Its been a jubilee year for slugs and snails – the mild winter and wet early summer provided ideal breeding conditions. And, as gardeners know, nothing is more tasty to a gastropod than a hosta, so is it worth growing them?
Of course, says Chris Bonanni of Purbeck Plants. While theres no such thing as a slug-proof hosta, some varieties are resilient, particularly those with blue or thick, puckered leaves. And Bonanni advises to treat them mean. “Dont overfeed, and keep them on the dry side, so the growth is less lush and the leaves stouter and thicker.” Also, get your retaliation in first. Bonanni starts off with a St Valentines Day massacre with liquid slug killer, to limit populations of the small, soil-dwelling slugs that do most damage.
Slugs and snails can be the bane of any gardener’s existence, especially for those of us who love to grow beautiful hostas. These slimy pests will chew right through the gorgeous leaves, leaving behind unsightly holes and a ruined plant. However, there is hope! Certain hosta varieties have natural physical traits that make them less appetizing to slugs and snails. By choosing these slug resistant cultivars, you can have a stunning hosta collection that remains untouched.
In this article, I’ll share my top recommended hostas for excellent slug and snail resistance based on personal experience in my own garden battles. We’ll look at exactly why these varieties deter the pests, and how to incorporate them into your landscape for a slug-free haven Read on for the definitive guide to keeping your hostas pristine in the war against slugs!
What Makes a Hosta Slug Resistant?
Not all hostas are created equal when it comes to standing up to slugs and snails. Some varieties have characteristics that make them naturally unappealing to the pests:
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Thick, stiff leaf texture – Slugs and snails have difficulty biting and chewing through the leaves.
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Bumpy or wrinkled leaf surface – Makes it hard for slugs to grip and feed on the foliage.
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Fragrant foliage – Strong scents can deter slugs from feeding.
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Upright growth habit – More difficult for slugs to access the leaves.
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High sap content – Gives the leaves an unpleasant taste.
These traits make the hostas inconvenient or unpalatable for slugs, leading to less damage. When shopping for slug resistant additions, look for descriptions highlighting thick leaves, fragrance, deeply veined or corrugated texture, and upright form.
The Best Slug Resistant Hosta Varieties
After much trial and error in my own garden, these hostas have proven themselves as reliable slug-fighting warriors that maintain gorgeous, pristine leaves:
1. Halcyon
This hardy blue-leaved cultivar has excellent substance and thickness that prevents slug damage. The vibrant blue color is stunning, and it propagates readily to make more plants. Halcyon pairs beautifully with ferns and Japanese maples.
2. First Frost
With good leaf thickness and light variegation, First Frost resists slugs even in container plantings. It stays compact with tidier leaves than many other resistant varieties.
3. Sieboldiana Elegans
A stately, large hosta, Sieboldiana Elegans has very thick blue-green leaves that slugs simply don’t bother eating. It makes quite an impact in the landscape.
4. Saegae
The smooth, narrow leaves of this green hosta seem to deter slugs through limited surface area to grip. It maintains a neat and tidy appearance.
5. Rainforest Sunrise
With its very thick, heavily textured leaves in bright golden yellow, Rainforest Sunrise combines vibrant color with excellent slug resistance. It really lights up a shady garden spot.
6. Liberty
Densely packed blue leaves make it impossible for slugs to access this variety. The thick, stiff leaves are among the most slug resistant of any hosta.
7. Sum and Substance
Truly giant chartreuse leaves act as an effective slug barrier thanks to their substantial thickness and fleshy structure. Just be sure to give it ample space.
8. Diamond Lake
The deeply puckered and ruffled foliage seems to deter slugs via minimal surface area to grab onto. This beautiful blue hosta grows into a full, arching clump.
9. Blue Mouse Ears
As the name suggests, adorable rounded leaves resemble mouse ears. Their heavily textured blue foliage avoids slug damage in a compact form.
10. Praying Hands
With its narrow, tightly folded leaves held upright in neat columns, Praying Hands is essentially slug proof. The unique form offers great textural appeal as well.
More Slug Prevention Tips
While resistant varieties are ideal, you can further protect non-resistant hostas with extra deterrents:
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Surround pots with copper tape, which slugs avoid crossing.
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Trap slugs effectively in shallow beer containers sunk in the soil.
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Use abrasive diatomaceous earth around plants to shred slug bodies.
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Set physical barriers like crushed eggshells to hinder slug movement.
Hosta Heaven – Creating a Slug-Free Oasis
By selecting hosta varieties with built-in slug resistance and using supplemental deterrent strategies, we can finally garden in harmony instead of battling these invasive pests. A thoughtful planting plan incorporating resistant cultivars allows us to fully enjoy the diverse beauty of hostas without all the pesky holes. Give slugs the slip this year with these hardy, unappetizing varieties that outsmart the enemy!
Slugs! Ugh! Slugs Can Be a Hosta’s Number One Enemy.
The hostas featured in this selection have excellent natural slug resistance due to their thick leaves. Watch our video on how to keep those pesky slugs from devouring your hostas.
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Top 10 slug-resistant hostas
Sum And Substance Champion of hostas, nearly 1m high, with colossal, ridged and wrinkled, golden leaves. Likes morning sun. Lilac flowers.
H. sieboldiana var elegans This old favourite, with stiff, puckered leaves, takes some beating. Lilac-tinged white flowers. 60cm.
One Mans Treasure For Ian Scroggy of Bali-Hai Nursery, this is the top choice: “In all the years Ive been growing it, no slug has touched it.” The glossy, dark green leaves are slightly rippled, but what sets it apart are the exotic purple-spotted stems and purple flower stems and seedpods. 35cm.
Devon Green Dark, polished leaves, a cheaper and widely available alternative. “Its a very good plant for a beginner,” Scroggy says. “You can just plant it and forget about it.” 45cm.
Praying Hands White-edged dark leaves, folded into parallel undulations. The upright posture makes the leaves harder to get at, while their waxy texture seems unpalatable to slugs. Pale lavender flowers. 45cm.
Sleeping Beauty This hosta has the same steely elegance as its parent, Halcyon, but the blue-grey pointed leaves are set off by a creamy margin. Lavender flowers. 40cm.
Stepping Out A slow grower, but worth the wait, for few variegated hostas offer such reliable slug-resistance. Plumply quilted leaves are blue-green at the centre with gold margins. White flowers. 40cm. Toy Soldier Clumps of blue, heart-shaped leaves with a two-tone margin that is more limey in deep shade and creamier in brighter conditions. Lavender flowers. 40cm.
Dorset Blue Elegant small clumps of neat, heart-shaped, powdery blue leaves that cup slightly, with large white flowers. 25cm.
Blue Mouse Ears Diminutive (15cm), dense clumps of thick, rounded, blue leaves, with large, almost double flowers in pale, clear lilac held on short, strong stems. Tough as old boots.
Hostas will grow almost anywhere, as long theyre not blasted by hot noon-day sun, but do best in dappled shade in a moist but well-drained, humus-rich, slightly acidic soil. Leaves with lots of white are apt to scorch, so need deeper shade, and blue hostas grow bluer in shadier quarters.
Mulch with well-rotted manure or compost in early spring, adding slow-release fertiliser or a handful of fish, blood and bone. For hostas in pots, several growers warn against Miracle-Gro; half-strength tomato feed, seaweed feeds or chicken pellets are recommended.
Hostas that Resist Slug Damage
FAQ
What hostas are most slug resistant?
- Cousin Lou Ann, Hosta. …
- Curly Fries, Hosta. …
- Deja Blu, Hosta. …
- Diamond Lake, Hosta. Leaf Colour: blue. …
- Diamond Lake, Hosta. Leaf Colour: blue. …
- Dream Weaver, Hosta. Leaf Colour: White With Blue Margin. …
- Earth Angel, Hosta. Leaf Colour: Blue With Creamy White Margin. …
- Elegans S., Hosta. Leaf Colour: Blue-Green.
What is the best hosta against slugs?
Itsy-bitsy Hosta ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ is perfectly slug resistant. Photo: www.perennialresource.com.Jan 20, 2022
How do I keep slugs from eating my hostas?
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1. Create Barriers:
- Abrasive Materials: Slugs dislike crossing surfaces that are sharp or rough. You can use crushed eggshells, sand, wood shavings, or diatomaceous earth around your hostas. Keep these materials dry and replenish them after rain.
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Better Homes & Gardenshttps://www.bhg.comHow to Stop Slugs from Chewing Holes in Hosta LeavesJun 21, 2023 — Make Them Uncomfortable. Slugs prefer damp places where they can slide around easily. Rake away any dead leaves near your hostas and add some rough …
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- Copper Bands: Copper rings can be an effective deterrent, as slugs receive an electric shock when crossing them. Bury the copper bands deep enough to prevent slugs from reaching the plant from underneath.
- Abrasive Materials: Slugs dislike crossing surfaces that are sharp or rough. You can use crushed eggshells, sand, wood shavings, or diatomaceous earth around your hostas. Keep these materials dry and replenish them after rain.
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2. Remove Hiding Places:
- Clear Debris: Slugs prefer damp, sheltered environments. Remove any dead leaves or debris near your hostas, as these provide hiding places.
- Use Rough Mulch: Applying a layer of rough mulch, like bark, around your plants can make it harder for slugs to move around.
- Clear Debris: Slugs prefer damp, sheltered environments. Remove any dead leaves or debris near your hostas, as these provide hiding places.
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3. Attract Natural Predators:
- Introduce Frogs and Toads: These predators will help control the slug population. You can create a pond or provide a suitable environment for them in your garden.
- Encourage Birds: Some birds, like wrens, will also feed on slugs. You can attract them to your garden by providing food sources and nesting areas.
- Introduce Frogs and Toads: These predators will help control the slug population. You can create a pond or provide a suitable environment for them in your garden.
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4. Slug-Resistant Varieties:
- Choose Thicker-Leaved Varieties: Hostas with thicker leaves tend to be less appealing to slugs.
- Consider Blue or Waffled Varieties: Some hostas, like blue-leafed varieties or those with waffled textures, are less likely to be eaten by slugs.
- Choose Thicker-Leaved Varieties: Hostas with thicker leaves tend to be less appealing to slugs.
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5. Other Methods:
- Diatomaceous Earth: This natural substance is very sharp at the micro-level and can irritate slugs’ bodies.
- Beer Traps: Slugs are attracted to the yeast in beer. Bury shallow containers filled with beer in the ground near your hostas to attract them and drown them.
- Garlic Wash: Applying a garlic wash (a diluted garlic and water solution) to your hostas can deter slugs.
- Coffee Grounds: Slugs are also repelled by coffee grounds. Sprinkle them around your plants.
- Iron Phosphate Baits: These baits can be used to control slug populations without harming other animals.
- Nematodes: These beneficial nematodes can be applied to the soil and will prey on slugs, helping to control their population.
- Diatomaceous Earth: This natural substance is very sharp at the micro-level and can irritate slugs’ bodies.
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6. Consider Other Pests:
- Grasshoppers: If you see large, irregular holes in your hosta leaves, it may be grasshoppers, not slugs. You can use Sevin dust in the morning to control them.
- Grasshoppers: If you see large, irregular holes in your hosta leaves, it may be grasshoppers, not slugs. You can use Sevin dust in the morning to control them.
Is hosta halcyon slug resistant?
Details. Hosta Halcyon is a classic blue-leaved variety with thick, slug-resistant foliage.