[Pil-pc-oceania] snail repellent plants?

[jedd]

On Mon, 3 Sep 2007, petra.kahle at haztech.com.au wrote:
> A friend was asking me today how to repell snails from her yard without
> harming them in anyway. Do any of you know what plants may repel snails?
>
> I only remember that the sometimes recommended saw dust only works
> sometimes.

 Prickly pear may slow 'em down.  :)   Some plants may repel them,
 but I'd guess it'd be a more physical than aroma / flavour thing.  So
 things like comfrey that are pretty hairy, for example -- though
 plants like that would just give them more hiding places.

 Wood ash (sprinkled in an unbroken line) works as a barrier, as does
 copper (you can buy this in 'tape').  The former washes away in rain
 and too much of a good thing isn't so good.  The latter implies you
 have a relatively small area, with decent edging to attach it to.
 You can get electric fences that stop them, but again this implies a
 strong edging.  All the above imply that they're coming in at night
 from outside the area -- if they're living within (under mulch, in
 water-wells of pots, etc) -- then this isn't going to work.

 Everything I've heard and read so far suggests the single best way
 of reducing your snail numbers is to keep animals -- either chooks
 or ducks for heavy control, or frogs and small lizards for more
 modest numbers.  My small lizards (they are patterned like stylized
 goannas, and grow to 15-20cm) also eat a goodly quantity of grass-
 hoppers.

 Jedd.