I also have this problem on my wishing well hosta and a couple others. I do have slugs in my garden, but their damage looks different to me.

Sorry, posted Fragrant Blue first

Here’s Wishing Well

And here’s Mouse Ears, both of them have it

Also would love to know what the problem is.Was thinking of submitting this same question!

Thank you. I was hoping it wasn't some disease but maybe it has to do with the blue ones melting out for some reason. I think I will replace it when I find something better.

I have the same problem and was wondering if it was moths. I have noticed them flying away when I am watering. Do you think?

It's slugs and/or cutworms

I haven't noticed but it could be moths. I will have to watch for them. I did notice that the newer and underneath leaves aren't damaged as bad.

It is in a garden with about 50 other hostas, many with thin tender leaves and this is the only plant that is like this. It has think pine mulch and there are no signs of slugs. This is the only plant like this and happens to it every year for the past 3 years. I thought it was a disease.

I just went out and looked at another blue hosta in that garden and it has some white marks but not holes...it must have something to do with the blue.

Well, I went out and looked too Dianne and several of my blues have the marks but a few of the green one do too. Praying hands has some, my Jack of Diamonds does, Whirlwind , Patriot and Royal Wedding. Also the Fortuni Aureomarginatas. Seems it’s running rampant over here! Maybe someone else will chime in. Ademink knows her stuff so maybe it is slugs. We need to go out at night with flashlights and see what we find. Then compare notes.

what about earwig damage

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=earwig+hosta+damage+symptoms&t=ffcm&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fi2.wp.com%2Fwww.gardenfundamentals.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F08%2FEarwig-damage-on-hosta.jpg%3Ffit%3D500%252C347

did you go out after dark ????

It could be earwigs...thanks

Well, Diane, ademink, Ken, I absolutely went out after dark. And I must congratulate ademink—-you were right! I found many many many, icky squishy slugs. Numerous plants had them, in fact only two that I checked didn’t show any, the others did. The most surprising thing was they were all over my little Blue Mouse Ears. I picked off about 7-8 and then 3 more moving across the ground on their way to the smorgasbord! So, my back is killing me, my sciatica is shooting down my leg and my knees hurt but——-now I know, it’s slugs. Diane, did you go out after dark?

Ok I had to go and look. I didn't see any slugs. I looked under several of hostas.

Moth's generally don't eat plants. They are like butterflies, they mostly eat pollen. However, they deposit their eggs in the soil, where their progeny, cut worms, climb out of the soil each night and eat most any tender vegetation. You can go out with a flashlight at night and find them if they are present. If the evidence is present, you can oftentimes run your finger around in the soil and find them. They are only there for about two weeks.

In my area, they climb up the petioles and start eating at the edge of the leaves. I don't have much problem with slugs and snails, but I understand they eat holes in the leaves (not starting at the edge).

bk

https://www.pestwiki.com/moth-life-cycle/

There are bugs that eat window panes into the leaves. They are holes but leave a little plant tissue so you can see through it. After some time, the plant tissue falls away and leaves a hole. It seems you have a bug that has a specific fondness for that plant. Here's an example of one.

Diamondback moth. Diamondback larvae feeding can include mining inside the leaf by first instars. Later instars will chew from underneath the leaf, leaving only the top waxy layer — giving a window pane look. Later instars will also chew through the leaf or at leaf edges.

Interesting ideas. Maybe I will try some other insecticides next year on that plant and see what happens.

Put a small cup like from a little cat food can or cream cheese container and put it under the leaves of this plant with beer in it and see what you get the next morning. Slugs will crawl in and die. That’s what I am going to do next to my mouse ears!

I have used the dish of beer in some gardens but this one I have not used it in because I don't normally have slugs in it but I can try it.

I put some dishes out and am wondering if they should be even with the ground or not?

I do make them level with the ground.

As for the plant, I would left it up next spring and check root system. It seems like it might be weak plant if others are healthy?

first .. and most importantly ... if YOU just drink enough of the beer ... you can get to the point that you dont really care about plant damage ... lol ...

second.. anyone who denies that they have slugs ... need to drink more beer ... lol ..

third ... as your collection grows ... the slugs will find them. and the population WILL grow ...

4th ... slug patrol is a year around job ... if the populations explode this time of year.. you already lost the competition ... start with a full fall cleanup.. start as soon as the pips do.. and keep at it ...

5th ... perhaps you can find these at the dollar store ... or just buy those little fat free pies {not!} .. if you can still find them in the alum. pie plates ...

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=small+aluminum+pie+plates&t=ffcm&ia=images&iax=images

and finally ... if you are using a LURE ... lure them away from your plants .. rather than to your plants .... so you might be further ahead ... by putting the beer away from the hosta ... i never understood the beetle bags .. and peeps put them right in the middle of their most precious plants ... i used to joke.. you give them to the upwind neighbors as xmas gifts ... lol ... lure the bugs to their yard ...

good luck ...

ken

ps: see first comment above.. focus.. lol..

Ken, I always get a laugh from your posts.....how is it that you have a link for everything? And what to put on garden in fall for prevention?

Dianne, I went out and put beer traps(cat food cans rims at ground level. Can’t wait to see what I get!

I didn't get any slugs in my beer dishes. I have gotten them that way in my other gardens at times using beer. I have been growing hostas, about 100 now, for over 40 years. I use ammonia and water in the spring, sluggo every few weeks, This is a raised bed that doesn't have slugs. Even the hostas in my beds that can get slugs are not eaten by slugs. I stay on top of it. One ugly hosta every year isn't too bad. I will just replace it I think.

Dianne—-what is the ammonia solution? Is it 10%?

Moths leave eggs that turn into tiny little green caterpillars that eat the holes. You have to turn the leaves over to see them. Often times, you will see the damage and the critters are long gone. I think some moths are more attracted to the bluer ones.

Earwigs can be discovered with a rolled up short roll of wet newspaper. (They like it there)

Slugs and snails are simply around hostas all the time and you need to treat them for that. I happen to like Sluggo and spinosad.

Most of these are night creatures...but I am not. Too old!

-Babka

Yes 10 percent ammonia to water. I put in a sprinkling can and sprinkle when the pips are about an inch or so out of the ground in the spring. It is suppose to kill the slug eggs. Then I start using sluggo when the leaves are starting to unfurl and every few week thereafter. You can't wait until you see signs of slugs!!! You can't stop in the fall even if the hostas have taken a beating and don't look their best. Every slug you kill in the fall will make for a lot less eggs in the spring. I get only an occasional cutworm chewing.

I will definitely do it this fall after the leaves are cut back and again in the spring when the pips arrive! Thanks!