What is causing all the holes in my hosta leaves?
These holes are caused by slugs. You may not see them doing the damage because they are active at night or on very overcast, rainy days when you are not apt to be in the garden. They hide under whatever they can find, including debris, during the day. To get rid of them, you can hand-pick them and either squish them or (as I prefer to do) put them into a pail of water with dish soap. Another way is to spray them with a solution of 10% ammonia. This will only work if you spray the slug directly. It dissolves their layer of slime and dehydrates them immediately. There are pellets you can purchase with the active ingredient Metaldehyde, but you should be careful when using this as it is toxic to wildlife, pets, and children. I prefer to use a product like Safers which is safe for use and will not harm our little ones. Another method, which is impractical for someone who has many hostas, is to ring the hosta with copper. The slugs react to the copper when they touch it and will avoid it. T
