Hi daffydill
I nearly suggested a moat – it works for growing salad plants in fairly small containers on bricks in the middle of a large water tray. But you would need to make sure there wasn’t any ‘drawbridge’ at all, so it would need quite a big water container to be able to make an island big enough for a hog to eat from in the middle. But if you can think of a way of achieving it, water should stop the slugs. I was wondering about something with legs, each in smaller water trays. Look forward to hearing what you come up with.
Alternatively copper tape works a bit, but I think a fairly wide band is needed for the longer term. But grit doesn’t really work all that well unless they have to get over a fair bit of it, especially if it gets wet. Sheeps wool works a bit, but again, if it doesn’t get wet, and does need replacing fairly often. (also the hogs would probably move it out of the way climbing over it). Your best bet might be evicting the slugs to another part of the garden, as you did. They will probably be back, but it still leaves the time it takes them to get back.
But, re. the garlic – yes, hogs do have a very good sense of smell. But it’s garlic spray that people use to stop slugs eating hostas, apparently – some people seem to think it works. You’d need to try a dilute solution of it to see if the hogs minded. But, I would definitely not spray garlic solution on the actual food, or too close to it, but the hogs may not object to it in a circle round the wider feeding area.
Good luck. Hope you solve the problem.
