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Two to three pieces of garlic boiled in a large pan. leave to cool and bottle. Add two tablespoons to a gallon of water put around hostas works on my hostas every time, does no harm to plants. You could try it on other plants. Would leave bottle outside because it does stink the house up.

Hi, I saw a show garden today that used crushed seashells as decoration. I've heard elsewhere that crushed eggshells act as a slug deterrent because of the coarse texture but seashells might be more durable? If anyone tries it out, let us know :)

Are you allowed to keep livestock on the allotment because a couple of ducks will put paid to most of your slug problems. However they do need to be looked after too which puts more demand on your time.

oh wow, I found the blog, great reading. By the way (famous last words) did you know that snails are 'homing' - if you think you can rid yourself of snails by chucking them over the wall (oh your poor neighbours) you had better think again. They do come back. Furthermore, if you kill a big snail and it has babies lurking somewhere the babies actually grow faster - omigosh, this is dreadful, I shall close now.

Well done Grows on You members! Your replies were quoted over on the Observer allotment blog - http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/allotment/archives/war_on_slugs.html

I understand that slugs and snails hate Copper, perhaps you could put Copper piping around an area but you would have to water the ground with nematodes as you would be stopping the pests escaping! Good luck!!

If you decide to use slug pubs please do not bury the container (I use yoghurt pots) flush with the ground, it must be half an inch or so above the ground so that beneficial beasties do not fall in. Slugs are discerning drinkers, they prefer dark beer such as stout (the mind boggles) Cat litter works in the same way as organic Slug Stoppa granules, both absorb moisture so they 'dry' the slugs and snails out causing them to perish. Garlic rinse is excellent, especially on hostas. Stinky to make though. Can you find a corner to make a boggy area to encourage frogs and toads - they love to scoff slugs.

I have problems with snails rather than slugs but I suppose they are similar pests. I have one or two Hostas in my borders although I keep most in pots which helps against the slugs and snails but recently I have used cat litter around them and touch wood seems to be working ok. I believe one of the best methods to get rid of them is to go out at night with a torch pick them off and squash them, I don't like to kill any living thing but slugs and snails I don't have a problem with, it's either them or my plants, and my plants are precious to me.

My mum finds beer traps work well. You'll have to decide whether Stella constitutes chemical warfare :o)

The classic suggestions include:

Beer traps: bury a glass so the rim is flush with the ground, half fill it with beer. Slugs will be attracted, and drown.

Physical barriers: surround your planting with a border of sharp gravel.

Sacrifial planting: plant something the slugs will prefer to your veg (I'm not sure about this one -- sounds like a way to increase the slug population).

Turning the soil before a frost: exposes eggs etc. to the frost.
Turning the soil in dry weather: exposes eggs etc. to reduced humidity

Keeping things tidy to avoid dark damp sheltering spots.

And of course, wandering around sprinkling salt on the little swine is ghoulish fun!