What's eating my hosta 'sum and substance'?

Hosta 'Sum and Substance' has notably thick, substantial leaves that make it one of the most slug-resistant hostas, but deer remain a real threat — a single night can reduce a mature clump to bare stems. Vine weevils and foliar nematodes are secondary risks for garden plants.

Leaves are browsed entirely overnight, reducing the plant to bare, celery-like stumps; most common in spring and summer when growth is lush. Fence the planting area or spray individual plants with a deer repellent such as Plantskydd; reapply after rain.

Irregular ragged holes in leaves with shiny slime trails; less frequent on 'Sum and Substance' than thin-leaved hostas due to thick leaf substance. Apply iron phosphate bait in spring when shoots emerge; hand-pick at night; reduce mulch depth near crowns.

Notched leaf margins from adult feeding; larvae attack roots and crowns, causing wilting and plant death in severe cases. Apply beneficial nematodes (Steinernema kraussei) to moist soil in late summer; avoid over-mulching which harbors adults.

Angular yellow-to-brown stripes between leaf veins that darken and die; lesions are bounded by veins, giving leaves a striped appearance. Remove and dispose of affected leaves; keep foliage dry; no chemical controls are labeled — prevention is the main strategy.