb. This protects not only the lettuce, but also the marigolds effectively from the slimy eaters.
tips
Make your garden attractive to the natural predators of slugs. They actively support hedgehogs, moles, frogs and blackbirds in their fight against snails and other harmful insects.