Nigel on hostas
What is eating my hostas?
Ragged holes, shaved leaves, vanished shoots: Nigel reads the damage pattern before he names the culprit.
Hosta damage always looks personal. Nigel prefers evidence.
Read the damage pattern
Slugs and snails tend to leave ragged holes and glossy trails, especially after damp evenings. Deer work on a different scale: neat torn edges, missing stems, and plants that look abruptly edited.
If the youngest leaves emerge already shredded, Nigel looks for pests hiding low in the crown or a nightly visitor using your shade bed as a salad bar.
- Ragged small holes usually point to slugs or snails
- Missing entire shoots suggests deer or rabbits
- Damage after rain narrows the field quickly
- Check mulch, pots, and stones near the crown at dusk
What to show Nigel on camera
A close shot of the leaf edge helps, but Nigel also wants the wider bed. Nearby chew marks, spacing, and moisture tell him more than one dramatic leaf.