Copper Foil Garden Slug and Snail Protection
by Chris Granger
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About Storm Copper:
One menace shared by plant-lovers and gardeners alike is the common garden slug and snail. Slugs and snails eat away at your young, defenseless shrubs and plants and will keep on eating unless they’re stopped. Help protect your garden by creating a perimeter of copper foil around any plant you want to keep safe. It has been found that slugs and snails may be repelled by the copper metal foil. Some believe this is because the copper reacts with the slug’s mucus to create an electrical charge. Many gardeners have taken advantage of this useful phenomenon.
All you need for this project is thin copper foil about .010” thick (30 gauge). You cut the foil to an appropriate width of about 3 inches with simple metal cutters. Once you have the materials, just bury the copper with about 2 inches exposed above the ground completely encircling the plant.
For extra protection and even a decorative touch, you could also bend the top of the copper foil strip with a vice and a rubber mallet. The bend may keep the more persistent slugs from crossing the copper foil barrier. To make the bend, simply clamp the copper foil strip with the vice and use the mallet to bend it to the desired degree. I would suggest bending only about the top half-inch or so of the copper foil. If you do choose to bend the strip, you will need protective gloves to guard against any sharp edges that the copper foil may develop. Also, be sure to have the bend facing away from the inside of the circle to keep the unwanted pests away from your shrubs.
You can also apply the copper foil barriers to a larger plants or trees by using adhesive backed Velcro to attach the copper foil band to the trunk of the tree or plant you are trying to protect. You can bend the copper foil away from the tree, as shown in this photo from the University of California at Davis: copper foil slug barrier for trees, by making short incisions up the copper foil and bending the small flaps outward with pliers.
You can also protect your plants growing in planter boxes. One method is to have the copper foil extend out a few inches around the planter to keep the slugs from climbing up the sides of the planter box into your plants. Thanks again to the University of California for another great photo: copper foil slug barrier for planter boxes
Enjoy your new copper foil slug protection. May the investment you make in your gardens always be safe from the slug and snail menace.
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