The hostas were freshly planted in autumn, it is now April and the leaves are budding. But what is that? The leaves are riddled with holes! Behind it are most likely snails…
Snails love hostas
Snails like hostas to eat
When the snails roam the garden in spring, they are attracted by the smell of the hostas. No other perennial makes your mouth water so much… Even the best care doesn't help. Hostas have an almost magical attraction to snails, especially when they are sprouting.
Mainly endangered hosta varieties
These pests eat holes in the leaves. The entire new sprouting plant is cleaned away with bad luck. In particular, those varieties that have delicate leaves, variegated leaves and/or fragrant flowers are at the top of the list of snails.
Varieties unappetizing for snails
But there are also varieties that snails prefer to stay away from. This is usually due to the fact that they have strong and leathery foliage. This is not popular with snails. They prefer rather tender leaves.
Therefore, if you are often confronted with slug infestations on your hostas, you should count on such hardier varieties. These include the following specimens:
- 'halcyon'
- 'June'
- 'halberd'
- 'Sum and Substance'
- 'Abby'
- 'Ben Vernooij'
- 'Abiqua Drinking Gourd'
- 'Blue Angel'
- 'Big Daddy'
What helps against the snails?
There are many control strategies against snails. The following measures help with the functions:
- carry out regular inspections
- Set up beer traps
- Set up snail fences around the hostas
- Sprinkle slug pellets (7.49€) in spring
- Sprinkle sand and/or sawdust around the hostas
- Collect snails in the evening
- prefer to water in the morning rather than in the evening
- Plant hostas in tubs and place on the balcony or roof terrace
tips
If your hosta has already been a victim of snails, calm down with the fact that hostas are usually robust and can sprout again even after they have become sallow if the location and care are right.