Something ate my hostas

bmorechick · ‎03-11-2010

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.

Longtimewatcher · ‎10-31-2023

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!

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

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.

Teddie · ‎03-10-2010

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.

RespectLife · ‎02-27-2012

@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!

proudlyfromNJ · ‎05-01-2010

The deer eat ours. We gave up years ago.

Teddie · ‎03-10-2010

@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!

D Kay · ‎04-20-2010

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.