What's wrong with my Hosta?

I have several hostas in which I acquired through purchasing my home. I decided to leave them, as they were all a lovely size and situated just right.

However, at this time of year, they do this:

Half of the leaves flop in the wind and become unsightly. Losing the great habit that Hostas are known for.

If you already haven't noticed, they are riddled with holes.

Not only are the leaves damaged but the stems.

The leaf stems are weakened from slugs feeding voraciously.

The stems become weak and with the wind, the leaves bend with no strength and make the Hosta look unsightly.

Nearly, at the base of each leave stem, you find a tiny slug. This one made it into my pail of salt water this morning.

I have used: slug bait, beer baits, hair, coffee grounds...you name it. Now resorting to early morning hand picking.

Thankfully, my other slug resistant Hostas are thriving and show no signs of this damage.

If this had occurred before mid July, I would have cut the Hosta back to the ground and let it re-foliate. But given it's mid August, I will remove the worst of the leaves and continue the battle against slugs. :(

Moral of the story:  buy slug resistant Hostas!

Common Garden Pests - Slugs Deroceras reticulatum

One of my fondest memories, is my aunt and I waking up early in the morning to pick slimy, sticky slugs (called Schnecken in German). We'd have a bucket full by the time breakfast was ready, only to sit and laugh with a cup of coffee on the patio. Mind you, the slugs in Germany are HUGE compared to here in Ontario. It was the most effective method, since their large size made most other controls useless. They made considerable damage to my Aunts veggie garden and her prized Dahlias. It was well worth the effort to pick that early.

The Ontario Slug: Deroceras reticulatum - causing me grief. Unlike the German Schnecken, these guys are much smaller. Scrunched up, they are as tiny as 1cm long.

Small slug - half an inch or so long.

Unfortunately the slugs in my garden stay away from my view, as I only end up seeing their devastation when it's too late. Plus, I have an early start to work, and can't putz around in my garden that early to comb over the plants. However, this morning, instead of running to the coffee machine, I went outside to make sure it was in fact them eating away. It was time to find my slimy enemies.

I have many hostas, lettuce, lamium, kale, swiss chard.... and I am tired of seeing their foliage turn out like swiss cheese.

Having a blissful morning munch.

Apparently yesterdays meal. (Rudbeckia)

Munch, munch, munch... (Lamium)

Even damage on some of the tougher leaves in the garden. (Ligularia)

Grrr...

In the past, I've managed to "kill a few with the good old brew". Yes, beer. I used to dig out small areas of soil to place a shallow sour cream container filled with beer over night to see in the morning a few had died in the blissful brew. Not worth the wasted beer. I've also used newspaper sheets, rolled up, soaked in beer. Ya, a bunch of slugs, pill bugs and earwigs were tucked in there, but my garden would need the entire Saturday Star and the weekend flyers to do the job. Rolled up paper, wet from water does the same trick too.

Because my small backyard is fenced off between my neighbours, no matter what I've tried thus far...they come back. I prefer harmless solutions. So here are other options I've used before:

• eggshells 
• diatomaceous earth 
• hair 
• coarse compost (leafy and mulch materials)
• coffee grounds 
• lemon and orange rinds  
• sand

Yet, I'm afraid this wet summer has produced persistent moist conditions. Perfect conditions for the slug. They are multiplying quickly and the above methods aren't working. This has been the worst year, so I've caved in and bought myself some "friendly" Slug B Gone.

Scotts EcoSense: Slug B Gone. Non toxic to pets, birds etc...

Small pellets. Spread per directions on the bag, just before expected rain.

I still have three full months to enjoy my perennials before the frost comes. I'd like to see less damaged foliage. Should of done this weeks ago. I'll report on the results soon.

Swiss Cheese Holes

Heuchera Caramel

This has definitely been the year of the bug. From trees, evergreens, perennials, veggies - everything has been munched on. There's nothing more disheartening than watching it happen.

Coreopsis under leaves

Here are some samples in my tiny backyard. Leaves are bearing the marks of swiss cheese.

Hosta 'Pauls Gold'

Culprits: slugs, earwigs, pill bugs and leaf cutter bee. Toss in a caterpillar or two, and that sums up the damage.

Lamium aureum

I've managed to control a lot worse damage by removing slugs in the evening, watering in the morning hours and keeping a close eye. But to no avail, I still have to live with the damage.

The woes of a gardener, eh?  Happening to you too?

Collecting Hair for Garden

I had my hair trimmed, and I collected the trimmings. I have thick hair and the hairdresser always remarks that I leave a small animal behind ;)

I made sure this time I took my furry leftovers with me.

You may be wondering why.

My garden has slugs. My Spinach, Strawberries, Hostas and other perennials were damaged last year. (I will make a post on other slug control methods in a short while).

This year, I will nip the problem in the bud with this organically and most cost effective pest-control method.

I used to have an ample supply of dog hair for my old garden, but having lost my dog to old age a number of years back, I have resorted on finding other alternatives to getting hair.

Here I've cut mine in shorter strands, just large enough to keep slugs at bay.

If you don't have a dog or cat to collect hair, the next time you go and get your haircut, ask the hairdresser or barber for yours, if not others.




Once my Hostas start to pop up, a bunch of hair will be scattered about 2 feet around each plant.

How it works: The hair will get all entangled on the slugs and they will move on elsewhere.

TIP: I've cut the hair down into smaller strands as in the past, when I've used my hair, the longer the hair the more it blows around and the more it gets used by birds to make nests.