How can I protect my plants and herbs from slugs and other pests?

I'm trying to be green fingered in the garden and reverse my history of wilting everything I try to grow.. but how can I protect my plants without using nasty chemicals? Especially for my herb pots - I don't want to be putting anything nasty on them when I plant to eat them. Last year my poor mint plants were savaged by slugs. This year I'm growing sage, mint, thyme, rosemary and basil and lots of lavendar.

How can I protect my plants and herbs from slugs and other pests?
egg shells

its as simple as that

i grow herbs, small amounts of vegetables and strawberries etc

just outside the kitchen door i keep a wee pail and everytime i use eggs i rinse the shells and pop them in there

when i have a need, i take them, crush them in he pail and sprinkle around the pots and earth,

i use no chemicals at all, ever, egg shells create a diatomaceous barrier, lime also works but not so good for some plants, grow rosemary and lavender abundantly also helps, slugs hate the smell of both and wont venture near where its grown, i do grow both but stick with my trusty egg shells hasnt failed me yet, ask a few neighbours or friends to keep them too to get you started, few people have a use for them anyways, and if you have an abundance thrown them in the pot when re planting, does the soil good too
Reply:I found slugs love herbs - and tomatoes (the swines!!).



In DIY and garden centres you can buy copper sticky-backed tape. It's about ￡5 for a biggish roll. I bought this and wrapped it round the pots and it did the trick - slugs get an electric shock when they move across the copper.



You can also lay salt circles round pots but of course, this only works in dry weather.



You can also buy 'pot feet' which raise pots off the ground a little but slugs are capable of stretching so you'll still need copper tape.



Another thing I found in Homebase was woven fabric and copper discs - a bit like weed control fabric. You can trim to size and place this over the dirt in the plant pot. Stops the slugs and stops the weeds too.



Mint is super tough and even if the slugs had a good ol' munch, it'll grow back again!
Reply:I have know many gardeners that have tried to use natural means of protecting against pests but they are never full-proof and they always revert back to chemicals. I use slug pellets and they do the job perfect. Just make sure you remove any dead slugs so the birds dont eat them.
Reply:a good tip is plant marrygolds in between your plants the other thing tuycan do is get small lids and fill them with beer they hate it or slug pellets but i dont like them.
Reply:Slugs like beer apparently!
Reply:My granda used put salt down.
Reply:i know growing castor beans in your garden will detour moles.. not sure about slugs tho
Reply:I agree with Fi, but I'm just addding that egg shells are also great for keeping rodents out, (another pest). they can't stand the feel of the broken egg shells on their feet.
Reply:There are 3 ways to stop slugs and snails, first is the basic snail/slug pellits. work but are not that good because birde will sometimes eat the dead slugs/snails and get sick them selfs.



Second, beer traps. Yeast attracts them and when they fall in the traps they can not excape and will drown.



Biological control.

use nematodes 100% safe around children, pets and other wildlife.

Its what i use ^^
Reply:Before you start with the beer traps remember the hedgehogs get pissed on the slugs and can't roll up to protect themselves from dogs etc.

Hanging baskets?

Try the CAT link:
Reply:I cut plastic cola bottles in half and then cut a slit down one side, wrap them around the base of my plants and pressed into the ground. This has worked well on my promroses and hollyhocks which the slugs usually massacre