Last spring after dividing my hosta, the deer ate 75 out of 90 in just 5 nights!! I tried Liquid fence spray, Irish spring, Milorganite, nothing worked. I was crushed!! After much crying and then searching, I came across a suggestion that has worked flawlessly, a fishing line fence. I use 4ft green garden stakes every 15ft or so around my hosta garden, then ran 2 strings of fishing line, one at the top of the stakes and the 2nd about half way down, around the garden. The deer cannot see it at night, and bump into it which scares them away. Instant success!! I was absolutely amazed at how well this worked, and it really is not very visible since the stakes are green and the fishing line is nearly impossible to see. I used this again this year and also around my raised bed with with success!!
Hi Lisa. This is great to know! I was thinking of doing the same thing next year and now I'm convinced that it needs to be done. I appreciate you sharing your experience! 🥰🦌
Hi there! Check out this website. blog.seedsavers.org/blog/deerfence. Also, I suggest doing a search on the internet for "deer fence fishing line". You should find a lot of different information out there. Good luck, friend! 💗
I’m cutting my hostas today in S CT… I’m using a small hand held sickle that takes out all the leaves in one pass it’s great. I’ll clean it with alcohol 🙏 for the reminder. I didn’t know about the virus and I’ve always composted my hosta plants but if something looks odd or has lots of seedheads I don’t. I’ve used Irish Spring by cutting the bar in quarters drilling a hole in it and using wire to hang it from trees. The first year we had this home we only lived here on the weekends and so we hung the soap around the perimeter of the “woods” to try and keep them out of the perennial gardens and I think it worked well. Now I use smelly plants, garlic, repellant sprays, citrus peels, scarecrows, milogranite….whatever works to change up the scent. I’m thinking of buying a leaf shredder…any suggestions? I didn’t buy mulch this year and I’m thinking I would prefer mulching my own sticks and leaves and lets face it good mulch even purchased by the truckload is not cheap. I live in a woodland settling like you, mof I can only see my neighbors homes when all the leaves come down. I’m enjoying the beautiful Oct colors and I hope you are too.
@@lgarden7086 My daughter goes to school at UConn. Go Huskies! Thank you for sharing your tips on how to deter the deer. ❤️ I use a small electric leaf shredder by WORX. I bought it on Amazon but I believe the big box stores sell leaf shredders as well. Here's a video that I made on how I shred the leaves up and add them to my compost pile: th-cam.com/video/YOdOLaOJN7E/w-d-xo.html 🏵️
One of my hosta beds measurements are 60×8. I have other around my yard. I did a new one around tree further away from my house this year. I was concerned about deer. I put a plastic owl on a post. Had no deer damage. It's my last bed to cut back. It feels good
Oh wow. Your hosta must all look so pretty in those areas. Thank you for your suggestion of the plastic owl on a post. I'll have to try that trick out! That's great about your flower beds being cleaned up. I'm sure it must feel great! Now the beds can rest for the season. 😊💤
Yes - we need to keep those slugs at bay! It's amazing how many different hosta varieties there are. I've told myself I can't try to collect all of them... 😅💐
The Irish soap worked for me this year!! It kept all the deer and other wildlife from eating all my hard work! I highly recommend it! Just remember to put more down after a rain.😊
Hi Deb. Thanks for sharing! Did you cut the soap into pieces, shave it into slivers, or hang it up at all? I'm just curious and what's great is others are also learning about the Irish Spring soap trick for repelling deer, etc. 🥰🌸
@@budgetgardeningvita I bought an inexpensive handheld cheese grater and just went around my yard grating soap everywhere😊Irish spring has a very strong odor. I usually spread it about a foot away from the plants and some on top of them also… for me it has kept the deer, bunnies,squirrels and such away! Deer are smart they learned how to go around the plants with other things I’ve used…but the soap has worked so far and I just keep it in a baggie with the grater in my garden shed! Best of all it doesn’t hurt the animals or the plants!
Greetings! I'm glad you found this information helpful. Cutting back your hosta also takes care of nasty slug eggs which may be hiding. Happy gardening, friend! 😊🪷
I live a little further north than you in NH Zone 5a. I was looking at my hostas yesterday and wondered if I should cut them back now or wait a little. I opted to wait because I wasn't sure but after this video I'm going to cut them back on our first rain free day. Thanks.
Hello neighbor! I feel that since we have a frost coming very soon, it makes sense to cut the hosta back now. The plants have whatever energy stored into their roots for next year. Lots of rain today but it was much needed. Happy gardening, friend! 😊🌧️💐
Thank you for sharing! I love the idea of using the soap versus having to buy a spray and keep spraying my hosta plants after each rainfall. I'll be buying the soap in bulk next year. 😅🦌🧼
Where we live we have lots of deer. They never bothered my Hosta until one night we had a power outage. We have landscape lighting around the plants. So with no lights on that night, the deer ate all my hosta down to a half inch.
I think the weed you were pulling is called Bishop’s Weed and is very invasive! It came into my garden when a friend unknowingly gave me some plants from her garden. All you need is a tiny root and BINGO you have a garden full of Bishop’s Weed!
Hi there! I think you're right! I had received some free hosta a few years ago and I think the Bishop's Weed may have hitch-hiked along with those hosta. Ugh! I'll have to be more persistent about pulling it as I see it in order to (hopefully) control it. Thank you for your help, friend. 🥰🌼
I never cut mine back. I rake leaves over them and they come back fine the next year. I just rake the beds in Spring. I also toss my cuttings from porch plants into the one by my porch and it composts the dirt under the hosta. Been doing that for 8 yrs. They started out 3 plants and are now 30 ft worth as border.
Absolutely! Unfortunately here where I live, slugs are a big nuisance and slugs like to lay their eggs under the hosta leaves, so I have to cut the leaves back. Also, we have a ton of leaves and the leaves really mat down around the hosta plants. But some areas can definitely get away with leaving the hosta leaves in place all winter. Your hosta border sounds lovely! 🥰🌼
@@budgetgardeningvita I also have slugs and thick leaves. In fact I make the covering almost a foot deep. But when it thaws in the Spring I rake them off.. The dirt the hosta are in is then black gold.
@PK-bh1ww Very good to know. I love all this sharing because a lot of people like to read the comments and at least it gives them the option to try what you're doing. Thanks so much for sharing. 💗
I cut my hostas back after the first freeze in October and again in the last week of June that keeps them from blooming their white flowers and looking good until October.
Hi there. Since you're in a much warmer climate than I am, I suggest you wait until it cools down a bit more (like in the high 30s at night). That way the hosta can continue storing energy for next year. 😊💐
Can you give a list of other common perennials that should be cut back? I have lillies, and iris which I know get cut. But I put in a perennial bed and can’t remember a lot of their names off hand. Naughty deer got into my beet greens this year. Boy was I mad! But, after a few minutes I let it go. Part and parcel of living in beautiful New Hampshire.
Oh boy. Those deer can surely be naughty! 🦌 Other perennials to cut back include tall phlox and bee balm (because of powdery mildew); yarrow, veronica / speedwell, and catmint (aesthetic reasons); and columbine (prevent disease; aesthetic reasons). 😊🌸
@@budgetgardeningvita thank you! I recognize the names. I have problems coming up with names and words. But once I read or hear them, I recognize them right away. Thank you much. ❤️
Beautiful Garden, the leaves look so pretty in the fall, I have a hard time cutting the pretty leaves down. How do you keep the deer away from your hosta?
I agree that the yellow leaves on the hosta do look pretty in the Fall. The deer don't bother that patch of hosta since it's right next to my barn. But I sprinkled Irish Spring soap around some and that seemed to deter the deer. Others have had luck with Milorganite fertilizer as well as a DIY fish line fence. 😊🌸
I'm in Ontario Zone 6b between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. I prune back my Hostas and Ferns to about 5 or 6" every mid to late October as part of my garden clean up. If I have any Hostas or Ferns that need dividing, I prune them first then divide and relocate. I dispose of the cuttings, not so much because I am concerned with spreading disease or unwanted critters, but because I am a bit anal 😉 This fall routine has worked well for me, everything seems to flourish. Well except when I accidently plant something in the wrong light location😅
Hi there! Either Spring or Fall is the best time to divide Hosta plants. 😊🌸 Here's a video that I made showing how to divide hosta in case you're interested: th-cam.com/video/qPbprBq62Zg/w-d-xo.html
Hi there! It's an EGO 480 CFM blower. The battery lasts 10-15 minutes on high power (longer on lower power) and I bought an extra battery so that I can switch it out and by the time I use both batteries up, my arms are ready for a break as the batteries recharge on the charger. 😅🍁🍂
Hi there! It's really a matter of personal preference. I would do it if a frost is nearing just because it's easier to cut the leaves back before they get too mushy. If I lived in RI though, I may wait another few weeks to be honest. Here in New Hampshire it's going to get below freezing (31 F) on Wednesday night, so I'm glad I got that job done a few days ago. I hope that helps. 😊
@@budgetgardeningvitaMilorganite is made in Milwaukee and plentiful where we live. Used it for the past 2 years in my garden beds and no critter damage and plants love it!! I always prune back hostas and give a good watering in fall if a drought year and they are always lovely in spring!
Oh wow. Sorry to hear that! I wonder if you can sprinkle something around it next year? Rumor has it that Irish spring soap or Milorganite fertilizer work (depending on where you live). My mom used to sprinkle hot pepper around her plants to deter the rabbits. 🤞🏼🌸
I love to cut mine back in the fall. I always divide in spring, but I am hoping to have time this fall. I have some shorter ones that need to be moved due to growth of larger ones. Its easier to remember now, which ones need to be moved than waiting and forgetting in the spring. Thats the plan anyways
I totally agree with you that it's easier to divide the hosta now when you can still see the leaves versus in the Spring. I've also had luck dividing my hosta in the summer as long as I give them plenty of water afterwards. 😊🌸
Some of it looks like it could possibly be poison ivy. I cut my zinnias to the ground two weeks ago and staked a plant I couldn’t remember planting. The next day, covered in a rash I went back outside to I spect it further and to my horror discovered it was poison ivy 🤯.
Oh no! I sure hope it's not poison ivy. I had poison ivy once in my life and ended up at the walk in clinic for antibiotics because it was so bad. Fingers crossed! I'm sorry to hear that you ended up with it on you. 💗🌺
I loved watching the leaves fall in this video. 🍁… I like to cut my hosta down to the ground every fall. I enjoy the new growth in the spring too. So fresh and new! And congrats on 10k!!
I thought I got rid of all poison Ivy, but now I find tiny plants in my yard. Probably a gift from birds. I have to be so careful when weeding not to accidentally grab the poison ivy. I’ve found SARNA crème works great to get rid of the blisters.
So nice to see a channel that is in my price range.
I watch the clearance racks,too.
Thank you, friend! I tell everyone gardening can be expensive but it doesn't have to be. Clearance racks are the best! 😊🪷
Last spring after dividing my hosta, the deer ate 75 out of 90 in just 5 nights!! I tried Liquid fence spray, Irish spring, Milorganite, nothing worked. I was crushed!! After much crying and then searching, I came across a suggestion that has worked flawlessly, a fishing line fence. I use 4ft green garden stakes every 15ft or so around my hosta garden, then ran 2 strings of fishing line, one at the top of the stakes and the 2nd about half way down, around the garden. The deer cannot see it at night, and bump into it which scares them away. Instant success!! I was absolutely amazed at how well this worked, and it really is not very visible since the stakes are green and the fishing line is nearly impossible to see. I used this again this year and also around my raised bed with with success!!
Hi Lisa. This is great to know! I was thinking of doing the same thing next year and now I'm convinced that it needs to be done. I appreciate you sharing your experience! 🥰🦌
Do you have a picture of how you did that? The deer ate many of hostas, it broke ny heart:(
Hi there! Check out this website. blog.seedsavers.org/blog/deerfence. Also, I suggest doing a search on the internet for "deer fence fishing line". You should find a lot of different information out there. Good luck, friend! 💗
I’m cutting my hostas today in S CT… I’m using a small hand held sickle that takes out all the leaves in one pass it’s great. I’ll clean it with alcohol 🙏 for the reminder. I didn’t know about the virus and I’ve always composted my hosta plants but if something looks odd or has lots of seedheads I don’t. I’ve used Irish Spring by cutting the bar in quarters drilling a hole in it and using wire to hang it from trees. The first year we had this home we only lived here on the weekends and so we hung the soap around the perimeter of the “woods” to try and keep them out of the perennial gardens and I think it worked well. Now I use smelly plants, garlic, repellant sprays, citrus peels, scarecrows, milogranite….whatever works to change up the scent. I’m thinking of buying a leaf shredder…any suggestions? I didn’t buy mulch this year and I’m thinking I would prefer mulching my own sticks and leaves and lets face it good mulch even purchased by the truckload is not cheap. I live in a woodland settling like you, mof I can only see my neighbors homes when all the leaves come down. I’m enjoying the beautiful Oct colors and I hope you are too.
@@lgarden7086 My daughter goes to school at UConn. Go Huskies! Thank you for sharing your tips on how to deter the deer. ❤️ I use a small electric leaf shredder by WORX. I bought it on Amazon but I believe the big box stores sell leaf shredders as well. Here's a video that I made on how I shred the leaves up and add them to my compost pile: th-cam.com/video/YOdOLaOJN7E/w-d-xo.html 🏵️
One of my hosta beds measurements are 60×8. I have other around my yard. I did a new one around tree further away from my house this year. I was concerned about deer. I put a plastic owl on a post. Had no deer damage. It's my last bed to cut back. It feels good
Oh wow. Your hosta must all look so pretty in those areas. Thank you for your suggestion of the plastic owl on a post. I'll have to try that trick out! That's great about your flower beds being cleaned up. I'm sure it must feel great! Now the beds can rest for the season. 😊💤
Beautiful hostas, Vita Loca!! ❤
Thanks so much, Sean & Allison! 🥰🌹
So many hostas! Wow... super jealous. But we're right there with you on cutting these back in the fall.
Yes - we need to keep those slugs at bay! It's amazing how many different hosta varieties there are. I've told myself I can't try to collect all of them... 😅💐
@@budgetgardeningvita With all that space tho... no one would blame you :)
The Irish soap worked for me this year!! It kept all the deer and other wildlife from eating all my hard work! I highly recommend it! Just remember to put more down after a rain.😊
Hi Deb. Thanks for sharing! Did you cut the soap into pieces, shave it into slivers, or hang it up at all? I'm just curious and what's great is others are also learning about the Irish Spring soap trick for repelling deer, etc. 🥰🌸
@@budgetgardeningvita I bought an inexpensive handheld cheese grater and just went around my yard grating soap everywhere😊Irish spring has a very strong odor. I usually spread it about a foot away from the plants and some on top of them also… for me it has kept the deer, bunnies,squirrels and such away! Deer are smart they learned how to go around the plants with other things I’ve used…but the soap has worked so far and I just keep it in a baggie with the grater in my garden shed! Best of all it doesn’t hurt the animals or the plants!
I have never cut my hostas, good to know, that I better should. Greetings from Germany
Greetings! I'm glad you found this information helpful. Cutting back your hosta also takes care of nasty slug eggs which may be hiding. Happy gardening, friend! 😊🪷
I live a little further north than you in NH Zone 5a. I was looking at my hostas yesterday and wondered if I should cut them back now or wait a little. I opted to wait because I wasn't sure but after this video I'm going to cut them back on our first rain free day. Thanks.
Hello neighbor! I feel that since we have a frost coming very soon, it makes sense to cut the hosta back now. The plants have whatever energy stored into their roots for next year. Lots of rain today but it was much needed. Happy gardening, friend! 😊🌧️💐
Great idea about Irish Spring shavings. I know a nut grower that hangs bars of Irish Spring from the trees. She says it does repel the deer.
Thank you for sharing! I love the idea of using the soap versus having to buy a spray and keep spraying my hosta plants after each rainfall. I'll be buying the soap in bulk next year. 😅🦌🧼
Where we live we have lots of deer. They never bothered my Hosta until one night we had a power outage. We have landscape lighting around the plants. So with no lights on that night, the deer ate all my hosta down to a half inch.
That's awful to hear! 😔 I never would have thought that landscape lighting around hosta would deter deer. Good to know! 🦌💐 Thanks for sharing, friend.
I think the weed you were pulling is called Bishop’s Weed and is very invasive! It came into my garden when a friend unknowingly gave me some plants from her garden. All you need is a tiny root and BINGO you have a garden full of Bishop’s Weed!
Hi there! I think you're right! I had received some free hosta a few years ago and I think the Bishop's Weed may have hitch-hiked along with those hosta. Ugh! I'll have to be more persistent about pulling it as I see it in order to (hopefully) control it. Thank you for your help, friend. 🥰🌼
I agree on the goutweed id. It's another one that should not go in the compost pile. will be cutting back my hosta soon here in Boston.
@@karenbergstrand2772 Hello neighbor! Thank you for letting me know. I'll have to keep after it when it appears again in the springtime. 🏵️😊
I never cut mine back. I rake leaves over them and they come back fine the next year. I just rake the beds in Spring. I also toss my cuttings from porch plants into the one by my porch and it composts the dirt under the hosta. Been doing that for 8 yrs. They started out 3 plants and are now 30 ft worth as border.
Absolutely! Unfortunately here where I live, slugs are a big nuisance and slugs like to lay their eggs under the hosta leaves, so I have to cut the leaves back. Also, we have a ton of leaves and the leaves really mat down around the hosta plants. But some areas can definitely get away with leaving the hosta leaves in place all winter. Your hosta border sounds lovely! 🥰🌼
@@budgetgardeningvita I also have slugs and thick leaves. In fact I make the covering almost a foot deep. But when it thaws in the Spring I rake them off.. The dirt the hosta are in is then black gold.
@PK-bh1ww Very good to know. I love all this sharing because a lot of people like to read the comments and at least it gives them the option to try what you're doing. Thanks so much for sharing. 💗
I found that Irish spring keeps the deer out! I put the bars in the food processor like a piece of cheese 😊
I cut my hostas back after the first freeze in October and again in the last week of June that keeps them from blooming their white flowers and looking good until October.
Thank you for sharing! Hosta are so pretty in the landscape. 😊🌻
I’m in North Carolina and just planted some little hostas about a month or so ago. Should I cut them back already before the first frost here?
Hi there. Since you're in a much warmer climate than I am, I suggest you wait until it cools down a bit more (like in the high 30s at night). That way the hosta can continue storing energy for next year. 😊💐
Can you give a list of other common perennials that should be cut back? I have lillies, and iris which I know get cut. But I put in a perennial bed and can’t remember a lot of their names off hand.
Naughty deer got into my beet greens this year. Boy was I mad! But, after a few minutes I let it go. Part and parcel of living in beautiful New Hampshire.
Oh boy. Those deer can surely be naughty! 🦌 Other perennials to cut back include tall phlox and bee balm (because of powdery mildew); yarrow, veronica / speedwell, and catmint (aesthetic reasons); and columbine (prevent disease; aesthetic reasons). 😊🌸
@@budgetgardeningvita thank you! I recognize the names. I have problems coming up with names and words. But once I read or hear them, I recognize them right away. Thank you much. ❤️
@@SharleaneBailey-b2k You're very welcome. ❤️
Just adding my 2 cents, but for Hosta seeds, maybe you can have a section in your garden for a “Hosta Nursery”. I think that would be cute.
I love this idea! 🥰🍁
Beautiful Garden, the leaves look so pretty in the fall, I have a hard time cutting the pretty leaves down. How do you keep the deer away from your hosta?
I agree that the yellow leaves on the hosta do look pretty in the Fall. The deer don't bother that patch of hosta since it's right next to my barn. But I sprinkled Irish Spring soap around some and that seemed to deter the deer. Others have had luck with Milorganite fertilizer as well as a DIY fish line fence. 😊🌸
I'm in Ontario Zone 6b between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. I prune back my Hostas and Ferns to about 5 or 6" every mid to late October as part of my garden clean up. If I have any Hostas or Ferns that need dividing, I prune them first then divide and relocate. I dispose of the cuttings, not so much because I am concerned with spreading disease or unwanted critters, but because I am a bit anal 😉 This fall routine has worked well for me, everything seems to flourish. Well except when I accidently plant something in the wrong light location😅
It sounds like you have a great system in place. I love hosta so much, from the mini variety all the way up to the really large ones! 🥰🍁
What’s the best remedy for snails and slugs eating your hostas? I love my hostas!!😊
There are different baits that you can try, such as a shallow dish of beer or a slug & snail bait like Sluggo or Corry's. 😊🌻
@@budgetgardeningvita thanks for replying and your advice. Will try!
Question… when is the best time to split the hostas?
Hi there! Either Spring or Fall is the best time to divide Hosta plants. 😊🌸 Here's a video that I made showing how to divide hosta in case you're interested: th-cam.com/video/qPbprBq62Zg/w-d-xo.html
What's the brand & power of your leaf blower, how long does the battery last? Thanks :)
Hi there! It's an EGO 480 CFM blower. The battery lasts 10-15 minutes on high power (longer on lower power) and I bought an extra battery so that I can switch it out and by the time I use both batteries up, my arms are ready for a break as the batteries recharge on the charger. 😅🍁🍂
How about down here in RI? Should we do the same before a frost which is probably in the next couple of weeks.
Hi there! It's really a matter of personal preference. I would do it if a frost is nearing just because it's easier to cut the leaves back before they get too mushy. If I lived in RI though, I may wait another few weeks to be honest. Here in New Hampshire it's going to get below freezing (31 F) on Wednesday night, so I'm glad I got that job done a few days ago. I hope that helps. 😊
@@budgetgardeningvita I usually wait until spring to clean them up. But, I'm going to follow your advice and cut them in a few weeks. Thank you.
I use a perimeter of Milorganite , it protected my azaleas and hostas living on 8 acres of woodland
I never thought of using Milorganite as a deer repellent. What a great idea. Thank you for sharing! 🥰💐
@@budgetgardeningvitaMilorganite is made in Milwaukee and plentiful where we live. Used it for the past 2 years in my garden beds and no critter damage and plants love it!! I always prune back hostas and give a good watering in fall if a drought year and they are always lovely in spring!
@@cpitz5298 So good to know. Thank you for sharing! ❤️
My problem is the rabbits. Ate my smaller hosta to the ground but left the larger varieties alone.
Oh wow. Sorry to hear that! I wonder if you can sprinkle something around it next year? Rumor has it that Irish spring soap or Milorganite fertilizer work (depending on where you live). My mom used to sprinkle hot pepper around her plants to deter the rabbits. 🤞🏼🌸
Excellent video! Many thanks for the tips and information. I also enjoyed the viewer comments and tips as well! 👌🪴🥰
Thanks so much! I agree. The viewer comments and tips are so wonderful. I love our gardening community so much! 🥰💐
❤
🥰
I love to cut mine back in the fall. I always divide in spring, but I am hoping to have time this fall. I have some shorter ones that need to be moved due to growth of larger ones. Its easier to remember now, which ones need to be moved than waiting and forgetting in the spring. Thats the plan anyways
I totally agree with you that it's easier to divide the hosta now when you can still see the leaves versus in the Spring. I've also had luck dividing my hosta in the summer as long as I give them plenty of water afterwards. 😊🌸
Some of it looks like it could possibly be poison ivy. I cut my zinnias to the ground two weeks ago and staked a plant I couldn’t remember planting. The next day, covered in a rash I went back outside to I spect it further and to my horror discovered it was poison ivy 🤯.
Oh no! I sure hope it's not poison ivy. I had poison ivy once in my life and ended up at the walk in clinic for antibiotics because it was so bad. Fingers crossed! I'm sorry to hear that you ended up with it on you. 💗🌺
I loved watching the leaves fall in this video. 🍁… I like to cut my hosta down to the ground every fall. I enjoy the new growth in the spring too. So fresh and new! And congrats on 10k!!
I thought I got rid of all poison Ivy, but now I find tiny plants in my yard. Probably a gift from birds. I have to be so careful when weeding not to accidentally grab the poison ivy. I’ve found SARNA crème works great to get rid of the blisters.
@PrettyLittleGarden2930 Thanks so much, Jen! 💗
@kathleenchurch8147, And to think you staked that Bad Boy! Funny, but not funny!
Has the word "prune" been forgotten?
Great point, friend! I'll be sure to add it to my video description since this can also be viewed as a method of pruning your hosta. 🙏🏼😊🌻
🤪
🌼😊