'Not a nick in those leaves'....I wish! Holee Hostaa!

13 years ago

Gloria got me thinking, by her comment and her question about what I do for slugs. I WISH I had

NO nicks or holes, and if you roll back through my pix on the threads of my garden you'll see that

'Gunsmoke is riddled' and 'Earth Angel' has been munched on and on another thread the slugs/sowbugs

and whatever else has wreaked havoc on my 'Plantagineas' and 'Capt. Kirk'--apparently!

So, I think I might be very misleading about my garden being so 'pristine' when, in fact,

I prefer to take photos of my best examples of beautiful hosta and I avoid the plants that seem

to have been the 'food of choice' for slugs, earwigs and whatever else loves to chomp on them!!

I do use bait, finally this year! Before, I just sprinkled coffee grounds around

and I DO make choices of hosta that are more 'slug-resistant' but that does not mean

when there are slugs about--they'll not go for whatever there is, if their favorites are not about!!!

They do, afterall, have to survive if they weren't dealt with early-on (like this year, for me)

and if we are not vigilant, after every time it rains, to get the 'wildlife-safe' slug bait out!!

SOOOO--I went out looking for all the 'other hosta' that were not 'picture' perfect!

Here goes---'the rest of my gardens' (not for the faint of heart--GASP!):

So, if you made it through without shrieking, then you have hosta that look like mine, too,

which is testimony to THE FACT, that 'the garden' is never perfect--since *the First One*

and we see how long that lasted!! There's just so much 'life' out there that depends

on things we prefer they leave alone--a part of the original *curse* I suppose!

BTW--I think I spotted a suspicious leaf, in the photo of 'Sea Gulf Stream', planted in a spot that

I had a 'Maui Buttercups'(last year) come down with a case of the neems! GROAN!! I guess

you know WHAT I'll be doing, in the next 5 mins.!!!

Thanks for looking---I THINK!! :o/ Take heart--its' NEVER perfect in my garden!!!! But, the 'peace' is

still there, for me, and it's not 'the garden' that is the whole of 'my peace', but it does make for a

peaceful *place-to-be*, in my day!! :o)

Peace to you ALL--"not as the world gives.., but lasting peace"!!

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Comments (15)

woodthrush
13 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
We've had so much rain this year, fighting the slugs is tough.
And slug bait is more and more expensive. I need to start buying it in a large quantity - lol
Pam
paul_in_mn
13 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
GASP! Say it isn't so - my illusions are smashed.

I have added no new hosta to my list after seeing those pictures ...lol.

Paul
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Lee
13 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Janice.. we all have the not so 'pristine' looks hosta in our garden, your garden looks great with all different textures and color :) very inviting..
alexis717_df
13 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Janice, your gardens always look lovely, regardless.

I use Bug-Getta and it seems to work well for me. Although I'm not super diligent about it. I figure those leaves that show up with slug damage just make me appreciate the pristine ones all the more.

Alexis
sally_grower
13 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Oh my gosh Janice...what is the hosta in the 5th picture, the bright yellow with ruffled edges. I didn't do as well as Paul, I love it and gotta have it! Thanks Sally
alexis717_df
13 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I'm not Janice but I believe that is Sea Gulf Stream, isn't she lovely. Well, except for the nems. Oh Janice I'm so sorry. You do seem to have problems with them. I'm afraid I wouldn't have your patience and would just chuck the whole thing. Good Luck

Alexis
just1morehosta
13 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Lovely as always Janice,we all have slug holes i am sure.
Which hosta shows neams?
I do not see them?
cAROL
lisasmall
13 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I am faint of heart, and I gasp right along with you!

Seriously -- the slugs have gone wild and have nearly killed my 'Lisa Marie' and 'Emerald Tiara,' which my DH kindly dug up and potted yesterday in hopes of saving their lives. They both had vole damage to the roots, and now the slugs guillotining the petioles... As I sad before, my garden is depressing me this year.
Janice
Original Author
13 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Yep, you're right Alexis--it's 'Sea Gulf Stream' and if you see a pic. of a 'good and mature' one
you WILL be 'faint of heart'!

Carol--look at the leaf with the very faint 'stripe' going along the vein--that's it!
I've got that leaf in a clear glass custard cup of water right now, with the timer set for 1 hour.
Then, we'll see--but I have NO DOUBT it's the neems. I found a couple of other leaves with
even fainter stripes--just the beginning of the infestation coming to light!!

Oh well--SGS is a lot like my 'Jimmy Crack Corns', I've decided so it will GO--very
quickly if I'm right--which I will be!!! Whaaaaa!

I really don't have SUCH a problem--just a few that I've done away with! This is the first evidence
of a re-occurence in an area where previously I had an infested one. The other occurence, the hosta had
not been in place very long at all--less than a couple of weeks it showed evidence and it was gone, and
boiling water poured in the area it had been and SO FAR, 4 yrs. out, no further ocurrences.

Same as in the first case--new hosta, within 2 wks. I found out for the first time about
foliar nematodes and it was history with a heavy dose of boiling water in the planter
and no re-occurence there either. Sigh!!! Oh well!!!

I think the 'Maui Buttercups' brought the neems with it, from the area where a 'gifted hosta' was planted
with 'neems'! I didn't realize it was infested for many weeks before my sad discovery! The MBC was moved
to the front of the octo-deck, about 20 ft. above where it had been--so it HAS to be that it contracted them
from it's previous planting!
Janice
Original Author
13 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Test results--positive for neems!! But--I decided, 'what the heck' and removed all soil from the plant
(dumped it in a trash can and got most of the soil off over that can) and then I moved to the sink
where I sprayed off the rest of the dirt. Then, I made a batch of water--9 parts to 1 part bleach and
sat the hosta in it, roots down for 1 hour. Then, I took the hosta, turned it upside-down and shoved the leaves
and petioles under the bleach water then smooshed the roots back into the mix and let it all sit for another hour.
I've just removed the hosta and thoroughly showered it and have it now sitting in fresh water.

Tomorrow--I'll plant it in a pot and keep it up on the deck, under cover and see what happens!
I plan to test it one more time for 'neem-life' before potting it up!!

Can't hurt!!! This is a version of Pieter's method--I hope it's close enough!!!

Funny how this thread has gone from slug/bug damage to foliar nematodes! All the plagues of the gardens!
Oh, wait--there's Southern Blight, too! Gak!!!
sassy7142
13 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
About slugs.....I know I've mentioned this before, why can't somebody make a product that's a slug repellent?
They have repellents for everything, why not slugs?

Nematodes.... They're back again in my garden too, Janice. Found the first evidence today. All that time & money and
they're back. Carp!
nchostaqueen
13 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Janice -

I know how you feel. My Earth Angel took a big hit this year. I have not see a slug problem this bad ever, at least for me. I went out in the morning and slugs were all over the plant. I'll have to see if it will even come back next year it got so ravaged.

Nature sure can be brutal.

But your garden still is a show stopper!

Deb
hostared
13 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Well Janice that's more like it!!! LOL

Oh I have let those little buggers get away this year but for the past week I've been spraying.

Also I have been on the hunt for heavier substance leaves.
It just makes it harder for them to chomp on them for dinner.

The thinner ones get potted up...learned my lesson.

Very pretty photo op!
hostasformez4
13 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Smile, lightly laugh, and know that you are just like the rest of us. What can I say except love ya!!!! We like to put our best foot forward so to speak and hide the pictures of the tattered and eaten hosta. I did no warfare against the slugs and other eaters at all and some of my hosta are starting to look bad. Oh well, there is always next year to start afresh.

Connie
nchostaqueen
13 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Taking a look as some of the "holes" for the pin holes it could be Flea Beetles not slugs.

The Flea Beetle will feed on the leaf and stem leaving little tiny holes.

Just a thought...

Deb

'Not a nick in those leaves'....I wish! Holee Hostaa!

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