Garden question...
by
Elisabeth
+2
For the last two years since I've moved in, my Hostas grow beautiful and fast in the spring, then about mid summer they start to brown on the edges and bugs chew them up like there's no tomorrow. They look like they've been subjected to a hail storm. I water them every three to five days and give them plant food every 6 - 8 weeks, but they still look bad.
What do I do?
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That's hostas for you. Some varieties brown earlier than others. I give mine a good spraying with a copper sulphate/Neem oil mix a couple times during the summer to ward off powdery mildew and bugs, and that helps considerably.
Hi Elisabeth. Hosta can do this especially if you have had a hot summer. This year mine didn't look so hot. They were coming up in spring and we had frost one night which made the edges of the leaves brown. I would cut back on watering to 2 times a week. I am sure you aren't hurting them by doing it more often but typically unless they were just planted that much is not necessary. They can also get the brown edges from the sun.
Slugs are probably the insect problem. They love hostas. Try putting out bowls of beer every night for a week. Check in the morning and refill. This will take care of them. Good Luck.
Me too...I found it was the SLUGS doing this damage. A few shallow dishes with beer put out at night and they happily drowned:)
Hostas need shade, shade, shade. Too much sun will turn them brown. Dappled sun only.
You really shouldn't have to give them food. They are pretty much a non maintenance plant.
Also, it is probablely slugs and snails eating your Hostas. They love to munch on them. Sprinkle some slug killer under and around the plants and it will stop that. (FYI - you may have to reapply every week until you get it under control).
You can find out more about Hostas on my blog, here - https://www.queenbeeofhoneydos.com/shade-loving-plants/