too much love will kill them...

first.. PROTECT THEM FROM THE DEMON

next.. treat them as any other.. and otherwise ignore them.. they will either live or die ...

i swear to God.. i have killed more hosta trying to love them to death.. than thru benign neglect..

maybe even throw them on the driveway ...

and protect them from the spawn of satin ...

all the dog did.. was 'divided' them.. whats the big deal???

we can ID them later in the season.. i dont know anyone who can ID by pips ...

and protect them from the dog...

get the underlying drift???

ken

I would spray the pot, surface, pips and any leaves developing every week and after any rain with Liquid Fence to keep the dog away. Perhaps she learns to stay away and admire hostas from a distance,
Bernd

Wow, thanks Bernd, I had not thought of that.

She got my Dark Star this morning along with one that hadn't come up yet. She was eyeing Ann Kulpa, when I caught her.

I can get liquid fence today. I can work on a barrier of some sort next weekend.

Thanks again.

bk

i did such with bitter apple spray .....

first spray was right in the dogs mouth ...

looked like he had peanut butter on his pallet ... lol

but he never went near anything that smelled like bitter apple again ...

maybe you should be the first to hang hosta in your trees???

ken

ps: but then you will tell us you have a pet demon monkey.. lol

My dog licks the liquid fence off of the Hosta leaves as I apply it. Bitter Apple or a Canine repellant will work better.

Steve

DH just brought home some bitter apple. I assume it won't hurt my hosta?

bk

Not unless you are eating them. It'll just make them taste bad.

Steve

I never had a dog, but basic observations of humans seem to indicate that you can change ingrained behavior by a memorable event. The dog has the run of the hosta patch now and thinks to destroy hostas is the way to have fun in this house. Ken's spraying of the bitter apple spray startled that dog and changed his behavior. So spraying that same stuff in bkay's dog might do it here too.

This is like the experience a student had once who parked his bike on the brand-new wood paneled entrance of a professor's institute. The professor got mad and threw the bike out and kicked it. Nobody ever leaned a bike on that entrance again ever, everyone learned.
Bernd

Well, I have a similar problem, and am about to apply it. I got the 90 proof capsicum or CAYENNE PEPPER stuff, 4 pounds of it, late last fall. Then I realized I might just as well wait for spring to apply it, since the hosta were about to go dormant anyway.

You can buy the pepper in Louisiana by the big jug quite easily, but around here, I had to order it sort of in bulk. I got the hottest rated at 90 (whatever that indicates--if a little is good, then a lot will be better).

Mine is for the squirrels or any creature which digs. It's concentrated heat, not like eating a tasty pepper itself.

I plan to sprinkle it dry on the pots after I hand water them with a heavy solution of it to saturate the soil too. Getting it in the nostrils and eyes is much more effective, methinks, than trying to overwhelm an animal's taste buds. If it spells pain, I'm hoping that a scent of it will repel them.....once burned, twice cautious.

Dogs are different, you know. Of my two girl doxies, one will run if I flash the hose on her; but the youngun thinks it's a game. Plus, I have a dreaded deadly fearsome FLYSWATTER. I got it for flies, but when I popped it, SNAP, the older dog headed for the hills. She taught the baby to avoid it too.

For your darling demon doglet, put an empty 2 liter plastic drink bottle in an old sock and distract her with that. You might wear yourself out tossing it for her, but if it keeps her busy while you enjoy gardening, mission accomplished.

I remember the year I planted a few young fruit trees, about 6 feet tall. We had a big GSD then, gorgeous dog. I looked out the kitchen window and he was proudly running around the back yard, head held high, carrying a tree like a huge cow leg bone in his mouth. Trophy!

Good luck.

Oh Bernd, there is no way to describe this dog. The only reason I didn't return her to the SPCA is that I thought she would be put down. I don't really think she was meant to be a city dog. She was born to be a rabbit hunting dog, She can run like the wind. She's dug up every stump in my yard. She's brought me a possum and two rats. She has the most guileless look you have ever seen. Like, "Who, me?" or "That's not a toy?". She's as sweet as she can be and loves every man who comes in the door. She's also destroyed many hosta, pots and porch swings. She runs so much she has killed the grass. She ate the couch. She's lucky. She's as nice as she is naughty.

bk

You need an intervention with that dog. Call a trainer who will come to your house.

Steve

BKay, a friend had a nice big chocolate lab who did the same sort of thing when she was a pup. Her gorgeous yard looked like something from that Bill Murray movie before she matured. Then she grew up.

Your Cleo looks like at least part golden retriever, same breed as Marley. I hope that early this year she will quit being an obnoxious teenager and reach her debutante stage. I feel your pain!

I have one suggestion to make. Get a kiddie wading pool and fill it with water and some toys. (Big enough pool she won't be toting it around the garden.) She has to find something of more interest than the pots, and if she is a golden, she'll take to the water like a duck.

No, she's not Golden. She was supposed to be German Shepherd mix. Shepherds and Goldies like to please and take well to obedience. She doesn't have any of those characteristics.

We've come to the conclusion that she is some kind of sight hound, probably a Pharoah Hound mix. She is so hyper that she's hard to get through to.

You could be right, Steve. We have finally found a way to get her the exercise she needs. We run her 2 or 3 miles every day and I'm beginning to wonder if that is enough. My young neighbor has taken her running and she can run 5 miles and never pant. So it's time to get her into obedience.

Needless to say, it's been a rough winter.

Thanks

bk

Moccasinlanding, be aware that large quantities of cayenne pepper might burn your hosta. I'm not saying it will, but it may and I was just worried for you... Give it a dosage test on a sacrificial plant first...

Deb

This post was edited by Dgregory on Wed, Mar 20, 13 at 17:57