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Cucumber and tin foil as a slug deterrent

BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
edited June 2021 in Problem solving
I have read about this several times on tinternet. The cucumber reacts with the tin foil emitting a smell deeply offensive to slugs and snails driving them away. This week I put it to the test. I had two identical flower pot saucers, one covered in tin foil the other au naturel. I put a cucumber slice on each, put them outside a few paces apart, and reversed the position of the saucers every evening. At about 11 pm I went out to count the number of slugs and snails on or immediately next to the saucers.

Here are the results:

uncovered saucer: 11

tin foil saucer: wait for it ... drum roll, please ... 17.

So, there you have it, and it is shocking to have to say this, complete tosh is promulgated on social media. Who knew that? 

Now I will add cucumber+tinfoil to coffee grounds, egg shells and unicorn toe nail clippings to the list of completely useless slug deterrents.
Rutland, England
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  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    I dunno, the unicorn toenail clippings sounds the most plausible. Now, where can I get hold of some......
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Thank you so much for doing the research for us Ben ... I shall cancel my Sainsbugs order for multipack cucumbers and sell my shares in Bacofoil forthwith.  

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    Woolworths, @JennyJ. Until Brexit, larger branches of B&Q as well.
    Rutland, England
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited June 2021
    My understanding is that the Queen and Prince of Wales have monopolised the supply of unicorn toe nail clippings for some time ... along with lion poo to keep the royal deer from eating the royal roses

    Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdomsvg

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    We have the largest supply of unicorn toenail clippings up here. The unicorn is Scotland's official national animal. 
    https://www.visitscotland.com/about/uniquely-scottish/national-animal-unicorn/

    However, considering the amount of slugs we also have, I could have told you it didn't work   ;)

    I always laugh when people talk about putting crushed shells round vulnerable plants. Our house is rendered and has a coating of crushed shell. The slugs regularly climb up it without any problem. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    BenCotto said:
    Woolworths, @JennyJ. Until Brexit, larger branches of B&Q as well.
    You can get anything you want on Amazon, China will be selling them soon along with blue strawberries/tomatoes and roses and the unicorn sh1t to fertilise them. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    @BenCotto It's a shame so many on SM will have wasted their tinfoil ths way, when they should have used it to make perfectly good hats in order to protect themselves from such nonsense. B):D
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    BobTheGardener said:
    @BenCotto It's a shame so many on SM will have wasted their tinfoil ths way, when they should have used it to make perfectly good hats in order to protect themselves from such nonsense. B):D
     :D 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited June 2021
    ... and here, for all those naive slug ingénues, is a picture I took last night. I put out sheep fleece this spring for the birds to take for nesting material. And here are some happy slugs nestling down and having a great old time. So, no, wool doesn't help your seedlings. And beer just help your slugs get drunk at your expense.

    As far as I know there was nothing to eat on the fleece. Maybe they of exploring the market potential for lanolin. Or are investigating the setting up of a local weaving project. Knowing my slugs, that would be about right. 🙄


  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    I hate to pop your bubbles,I have unicorns and they don't have toenails. Got a right rollicking from the old man,I  put the perennial weeds in the garden waste bin,left the lid up and rather a lot of snails escaped!
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