Hosta help

turmeric

Not sure if my previous post worked as I simply hit "Start a New Thread" which isn't "Post this Thread".  Progress?  Anyway my mum gave me a hosta last year which I promptly divided and it's doing really well.  But the slugs and snails are loving it too!  I bought Eraza which looked powerful and contains Metaldehyde but every morning and evening the snails (mainly) are all over the plants.  They're enormous.  Have I bought the wrong thing?  I did hear on the radio at the weekend that Metaldehyde only works on slugs but I can't find any reference to this fact online so may have misheard?  Many thanks. 

plant pauper

There have been many and varied suggestions for slug/snail repellent in the past and short of shooting them, the results are equally varied. Copper tape, sand, gravel, pellets.... Eraza claims to kill both but there will always be sneaky ones who get through. Hostas are particularly vulnerable to attack so persevere with the Eraza and be vigilant and pick them off if you see them!

plant pauper

Ah, so they're not repellent. They are attractive murderers! That makes sense.

KT53

Horticultural grit spread around the plants will also discourage slugs and snails.  Sprinkle slug pellets on the grit and you will stop most of the blighters.

Chrissy the gardener

I spray my Hostas with a garlic spray that I make up by putting one whole garlic bulb slightly crushed into a container of water, leave for a week then spray the Hostas all over. You can keep using the same garlic just top up with water.

the only drawback is if it rains you have to reapply as it will wash off. Apply about every week anyway.

Dovefromabove

Sadly slug pellets containing metaldehyde have been proved to be harmful to wildlife .  Pellets containing the active ingredient Ferric phosphate are thought to be much less harmful and are the only ones I use.  

http://www.organiccatalogue.com/p1821/ADVANCED-SLUG-KILLER-575g/product_info.html 

I also use grit around emerging hostas and have used home made garlic spray if a particular hosta is badly attacked.

Nowadays for borders I tend to go for thick leaved hostas which slugs find less edible and use copper tape around pots containing other hostas.  

The results are perfectly acceptable (I'm not a perfectionist ;-) )

If slugs were proving a real problem I'd use nematodes 

Dovefromabove

Oh, and as Verdun advises - keep areas around the hostas free from rotting vegetation, and handpick slugs on warm damp evenings.

This year I've also scattered suet pellets around emerging hostas to encourage the birds to rootle around and look for food in that area 

Buttercupdays

Perhaps your slugs and snails have evolved to suit the local conditions Verdun

I certainly find that a good circle of grit greatly increases the chances of vulnerable plants like delphs and Echinaceas. I do usually sprinkle a few pelllets at planting out, but not after - I think the handling may bruise the plants a little and make them more attractive to the pests or perhaps it's the novelty value

plant pauper

Hostafan amazed me (more than once ) by saying that he used only about a quarter of a tub of pellets per season. He has acres of the things so vigilance has to play a big part. I'm not sure what his surfaces are but he certainly has it under control.

Where is he anyway? It's awfully quiet....is he up to mischief?