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Slugs have devoured my hostas

Slugs have devoured my hostas

Question from Shoot User
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My hostas have been decimated by slugs. One or two are already growing new leaves - can I cut the eaten laves back to aloow the new ones more room to grow? The eaten ones look awful.
Thanks!
Posted: Monday 25th of July 2011 01:47 PM

  • Re: Slugs have devoured my hostas

    Valerie Munro
    you can prune out the damaged leaves, but you must also address the question of controlling slugs at the same time - otherwise your brand new leaves will get nobbled as well.

    If your hosta is in a pot, you can stick copper tape around the outside rim of the pot - this will stop the slugs and snails crossing the 'line'. However if you are going to do this, look carefully at the undersides of the leaves (or what remains of them) as there could be the odd snail hiding there, and he/she will not be put off by the copper tape.

    If the plant is in the ground then I would sprinkle slug pellets around it and be prepared to renew these every 7 days or so, especially if we have had heavy rain.

    I hope that this helps.

    Auntie Planty
    twitter @THEauntieplanty
    Replied: Monday 25th of July 2011 06:40 PM

    • Re: Re: Slugs have devoured my hostas

      Shoot User
      Thanks so much for the reply.

      Yes - I know you're absolutely right about future prevention...I'm afraid it was just total inexperience on my part. This my first summer gardening and I had no idea of what a threat slugs posed to Hostas! I have now bought slug pellets, and am reapplying regularly.

      It's good to know that I can prune back the unsightly shredded leave though.

      Thank you!
      Replied: Monday 25th of July 2011 09:08 PM

      • Re: Re: Re: Slugs have devoured my hostas

        Angie Robertson
        If I may add my shillings worth....is there a spot nearby you could leave the foliage you cut off? Slugs are quite lazy and as well as liking new young shoots they also enjoy the rotting ones. I tried this earlier in the year and found it worked. It didnt wOrk miracles but on checking under the rotting leaves over a few weeks I found quite a few slugs.
        Another word of warning don't use too many slug pellets at once because they attract the slugs. This is how the pellets work.
        Cheers
        Angie
        Replied: Monday 25th of July 2011 11:18 PM

  • Re: Slugs have devoured my hostas

    Fannie Leigh
    An old gardener I met on a stall at a garden fair had the answer. Put slug pellets down on Valentine'd Day. Then you catch them out of the egg so to speak. This year was exceptionally bad because of the rain. Personally, I go out after dark with a torch and hand pick them off. 2985 so far this year - but the Hostas are looking good!
    Replied: Saturday 6th of October 2012 05:38 PM
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