Are Snails Good For Plants? - These Green Fingers

Are Snails Good For Plants?
Posted on Published: September 2, 2022 - Last updated: February 2, 2023
We’ve looked at quite a few garden pests recently, and today I wanted to cover snails. Mostly because the wet winter months are taking place and with it come the usual high numbers of slugs and snails.
When I am back in the UK visiting family, I see the snail situation from two sides:
My dad, who cannot stand to have any around, and removes any snails that he finds from the garden
My sister in law, who loves her garden but is more animal lover than garden lover and so allows snails free reign
I myself lie in the middle – if the snail in view is not in an area that I consider problematic, I’ll leave it be, and if it is, I’m sorry to say but they get picked up and thrown overboard.
So, with my personal feelings out the way, let’s dig into more actual facts about snails and whether they’re actually any good for your garden plants!
Are Snails Considered A Pest?
Despite what Spongebob Squarepants’ pet snail Gary would have you believe, snails are considered an invasive species and can cause havoc to any garden. Talk to any gardener about pests, and they will most likely place snails near or at the top of that undesirable list. So yes, snails are considered a garden pest.
Signs that these slow-moving creatures have invaded your garden include chew holes in leaves and flowers along with a dried up slimy trail. In addition, snails become active and feed during the night, so you might struggle to see the snails scoffing up your garden during the day.
The most common variety of snails you will encounter will typically be the Garden snail or Roman snail. When you see telltale signs of snails, it is best to take the necessary steps before they cause significant damage to your plants.
Do Snails Do Anything Good For My Garden?
While snails are categorized as pests, they bring some positives to the table as long as they stay within the confines of a specific parameter. For example, snails can help clean up garden debris like dead leaves, flowers and plant material. However, garden snails generally prefer to chew on dead leaves as much as possible – yes, it turns out that snails are picky eaters!
Additionally, the snail’s feces is rich in nitrogen and minerals, which can act as a natural fertilizer for the soil. Now, this is all well and good if snails stay at ground level, but sadly, they rarely do. Once the banquet of dead leaves is finished, the snails in your garden will have no choice but to climb upwards, towards those tasty green and healthy leaves – and they are excellent climbers.
Are Snails Good For My Plants?
As we have already touched upon previously, snails can be pretty good for your garden in general… The question is whether you are willing to risk the pros and cons of leaving snails to have free roam of your garden space.
Now, snails can speed up the removal of dead plant matter in your garden while enhancing soil fertilization. Having a natural production of nitrogen-rich fertilizer will undeniably improve your plants’ growth, which is what garden snails can provide.
As well as being a natural fertilizer factory, snails can also benefit your garden. Since garden snails are regarded as relatively high on the garden food chain, they can keep lower-tier pests in check. Some gardeners also like the aesthetics that snails bring to their gardens. First, however, it would be best to remember how ravenous these slow-mo critters can be.
If left unchecked, snails can devour the entire plant from root to flower in record time. They may be slow, but they are speedy eaters and will take every opportunity presented to them to fill their insatiable appetites.
Should I Kill Snails That I Find In My Garden?
Well, this is controversial! Some gardeners will say that yes, you definitely should, and others will cry shame on you and implore you to allow the snails free roam.
While you may be tempted to take advantage of some of the snail’s evident positive contributions to the garden – free fertilizer! – the risks in keeping them really do outweigh the benefits. The damage that snails can inflict on your garden can be devastating to the point that they can ruin plants and trees within the vicinity.
So, if you’re not au fait with killing your snails – I’m not! – there are other ways to deal with them included below.
How Do I Get Rid Of Snails In My Potted Plants?
We have highlighted the dangers of letting snails run (or crawl) rampant in your garden, but the threat is considerably heightened in a potted or container garden. This is because potted plants tend to be more delicate than vegetation planted directly on the earth. As such, if a snail manages to crawl into your potted plants and find a hiding place, it can easily wreck your crops in a matter of days without you realizing it until it is too late.
Ask me how I know this. Go on…
Fortunately, there are several ways to eliminate snails from your potted plants and they are also deterrents to prevent future infestations. For example, placing snail-deterring plants like ferns and hydrangeas can effectively keep most snails out of reach from your prized plants.
Other methods of keeping snails from your garden include:
Using chemicals such as pesticides
Installing snail traps
Using homemade snail-killing solutions
Food-grade diatomaceous earth
I suggest using pesticides as the last option, as they might harm your plants and house pets as well as the snails.
Recommended Snail-Exterminating Method: Vinegar
The safest method I can recommend is simply spraying vinegar on every snail you find in your garden. Vinegar is fatal to snails and can kill them quickly with just a couple of sprays from the bottle. Just be careful not to spray the snail if it is munching a plant. Instead, lift off the snail (I always use gloves, because euuw!) and then give it a spray.
You can start with a diluted solution of vinegar and water but you may be less effective than a straight up vinegar spray.
Recommended Snail-Deterring Method: Salt And Coffee Ground
Another alternative you can try is spreading snail repellents around your garden, particularly surrounding your prized and vulnerable plants. A common deterrent is to place a generous amount of salt or coffee grounds on the ground, as snails tend to recoil from touching these two.
I recommend going with coffee grounds, though, as salt might cause an imbalance in the soil’s nutrients which can cause adverse effects on specific plants. That and, well, have you ever seen what happens to a slug when you accidentally (as a child of course) cover it in salt? Not cool!
Other Snail-Deterrent Methods You Can Try
There are other ways to keep snails at bay but these are not as effective as the methods above!
Eggshells
An alternative to coffee grounds, albeit less effective, is using crushed eggshells. Take a bunch of crushed eggshells and spread them around your potted plants and pots. The sharp edges of the shells are said to make the snails think twice, but my Dad will tell you differently!
Homemade Snail Trap
You can also place homemade traps around your garden if you think snails have infiltrated your property. One of the most effective snail traps is using a jar and beer as bait. The scent of beer is enticing to snails, so pour a small amount into a jar and bury it halfway underground beside pots you believe snails have damaged.
When I was younger my dad used to make homebrew beer, and it came in cans of thick treacle syrup stuff. Once emptied, the cans became great for snail traps, though I will have to check in with him on whether they were actually effective!
Using Snail-Deterring Plants
Planting snail-resistant plants can also help reduce the risk of snail infestation. Think about planting the following floras while using other snail deterrent methods for the best results:
Lavender
Garlic
Chive
Sage
Rosemary
Geranium
Introducing Natural Snail Predators
Finally, you could also introduce some natural predators that are partial to a bit of snail for their dinner.
Yes snails are indeed quite high on the garden food chain, but they are not the top predators. You can opt to raise farm animals such as chickens and ducks as these love to eat snails.
Introducing frogs (yes, you’ll need a small pond, but hey-ho!), snail-eating beetles, or enticing birds into your garden can also keep the snail population in your garden closer to zero. And introducing these other animals into the ecosystem of your garden means keeping their population in check too, especially frogs and beetles.
Just note that your lovely pet cat is unlikely to be very helpful as a predator if they spot a lethargic snail meandering along your roof top garden. Mine simply watches them with a sleep half open eye, content that they move too slow to cause any real damage to anything or anyone!
Now that the nights are drawing in faster and the rain is more abundant, I’ll be making sure to check the plants I have left in my flower pots thoroughly each day this winter. My local snails can get their meals from my neighbors this winter!
Do you use any of the above tips for managing the snail population of your garden? Perhaps you have suggestions for other readers? Let me know in the comments!