Hostas slugs/snails

I’ve just been flicking through the Radio Times, and on Thursday’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show there is going to be a “former police officer, turned plantswoman” revealing how she stops slugs eating her hostas. Interesting!

When we left for a two week holiday to see our son and family we had two hedgehogs visiting every night.
On our return they have not visited us and the hog house is empty.
Even with our nightly visitors the slugs/snails flourish.
I do have three pots with variegated Hostas in them, not so much snail activity but I do like to see them growing in the border.

What we need to help the circle of life is more hedgehogs, they love the slugs n snails. Not sure if you can succeed in introducing hedgehogs to the garden .Unless your rural.

Now taking slugs and snails outside your garden an letting them free - that is so right on and organic! Are you vegans as well>. (friendly question honest)

I did the same for years Niobe, releasing them in a nearby wood.
I have very few now.

Off out with the Wd40. Thanks for the tip.

This from the rspb website:

"Slug killers based on aluminium sulphate are not strictly organic, but they are environmentally friendly. They kill slugs and snails on contact with minimal risk to other wildlife or pets. Commercially available products using aluminium sulphate as active ingredient include Growing Success and Fertosan."

That is what I'm using on flower beds.

I have replaced my hostas with various ornamental grasses.

Carnations/Dianthus get eaten too as soon as the flowers appear from the buds. A bit dis-heartening

They're a dead loss to try and grow without being eaten, such a shame as once they're attacked they just look shot at and untidy.

I had several of these which I donated to the local public park as I just got so tired of the slug problem. I planted some other nic things in their place.

jeanie99
The only product I've found that works, are, Nematodes.
It's too late now, though. You have to start 'spaying' in early March when the baby slugs are starting to form in the soil.

My DGS says that slugs,snails and wasps are not gods creatures at all Iam64 They are the devils. His sister added spiders to the list but he persuaded her otherwise.

J52 - thanks, I'm off to spray the pots with WD40 - I love hostas but loathe snails and slugs. I know they're gods creatures but I don't care.

I have a clump of beautiful arum lilies which attract all the snails around so I just pick them off and take them out to a small patch of council- maintained ground. This has trees, grass , shrubs etc and I just release them. If birds and hedgehogs want to feast on them there they are welcome and the snails have plenty of food.

I feel your pain jeanie99 mine are looking lovely too but might not be for much longer. I’ve tried just about everything and have had a little success with beer traps . Cutting the end of a few plastic bottles and filling with cheap beer then sinking them into the ground around the hostas. The slugs are drawn to the beer and.....well let’s just say die happy.

I tried vaseline but it got dirty. WD40 sounds good.

Mine are in pots with WD40 sprayed around the side of the pot.Seems to work. Apparently Vaseline works as well.

My way of dealing with slugs and snails takes about 5 minutes morning and evening. Possibly after rain too. Don one rubber glove kept especially for this purpose. Get hold of coffee jar, salted water added and advance across the garden plucking the blighters off the ground/plants and deposit in the jar replacing the lid. When the jar is full it gets binned. I have found this to be a very effective way of controlling them not that I grow hostas which are fine dining to a slug.

Slugs and snails are a nightmare. Keeping the Hostas in a pot reduces the problem as does mulching with sharp grit or sheep's wool and you might want to read up about garlic washes.
Personally I have given up. Fighting nature is rarely successful.q

Mine are in pots with copper tape round. That seems to work.

I moved my hostas into pots but the little beggars still climb up and munch away. Very slightly less so, but not much.

fingers hit the wrong keys
Should have typed SECATEURS.