Common garden like snails and slugs are often a major annoyance for gardeners. That's because these mollusc creatures are known to damage plants by eating them with fruits, tubers, leaves and seedlings all at risk from them too. Snails and slugs are therefore prone to causing significant damage to your garden, even causing potential loss of crops.

But fear not, as gardening expert has an easy solution to keep these unwelcome visitors at bay and best of all, it uses no harsh chemicals either. Writing in his popular gardening blog, Monty Don also advised to stay away from using slug pellets when getting rid of snails and slugs and offers a far easier and natural alternative.

Despite their disdain among gardeners, Monty Don began his advice by reminding readers that both snails and slugs are actually "superb at recycling waste vegetative matter".

Monty Don advises one simple tip, which involves feeding the soil and not the plant.

"This will avoid a spurt of soft, sappy growth that slugs love," he explained.

Morris Hankinson, founder and managing director of Hopes Grove Nurseries, reiterated this pertinent advice and added how "healthy soil is where growing starts".

He added: "This will help plants thrive, be stronger and more able to resist slugs and snails, or at least some damage.

"Compost, mulch, leaf mulch and anything organic which encourages a balanced soil and ecosystem will benefit the garden overall.

"This is a sustainable element of a biodiverse garden, but won't directly help with keeping slugs and snails from munching on young plants."

Keeping on the theme of planting, Monty Don also strongly urged gardners to not feed plants any more than is absolutely necessary.

Hankinson further explained: "Plants which have been overfed, especially with high nitrogen fertiliser, tend to encourage lots of foliage which is soft and delicious to slugs and snails.

"Feeding only as needed will be somewhat less appealing to some pests.

"There is, however, a balance to reach because some plants do need regular feed, especially if growing in pots.

"Mulching and looking after the soil plants grow in is perhaps preferable to maintain balance."