sweettoothlady
Newly Registered
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2004 9:33 pm
Location: Southeast Wisconsin

Holes in my Hosta Leaves

I have many Hostas in my yard, and all of them have many holes in the leaves. I believe these are slugs. Can earwigs make all these holes also? How do I stop these insects from feasting on my Hostas. It's probably too late for this year. But, I am already thinking how to control them for next year. Thanks for your help.

The Helpful Gardener
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Posts: 7491
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:17 pm
Location: Colchester, CT

Earwigs feed on dead plant tissue, not live, so look to those slimy little slugs for the damage done. The old metaldehyde slug killers and other poisons are a danger to any creatures who eat slugs, so I don't use them, but there are starting to be creature safe methods to kill them.

The old organic methods are late night picking (give me three ten o'clock pickings (I throw them in a little jar of salt water) and watch how the damage goes away (it's the same culprits night after night). I have my toad house under my hosta (we've recently moved and there's no sign of occupation yet, but I remain hopeful). Toads eat loads of the nasty varmints. Finally the old beer trap works wonders, but everyone does it the wrong way, sticking that dish under the hostas, thereby calling every slug for 300 yards (yep, that far) into the middle of a dreamy slug salad! Put the dish away from gardens and call the slugs out, not into the garden and you'll have better results...

Remember certain hostas are more slug resistant; look for thick leathery leaves (H. sieboldiana 'Elegans, H. 'Frances Williams', etc. and you'll have less damage. And don't belive everything you hear; the worst damage in my current hosta bed is on H. 'Invincible', originally touted as very slug resistant :roll:

Scott

sweettoothlady
Newly Registered
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2004 9:33 pm
Location: Southeast Wisconsin

Scott,

Thanks again for your helpful advice.



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