Sprinkling this natural item on your strawberries will repel slugs and help them grow healthier

Now is a great time to harvest your strawberries - here's how to protect them until you do

June is the perfect time for harvesting those delicious strawberries you've been growing since last year - but you must get to them before slugs do.

A whole crop of strawberries will spoil if slugs get to them, and the time of harvest is when they are at their most vulnerable - as slugs go wild for the natural sugars in ripening berries and can chew through a whole patch overnight.

Although no gardener wants their crop eaten by the slimy pests, it is highly recommended not to spray harsh chemical repellents near any crops you want to eat.

Alternatively, Sally Phillips, the creator of Chimney Sheep, has shared a natural yet very effective way to keep slugs away - using sheep wool.

Sally said: “Wool is also a fantastic natural deterrent if slugs and snails are munching on your strawberry plant. Our felt shillies are perfect to deter the cheeky molluscs as they hate the feeling of the scratchy wool felt on their bodies."

It may sound bizarre, but sheep wool contains lanolin, a waxy substance that quickly dries out slugs and damages them, making these critters wary of crawling over it.

Sheep wool also contains natural oils and salt from sheep sweat, which also harms slugs, and it has a roughly prickly texture that slugs find extremely irritating to touch.

This is a simple and eco-friendly way to make a barrier and keep your strawberry harvest safe from slugs, but it also helps plants stay healthy in the summer heat.

Sheep wool is very absorbent and will allow water to slowly trickle into the soil to keep strawberries hydrated for much longer.

This material also helps the soil maintain a cooler temperature, so the strawberry plants do not become stressed out in the hot weather, which can lead to a higher fruit harvest.

How to use sheep wool to keep slugs away from strawberries

Firstly shred the wool into small pieces and scatter it around the base of the strawberry plant.

Sheep wool is a thick material that can easily mat and clump together, blocking water from getting to the roots. To avoid this, make sure to spread it in a thin layer to prevent it from smothering the soil.

Do not let sheep wool touch the stems or leaves. Sheep wool can hold a lot of moisture, which can greatly help plants out in summer. However, too much water can cause any touching foliage to rot.

Once you have added the sheep wool, give it a deep watering to help it mix into the soil and begin to break down.

Sheep wool will naturally form a barrier to protect your strawberries from any slugs foraging in your garden this summer.

However, you can also combine sheep wool with other natural deterrents like crushed eggshells and coffee grounds to keep your berries safe from these slimy critters.