Something's eating my hostas

[SqueezeMaMa]

We just bought a house (3 months ago) and I've never really gardened before. I have no idea what I'm doing!! I need help from someone who won't tell me to put chemicals on my lawn and flowers. So, what's eating my hostas? Little holes all over the leaves. Someone told me it's slug and that I can "buy something to kill them." What should I do?

[chocomoto]

Slugs love hostas. There are several natural ways to deter them.

Put out a shallow pan of beer in the same area. They are attracted to it and will drown...a bit disgusting and inhumane, but it works.

Spread coffee grounds. The acidity repels slugs.
Crushed egg shells supposedly work, but I've never tried it.

Hope that helps some!

Carolyn

[Chanley]

Pull the mulch away from the base of the hostas. This is where they live. Sink the beer so it is level with the ground, like an in ground beer pool. They will literally RUN into the beer. THe cheaper the beer the better. Think snails are slow, HEHEHE put out some cheap beer.

Diatomaceous earth will kill them. It cuts them up.

IF you go out at night and see them, you can spray them with an amonia/water solution. Make sure it is pure amonia not hte colored scented junk. Amonia will turn to nitrogen in your soil and will kill slugs on contact. Try not to get any on the leaves, it might burn them.

DONT use salt, it is bad news for your dirt.

good luck they are slimy b#$W%^%^&... and are hard to reckon with.

[serenetabbie]

We have this problem too. For some reason, the slugs seem to prefer the more verigated smaller hostas than the bigger more green ones. Hmmm....more tender maybe? Anyhow, the cheap beer in a shallow yellow dish works. We use yellow because it also attracts any wasps during the day time. I put out bits of egg shells before, and I guess they were good for something to eat because they were always gone in the am. If the hostas are near/under any acid loving things (like rodedendrons/ pines ) I would use coffee grounds too! Good luck!