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Hostas - Any Advice out There
Yviestevie
Posts: 7,066
in Plants
I've just taken advantage of the Hosta offer. I've never grown them before mainly because of the problems with slugs. The offer will allow me to experiment without spending too much money and I wondered if any hosta enthusiast had any good advice re growing them and protecting them from our slimy friends.
Hi from Kingswinford in the West Midlands
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Hostas benefit form being grown in pots for the first couple of seasons, especially if sall when bought, as tgis gives them time to grow bigger and stronger with better root systems before they need to fend for themselves.
You can protect against slugs with a regular, weekly scattering of organic slug pellets starting on Valentine's Day cos it's easy to remember the date. The point is to scatter thinly around all susceptible plants - daffodis, hemerocallis, hostas, clematis etc - and not to turn teh earth blue. This system get sthe perishers a sthey emerge from hibernation or hatch from eggs and before the have acahnce to feed and breed.
Keep it up till mid July or later if we have a wet summer. Renew after heavy rain.
Plants in pots need protection too so don't forget them.
I took advantage of the Hosta offer too. Basically for the same reasons. If it's the same offer, I looked them all up. Elegans is supposed to be slug resistant anyway. They arrived and we're all very large roots. All in much bigger pots than I had expected putting them in. I will be interested in how yours get on.
I was given a lovely small variety, variegated Hosta last year. I don't know the name of it. My friend had one for herself and hers was destroyed by slugs. My was not touched at all and flowered beautifully. Perhaps it's pot luck. Mine was planted where I now know there is some sort of rodent living. (Which doesnt bother me.) And not far from where I feed the birds. So my other theory is something is eating my slugs
"The point is to scatter thinly around all susceptible plants and not to turn the earth blue."
LOL. I have seen people literally cover the top layer of pots with the blue pellets.
I've got a neighbour who does that and the path around the pots as well. She then neglects the plants anyway water and feedwise so it's not a pretty sight at all. She reckoned she had a fabulous garden where she lived before but I have severe doubts about that
I have a hosta which is, supposedly, slug proof. Bought it from a specialist supplier who recommended it.
Guess which of my hostas is a slug magnet!
Grow them in containers with copper tape. I've never had 1 hole.
Thanks for all the advice, I had planned to plant them in pots anyway. I might try a little experiment and place them in different parts of the garden and use different methods of repellant and see what works the best. I must admit I'm most drawn to the copper tape.
My hostas in the part ot the garden patrolled by ducks and hens rarely ever get a hole. The one where I try to keep them out doesn't fare so well!