What's eating my sagae hosta?

Sagae Hosta is a large, award-winning cultivar with grey-green leaves and creamy margins. It is heavily targeted by slugs and deer. Its size makes it a particularly attractive target for deer. Vine weevil grubs can destroy the root system. Rabbits occasionally browse shoots. Slug and deer control are non-negotiable for this premium cultivar.

Ragged holes through the broad leaf blades; slug damage is worst in shaded, moist sites where Sagae performs best Apply iron phosphate bait around crowns in spring as leaves emerge; use grit mulch; hand-pick after evening watering; maintain natural predator habitat

Leaves grazed to petiole stubs; entire clumps stripped, especially in spring and early summer Fence the bed with at least 8 ft deer fencing; use rotating deer repellents to prevent habituation; motion-activated deterrents supplement chemical repellents

Notched leaf margins from adult beetles; white C-shaped grubs eat roots leading to plant wilt and collapse Drench soil with nematodes in late summer to early autumn while soil is moist and above 50°F/10°C

Young shoots clipped at ground level in early spring before the plant is fully established Wire-mesh fencing with buried skirt; rabbit repellent granules or sprays applied to new growth in spring