What's eating my fragrant hosta 'guacamole'?

Fragrant Hosta 'Guacamole' has thinner, smoother leaves than blue-glaucous types, making it more attractive to slugs. Deer are a constant threat. Aphids target soft new growth in spring. Black vine weevil can damage roots. Good garden hygiene and slug bait applied early are the most effective defenses.

Irregular holes and ragged tears in leaves with silvery slime trails; smooth-leaved hostas like 'Guacamole' are significantly more vulnerable than thick glaucous types. Apply iron phosphate bait in early spring as soon as shoots emerge; water in the morning rather than evening; reduce nearby debris that provides daytime shelter.

Entire leaves and stems browsed overnight, reducing the plant to bare stumps; particularly damaging in summer when foliage is at its most lush. Spray with deer repellent (Plantskydd, Bobbex) and reapply after rain; use fencing where deer pressure is high.

Colonies cluster on soft new growth and flower scapes in spring, causing curled or distorted leaves and sticky honeydew deposits. Blast off with a strong jet of water; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil spray; encourage natural predators such as ladybirds and lacewings.

Notched leaf margins from adult feeding at night; larvae eat roots, causing wilting and crown failure. Apply beneficial nematodes to the soil in late summer; avoid over-mulching which gives adult weevils daytime refuge.