topic Re: Something ate my hostas in Garden

Something ate my hostas

bmorechick — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 17:04:45 GMT

Because I still work full time, I don't always have time to tend to my garden. Being at the beach in summer also leaves less time, but we try. I am on vacation for the next two weeks (I have 15 weeks accumulated so time to use it in bulk) and I already this morning, walked around the perimeter of my house. My 20 year old hostas are looking sick already. That are half bloomed and there's chomp marks on the leaves! They look awful. Every one of them. My husband said it's those **** deer that roam in the yard in the wee hours. He said he's "got something for them" 🙄

This is the first time they took to the hostas. Anyone know of a way to maybe sprinkle something on them to keep them away? My neighbor said cayenne pepper.

Re: Something ate my hostas

Longtimewatcher — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 17:28:00 GMT

Try shaving or breaking up Irish Spring bars and scattering it around the plants to keep the deer away. We lost the batttle for hostas to snails and slugs - they literally chewed the leaves so they looked like swiss cheese. (We did try Sluggo but couldn't keep up with the critters so we dug the hostas up and gave them away.) Good luck!

Re: Something ate my hostas

Icegoddess — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 17:28:15 GMT

For me it's rabbits, but usually the same products.

Some swear by Milorganite. It's a fertilizer, so you wouldn't sprinkle it on them, but rather around them.

There are also sprays like Liquid Fence.

Both require that they be re-applied after it rains unless you can find a spray that doesn't. I think Bobbex may be one that will last through a few rains. It's either that or Rabbit Mace. I have both. We've been getting a lot of rain, so that's a problem for me.

My favorite product, Plant Saver, has apparently been discontinued. It was a systemic pill you placed against the root ball in spring. You would need to use something else, like the spray, for a couple of weeks until the plant has a chance to bring the bitter taste up to the leaves. And it IS bitter. I have yet to be able to use those that I don't somehow, no matter how careful I am, end up with some of it on my lips.

Repellex makes a similar product that uses the cayenne pepper your husband mentioned.

Re: Something ate my hostas

Teddie — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 18:19:50 GMT

I planted hostas on the shady side of my deck and was sick when I discovered they'd been eaten down. You spend the money and the time to plant and it's upsetting when something comes along and eats them. I have deer come in my yard so I'm assuming that's what ate them.

I also have a hole in my yard the deer have been coming and eating the dirt. It used to be all grass but they've eaten so that it's gotten larger and deeper. I tried sprinkling half a jar of cumin in that hole, thinking they'd hate that. Nope, they loved it. Still trying to solve that problem.

Re: Something ate my hostas

RespectLife — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 18:23:50 GMT

@Longtimewatcher wrote:
Try shaving or breaking up Irish Spring bars and scattering it around the plants to keep the deer away. We lost the batttle for hostas to snails and slugs - they literally chewed the leaves so they looked like swiss cheese. (We did try Sluggo but couldn't keep up with the critters so we dug the hostas up and gave them away.) Good luck!

For me it is slugs....tried broken egg shells, coffee, chemicals from the nursery and nothing worked.

A previous thread last year about this suggested shallow dishes of beer. We attemted that but our Puggle kept lapping it up, so I don't know if it works or not......

@Longtimewatcher

Thanks for the soap suggestion....I'll try that this year!

Re: Something ate my hostas

proudlyfromNJ — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 18:26:16 GMT

The deer eat ours. We gave up years ago.

Re: Something ate my hostas

Teddie — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 18:28:56 GMT

@RespectLife wrote:
@Longtimewatcher wrote:
Try shaving or breaking up Irish Spring bars and scattering it around the plants to keep the deer away. We lost the batttle for hostas to snails and slugs - they literally chewed the leaves so they looked like swiss cheese. (We did try Sluggo but couldn't keep up with the critters so we dug the hostas up and gave them away.) Good luck!

For me it is slugs....tried broken egg shells, coffee, chemicals from the nursery and nothing worked.

A previous thread last year about this suggested shallow dishes of beer. We attemted that but our Puggle kept lapping it up, so I don't know if it works or not......

@Longtimewatcher
Thanks for the soap suggestion....I'll try that this year!

@RespectLife "... our Puggle kept lapping it up" That made me smile. How cute!

Re: Something ate my hostas

D Kay — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 18:49:21 GMT

As gross as it sounds, one of my neighbors put down sludge from the sewage plant. Apparently they give this away. The deer did not eat the hostas but boy did it stink.

Re: Something ate my hostas

jlkz — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 19:14:01 GMT

Plantskydd:

( My picture is way too big even though I have posted it a few times before...good for protecting them from rabbits and deer. No bad smell )

Re: Something ate my hostas

jackthebear — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 19:16:50 GMT

deer

I had gorgeous hostas but they destroyed them, no one around here grows them now, or flowers either :-(

Re: Something ate my hostas

haddon9 — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 19:20:20 GMT

@bmorechick Same thing happened to our hostas! Last year they were looking so lush, green & full and were such a pleasure to look at. One day we came outside and every leaf except one was gone! My husband had set up a camera in the back and he saw that the deer were having a feast!

So far this year they still look good and will check to see if anyone has made some suggestions here (I haven't read the replies yet) on what to do to keep them from eating our plants.

Re: Something ate my hostas

PA Mom-mom — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 19:25:54 GMT

@bmorechick I've used Liquid Fence when I can stay on top of it. Now, I usually consider the hostas on the edge of the property to be sacrificial. But this year, the deer have come up to the patio and chomped on my phlox and Sunpatiens. ALL OF THEM.

Last year they ate one of my patio tomatoes. So, I put those kiddie pinwheels (97 cents at Walmart) around the phlox and Sunpatiens that still had stems. They have not tried to eat them since I did that. I have too many hostas to put the pinwheels everywhere, but I need my phlox in my patio bed, and I love my Sunpatiens.

Also, my cousins have had great luck with suspending bars of Irish Spring around. I may try that next year. Good luck to you.

Re: Something ate my hostas

bmorechick — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 20:09:43 GMT

Thanks all for your suggestions. Folks think deer are cute and harmless but they are so destructive and the last thing I want is for them to be in my yard. But I know there's not much I can do about that.

Re: Something ate my hostas

missy mouse — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 20:15:23 GMT

Use deer off. I buy the concentrate on Amazon. It doesn't wash off in the rain. It has a minty smell. I have over 300 hosta's. Yes a lot of shade. Deer haven't touched the. In 2 years.

Re: Something ate my hostas

seehorse — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 21:26:23 GMT

It's a bunny eating mine, but it was only eating one plant. Weird.

I put down garlic or onion powder but of course this needs to be replenished if it rains. Also trying sprigs of oregano (from my garden). Will put down red pepper flakes also.i

I like the Irish Spring suggestion. Will try that!

Re: Something ate my hostas

happilyretiredgirl — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 23:11:16 GMT

I had beautiful hostas and the deer ate all of them in one evening....😩

Re: Something ate my hostas

Icegoddess — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 00:04:03 GMT

For those with a snail & slug problem. I feel your pain. I lost one of my prize hostas to them. I don't like Sluggo as it clumps together when it rains. Gross. So, I found this spray. It smells rather like cloves and I know it contains rosemary and clove oil. Since we now have at least most of a week without rain, I just sprayed all my hostas with both this and some Liquid Fence.

I'm about out of that and will get some more of it or one of the other 2 products I mentioned soon.

As far as the Plantskydd goes, I see my local feed & seed sells it. However, it's 100% dried bovine blood, same thing as blood meal. Blood meal is very high in nitrogen and I don't think hostas need a LOT of nitrogen, so need to be careful about using too much. AND, it can attract other animals like dogs and probably coyotes.

Re: Something ate my hostas

RespectLife — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 18:13:57 GMT

@PA Mom-mom wrote:
@bmorechick I've used Liquid Fence when I can stay on top of it. Now, I usually consider the hostas on the edge of the property to be sacrificial. But this year, the deer have come up to the patio and chomped on my phlox and Sunpatiens. ALL OF THEM.

Last year they ate one of my patio tomatoes. So, I put those kiddie pinwheels (97 cents at Walmart) around the phlox and Sunpatiens that still had stems. They have not tried to eat them since I did that. I have too many hostas to put the pinwheels everywhere, but I need my phlox in my patio bed, and I love my Sunpatiens.

Also, my cousins have had great luck with suspending bars of Irish Spring around. I may try that next year. Good luck to you.

@PA Mom-mom

I just noticed one of my neighbors put up a kiddie pinwheel in their garden!

It looks cute besides.....great idea!

My garden and all plants are inside my fence. The deer just go by to someone elses yard, but the bunnies get in.....

and those darn Slugs! I wonder if a pinwheel would deter them! LOL

I do have Irish Spring in my Wally cart ready to order.

Re: Something ate my hostas

PA Mom-mom — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 18:20:03 GMT

@RespectLife You would need a teeny tiny pinwheel for the slugs! Hahaha!

When we had an in-ground veggie garden, we put up an 8 inch battery operated electric fence around our wire fencing to keep out the bunnies and the groundhogs. Worked like a dream. Not cheap, but we grew all the veggies we needed for the summer (except corn).

Re: Something ate my hostas

jannabelle1 — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 22:24:28 GMT

I bought a liquid spray called Liquid Fence on Amazon. Everything I've sprayed (hostas, begonias, etc) the deer have left alone. The product is for both deer and rabbits. Granted it needs to be resprayed after a rain, but it's not that big of a deal.