Help with choice of hosta

stevew1975 · February 2014

Several times I have seen in gardens a blue-green hosta with biggish leaves that all looked intact! One was in the garden of a holiday cottage I stayed in, and there was no evidence of slug pellets or even of any other deterrent.

I love hostas but don't like seeing them looking unsightly and tattered - but equally nor do I like using toxins. Is anyone able to identify the likely variety I have seen and/or recommend any other hosta that won't appeal to slugs and snails? I bought what I thought was the "right" one last year, but alas, I don't think it was as a fair bit of it got chomped.

Ashleigh 2 · February 2014

I heard the gardener who looks after the national Hosta collection say they sprinkle a few slug pellets on Valentines day and the rest of the year use a homemade garlic spray and they never have a problem. You can find recipes online.

Fairygirl · February 2014

It may have been sieboldiana steve. It has blue, strongly ribbed leaves which are tougher than the more variegated ones, and the general consensus is that that's the reason they leave them alone. That said, I have one, and it was shredded last year by the giant snails that live here!

The self coloured ones tend to have tougher leaves anyway, so you might want to favour those. There's been lots of discussion on here about remedies to keep slugs away, from beer traps and grit, to garlic washes and night time hunting with a torch!

fidgetbones · February 2014

I grow Hostas by the side of the pond. I think the frogs take care of the slugs, because they all seem to be fine. some are variegated, others plain (Honeybells and Big Daddy) The same plant away from the pond gets shredded.

stevew1975 · February 2014

Thanks one and all, might try obtaining a sieboldiana. I tried copper tape round tubs but even that met with limited success.

I might well try the garlic recipe and give it one last go before getting rid of my existing ones in tubs. Will see if sieboldiana copes among my ferns and bark chippings - if not I'll stick with the red campion I sowed last year. Sadly the conditions that favour hostas also favour their mollusc nemeses!

Fairygirl · February 2014

I'd agree with you fidget- I also had variegated ones by the pond at my last house and they were largely untouched. I also think that, with most pests and diseases, weather and conditions play a role, so some years they will be worse than others. In the house near where I am now, I grew sieboldiana (among others) and it was never touched, but I had a small pond there and lots of birds coming in and I think that makes a huge difference. Even the 'softer' varieties had little damage. Not enough predators in this garden yet.

So - you need a pond Steve!

Hostafan1 · February 2014

As well as the above information which I'd agree with: one my greatest aids in the war against slugs / snails is blackbirds. I used to feed them with the suet based bird "treats" sprinkled on the ground( not seed, as it'll germinate). Now they're in the garden every day, even now, flicking up leaves etc looking for any grubs, worms and slug/ snail eggs at this time of year. The pond is great esp if it has shallow sides as hedgehogs (also partial to snails ) might well visit too. I have over 200 hostas and about 80- 90 varieties and I didn't use any artificial control last year.

I'll confess it takes a leap of faith to leave the pellets on the shelf, but I've not regretted it.

Fairygirl · February 2014

I never use the pellets either Verd and Hostafan. You're so right about blackbirds - I love watching them rake around among leaves. Thrushes are great snail hunters too.

That's a great tip - the bits of suet treat. I might try that

Dovefromabove · February 2014

I grow 'Sum and Substance' and they are left alone by the varmints, they have mounds of big tough leaves. Blue Angel does get attacked if I don't handpick around them in the evenings. We have hedgehogs, frogs and blackbirds in the garden and they certainly help keep slugs, snails and weevils etc at bay.

I don't put slug pellets down but as soon as the hostas are peeking through the soil I surround them with a mulch of sharp sand and make sure there are no nearby leaves or stems of other plants which slugs and snails could use as a 'bridge' to reach the hostas.

I keep other hostas in pots and again, I inspect them regularly for lurking slugs, snails etc.

Help with choice of hosta

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