Do you saturate the soil around your hosta with ammonia, put full strength in a hose-end sprayer. Don't worry about the plant in the morning, treat the soil during the day.

I use half-gallon household ammonia container...put it in my 4-gall sprayer and fill it with water to make a 1:8 ammonia solution. I spray at the base of each hosta...going around it...then on top.
On the lawn I like to spot-spray thus easier to count the slugs killed...
Slugs travel during the night. Just before the sun comes up, I noticed slugs going away from the garden to go and hide under cedar trees, etc.
I also noted that slugs travel in pairs...probably a boy and a girl...
I intend to carry out my treatment another 2 weeks or so...till about October 15 when temps will have fallen down to around 40 deg.F. (5 deg.C)
Next year I intend to follow your advice and use a hose-end sprayer.

Papou

Boy o boy have you been a busy man papou ! Crazy ? No of course not, slug hunting is a great hobby.....much better than hunting endangered species :) Although you may be putting a big dent in the slug population up North! I hope no slug lovers see your post though ,they may protest outside your yard with big signs.LOL Keep up the great work , your gardens will reward you ! I thought I was getting a little batty when I hooked up my microscope to the computer to check for nematodes, thanks to this forum I found out I wasn't he only who did such. Hosta people are just passionate about doing their best to grow nice plants, so we get a little obsessive sometimes . Keeping busy in our old age is a plus & the beauty we reap next season make us proud of our hard work.~Dot

Papou, Unless you just like to go out before dawn and kill and count slugs...why don't you just use Sluggo?

I only sprayed a few (maybe 5) times early in the spring then let the Sluggo do its thing. The stuff really works!
It's easy and safe to use. I probably use more then I really needed to, but what the heck...I had a 40 lb sack of the stuff.
(still have alot left)

But, if you like to slug hunt.....go for it. You're obviously doing a great job. Your gardens are beautiful.

Papou, a while back a newcomer was asking how different hostas were growing or something like that. At that time my advise was to address the question to Papou, saying that he has everyone of his hostas, including location, number of eyes, number of slugs in Excell. Little did I know...
Manfred

I don't think I've seen 10,000 slugs in my whole life,Papou! Down here this year,I doubt if there were 10 slugs,it has been and still is, very dry. They might not even survive this dry summer! Phil

I do use Sluggo usually. This year however I only used it once...when my hostas emerged in Spring. With Sluggo one does not know how many slugs eat the stuff to eventually die a couple of days after. Here in Canada, a 1 kilo box of Sluggo costs $13.99 + 14% tax....so it's very expensive. On the other hand ammonia is cheap. Slugs are out there believe me!...even it you dont see any....they are out there. On certain days...I thought I had killed them ALL...and then I would overturn patio blocks...old pieces of wood...go around trees, etc...and would kill another 100.
The idea of being vigilant is to reduce the slugs population at this time of the year.
Yes I've already been rewarded for my effort....as evidenced in this pic of Paul's Glory. In early October it is still very attractive...and insects free:

Papou

Oups...forgot to show my pic of Paul's Glory:

{{gwi:1095155}}

Papou

Here is a link that might be useful: Papou's Hosta Collection

Papou, here's a much cheaper place to buy Sluggo.

25 lbs = $2.80 per lb + shipping, but no tax is added.

Here is a link that might be useful: cheap place to buy Sluggo