Thanks, Connie May. Pizzazz will be my next targeted plant for purchase. : )

Reading this thread makes me feel like I've entered the Twilight Zone.

Hostas/plaintain lily are awful. I hate them and I was thrilled to find out there are other people that hate them as much as I do. I called them alien plants before I knew their actual name. I had to use a roto tiller to break up the roots after nearly breaking my back trying to dig them up. And even after that (I had no idea how deep they go), I had to shovel and chop some more. This year, they're coming back in some spots and I'm about to resort to Round Up which I thought I'd never do. They're invasive and they've choked out and killed flowers and more attractive plants. Die evil alien plant die! People sound batty on this thread because that's what trying to get of that ugly plant will do to a person.... drive them crazy.

You'll never get rid of them. BAAH HAA HAA HA HA HA HA HA HA...!!!!!!!

Lisa, I wonder what personality defect prompts someone to come on a website dedicated to hosta to rant about how much they hate hosta. Do you go on to rescue sites to rant about how you hate dogs and cats? Do you hang around playgrounds and discuss how you dislike children?

I'm afraid the only advice that I or anyone else may be able to give you that might help you would be, get a life.

Jon

What Lisa is describing is digging out Lily of the Valley not hosta. Some people don't know the difference.

I agree with Beverly. Hostas don't do what Lisa is describing. She's got to have a Lily of the valley infection.

Either that or they are just Trolls trying to stir things up for the fun of it. If they are for real,are they are in for a surprise. if the previous owners planted Hostas must be a lot of shade. let's see what they can get to grow there instead.

Here is a sure fire way to get the plants removed.

First, make a sign on poster board and switch between large & small letters to get your point across. Something like this...... I NEED A MAN IN MY flower BED THAT IS GOOD WITH removing ROOTs.

Take the sign,remove clothes, and stand with it by the roadside. There should be willing members of your local community that are willing to help.

*disclaimer- I've never tried this procedure,so your results may vary depending on age, body type, and orientation.

Lisa there are some nice shiny three leaved plants that grow in any wooded area that you might want to plant in place of the hosta when you have solved your problem.

Jon

I for one cannot fathom the dislike of either hostas OR Lily of the Valley. I think it should be categorized as a new type of personality disorder. ;0)

Hmmm, HDS, Hosta Derangement Syndrome.

It could be a Lily of the Valley problem, or this jokester is 22 days late, lol. It seems like this person comes back every April to mess with us. We must be far down on the list of sites they hit since it's already three weeks in. Everyone has to have a hobby, right? I'll take hostas as mine!

Rename it Great Expectations....there's a good chance it will disappear!

Mbug- LOVE IT! I have tried GE 5 times I give up.

-Babka

How embarrassing for her, she meant to be hating on the Lilly of the valley forum.

Liz, in the right climate, lily of the valley is terribly invasive. I've been trying to contain it for twenty years. It pops up all over and it out competes many more desirable perennials like Hostas, huecheras and ferns. At my house it is a thug though I do love the scent.

Awe the poor dear that posted this in 2008 probably wishes she had never said a word whether host or lily the valley. I am not sure she even knows this post is still around this many years later. I got some from an empty acreage that hasn't had a home on it for at least 30 yrs and it Lily of the valley had spread to at least a 40 x 40 ft spot . Hoping I never made a mistake but digging up a couple small clumps but if so can dig around to control for a few years yet ( I hope) Hard to change our hosta minds and stick up for them like our kids Ha ha ha

HOS-TAS, HOS-TAS, HOS-TAS, HOS-TAS, HOS-TAS...!

I confess i stumbled on this post when googling how to kill a plant. I don't HATE this plant at all...one of my husbands ex girlfriends planted it and it has taken over the garden. I have a very limited space and would like something nicer than this.....is this a HOSTA?

Hi, Veronica...your pic didn't post.

The first one is Patriot and the deer seem to like it.....don't kill it, just dig it up and drop kick it across the the yard. Wherever it lands, dig a hole and throw it in and water it. Done.

I can't dig deep enough...will have my husband try to dig it out this fall...

I would suggest calling a local nursery, arboretum, horticulture school or club, and search for local hosta groups (yes they do exist). I am sure any of them would love to have your plant for free and they would come and get it for free. Here are a couple pics of how beautiful hostas can be

Can't resist posting one more

Veronica,- All you need to dig out is the crown (rhizome) the top 6"-8" or so. It won't come back if you dig that part out. This is not like digging out a tree... And you don't have to wait until Fall, just cut off the leaves and see whatchu got crown-wise. Dig that up and you should be home free. It is not as if you have to get every root, if you are just planning to dump the plant in the trash.

-Babka

If i had more room I wouldn't worry about it...but this one bed is the only "no kill zone" for my husband. If i plant anything anywhere else he inevitably kills it

I hated the damn things until I found the perfect solution : I sold my home and moved onto a hosta-free property .

Good one egolpis. I had so many hosta infesting my lawn, choking out oak trees, and growing up the walls of my house that I had to use a flamethrower and a bulldozer. Did so much damage to my place that I had to sell at a loss, and those pesky hosta were still there when I moved!

At least we can both enjoy our new homes, blissfully free of those invasive plants.

I planted some nice tame bamboo and English ivy at my new place (:

My god, Teuth! That must have been horrible :(

i heard you could throw them on the driveway ... and they broke the snowblower.. and then ate the pavements .... ken

i then planted chameleon plant .. in the empty spaces ... ken

When I found out my hostas were turning into scary clowns at night, I had to dispose of them all. Instead I'm planting this great vining spreader with the cutest little white flowers. I think it's called ......bindweed! Yeah, that's it. ;-)

(It's way past April, where have you been?)

Are y'all growing mutants or something? Maybe I'm cursing myself, but I never had issues digging up and transplanting hostas. What the heck are you feeding the poor things? Bloody liver and steroids?

Hehee.. cannot speak for too many others, but Ken and I live in SE MI. It is almost impossible to kill a hosta in this climate. Ok, they can look crappy if they are planted in full sun and then you never care for them at all, but not much else hurts them around here. Oh - a lawnmower weekly might do it

some of these comments are so FAKE!!..we all know it..hostas invasive and impossible to kill?..roots 5-6 inches in diameter?..of course the FAKE comments have NO pics?..thankfully their dishonesty doesn't hurt anyone..it just makes us laugh at them..

Bizarre topic--I must say I've seen posts on here that I've never encountered at other websites.

Yup. This forum is "special". Stick around!

-Babka

a jackhammer might kill a hosta..but if you aren't strong enough to dig it out with a shovel or garden fork you couldn't handle a jackhammer..dynamite?..even if you destroy the house it's worth it if you kill the hostas..

Hostas are intelligent beings capable of mind control. They are mostly harmless and simply want us to ensure their continued evolution and distribution across the earth. I wouldn't try killing one though... ;)

one hosts is taking o ver a bed and dislodging gravestone! Help! Someone else planted it, its taking over.

How can I get rid of this plant?

how about a pic.. so we can confirm its a hosta

Get a shovel and dig it up.

-Babka

My experience was truly painful! NE Wisconsin if their established good luck.

The root systems are thick  compacted and  very dense!!!

Give them away let someone else dig them up!

Oh man, this is SO old. Get a shovel. Probably wasn't even a hosta, WAY BACK WHEN the original pster was unhappy. Anybody who has a garden of any sort, knows that you just get a shovel and did it up whatever IT is if you don't want it.

-Babka

Recently ken mentioned to me that it’s pretty much understood that you can’t kill the hostas you don’t want…..lol lol

But truly, you just dig it up.

debra