Well, let me ask this (I'm not much of a hosta grower, though I've perennial gardened for forty years), why do you need to cut them at all?

If you're in a more northern climate, they provide some protection (maybe) for the winter.

If you're in a more southern environment, they'll probably be rotted by spring anyway.

I don't think the leaves will in any way inhibit your growth next year, in fact, they're free mulch to some extent.

It IS barely possible that the leaves may harbor some pest, but I think a mulch cover is as likely to be slug territory as the leaves are.

If you're just doing it for the looks, then do whatever you want.

if you have one infected plant.. they will all be infected next year.. hvx ... dont do it ...

ken

If you use your lawn mover to cut them off, you risk spreading the virus if you should have even one infected hosta.

When using the beer method to attract slugs, you need to put the beer in an open dish that is partially buried in the soil. The level of the top of the dish should be just a bit higher than than your soil line. Do not use bottles. That may be the reason for not atttracting any slugs?

First I mow. Then I use the beer method; and I don't give the slugs any.

But it's all right now, I learned my lesson well

You see, you can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself.

I can't figure out if dbarron cleans up the spring. But if you don't cut back now, you can rake up most of the hosta in spring. the leaves and stems have rotted over the winter. In my zone, sometime a stalk or two remains attached but comes off with a yank. No reason to take on this fall chore if you don't want to.

Another reason to leave foliage on over winter is you will know where the hostas are. I try to apply compost to hostas in spring. So I rake and can see where the compost goes . this is a chore that can be done quite early in spring, before it gets really hectic. And it is certainly easier to apply fert. or compost before the leaves are up and opening. I usually don't manage to mulch, though. OTOH, the compost serves as mulch.

Josh is right! I remove the hosta leaves after they have turned mushy or brown, simply pull them off. Removing hosta leaves removes also any virus present in them, any slugs which might lay eggs in dead leaves, and removes cover for voles to run around under them looking for food over winter. Under dead leaves voles could dig to get at hosta roots which they love.

Hi bernd,

I was just reading the current posts, nice to see your comments.

bkay

As for the beer and slugs . . . I've done this and it works, but you have to put the beer in shallow dishes, like pie pans, trays from microwave meals, etc. They aren't going to crawl up a bottle. Also, the beer is only good for a day or two. I guess slugs don't like flat beer. I decided beer is too expensive a method, even using cheap beer. It only works in the area where the saucer of beer is located. Slugs aren't going to travel very far to get to the beer. Anyway, the most cost effective method is to go out at night around 9:00 pm with a flash light hand pick them. Yes it's gross, but I can collect more by hand than I will ever find in a saucer of beer. I also found that my real problem is snails. I collected a lot more snails than slugs from my plants. I think that is because toads eat slugs, but they don't eat snails (at least mine don't). I have a lot of toads in my yard so I don't want to use any baits that may harm them. You will see essentially the same leaf damage from snails and slugs, but as I said, I actually collected a lot more snails than slugs when I started hand picking. Good luck. It is a never ending battle.

I just put in my two cents worth on another similar thread. I see a few more good tidbits here.