Slugs and snails: how to control in small spaces

If you grow food in containers, chances are that you'll have a problem with slugs and snails at some point. In most small spaces their natural predators simply do not exist (ducks are rare on balconies!). This means you have to control them yourself. Unfortunately there is no magic bullet with slugs. Having said that, with just a few minutes every week, it is usually possible to keep the population under control in most small spaces. A few slugs are not normally a problem but a large population will decimate your plants and be very disheartening. This video shows you the two most effective ways I've found to control a population. It goes on to give you a couple of tips for keeping slugs off you seedlings, as well as a few other slug control methods that can sometimes help (but won't solve the problem).

There is one other technique, not mentioned in the video, that is worth knowing about - just in case you ever find yourself in need of a Plan B. Online, you can buy  nematodes (small animals that parasitise and kill slugs) that you water onto your garden and that will kill most of the slugs.

Your Turn..

What have you found works best to manage slugs and snails in your container garden? I'd love to hear in the comments below.