Well, after I lost about eight plants to voles last year (my first encounter with those wonderful creatures), I decided to dig up all but my larger, more established hosta and move them into pots that I then buried back in the ground. I made sure they were in coarse, well draining soil when I did so. I also dug up some and replanted them in large cages topped with gravel. The ones that I could not dig up, I dug trenches around and filled with gravel, and also removed my wood chip mulch and replaced that with a thin layer of gravel. I don't have expensive hosta like that, and I'm grateful the voles didn't get my favorite ones, but I sure don't want to lose anymore to them....I will never plant one in the ground without some form of protection again. Too frustrating to lose them like that. Chipmunks and squirrels have never eaten anything, far as I can tell. Voles are the enemy for me. In my case they ate all the roots, leaving just the crown by the time I noticed it.

I am optimistic that the ones in ground in pots will survive, but it's too soon to tell. Moving them all indoors for the winter is not an option for me. It doesn't appear that anything got into the pots over the winter.

My number one concern with using potted hostas is that volves can easily chew holes in the buried pots..

My number one concern with using potted hostas is that volves can easily chew holes in the buried pots..

well it sounds bad, but since you can't cage the critters , ya have to cage the hosta. Heavy guage wire even below ground, they normally don't eat roots and roots can find their way through the openings, basic design same as chicken wire, but heavier gauge and the openings are smaller if your critters are smaller. Mice i think can go through a hole the size of a dime so maybe smaller. Problem with small is makes it harder to bend to desired shapes and limited to what you use as side supports. with chicken wire size holes can weave any riged strong thin rod through and push into ground. with the small stuff ya have to use say 1x1 and staple. then to enlarge as plant grows ya have to take a portion apart, where with rod ya just pull it out and add more wire and reset. Granted this is extreme, but only thing i can think of. Oh just fyi.... to start you dig a larger deeper hole then you would normally need then have a sheet of wire large enough to line the hole and have some left over to bend over onto the ground, so you have to put your dirt elsewhere not next to your hole. you will need to have your wire cutters handy or tin snips depending on gauge.(note a square hole is easier to work with.) FOr bottom decking just decide how wide your box may get and lay pieces of it out to cover your later expansion.you can use galvanized u bolts or whater is handy that will keep your bottom in place. then construct your box you can use pull ties to connect your two sections together or wire, etc.

Granted can't do this if you like stuff close together and is weird looking to say the least, but you wont lose your $350 plant, just your view. SPeaking of wiew I would say dont put your valueable plants in their cages in an area that you like looking at on a daily basis. Put them at the side of the house you rarely visit, but is good for the Hostas, but to the neighbor you like least.

GGG: : I believe the stuff you're referring to is called Hardware Cloth.
{{gwi:965183}}

I wish I could tell you a fool-proof method,but there probably isn't one. I have had voles in the past,and have used a product called Tomcat. Last year,I did whack a vole in person,after I found one of my hostas attacked,but that was just a coincidence. Mostly,I have found that if you dig up and make really fluffy soil with amendments,that is when voles get your plant,because it is easier for them to dig. I plant mine right in our NC red clay,which they can't dig as well. I'm sorry I can't help any more than that. The ironic thing is,they don't usually attack the common,or cheap hostas! Phil

yes that will work, if you can't find a guage thick enough for whatever critter your keeping out you can double up. There is a quicker design i have, that makes use of your basic tomato cage.can only use for younger hosta that wont spread out to fast. Ok cut off the 4 wire legs you stick into the ground wrap the outside in your wire, cap off the small open end, so no climbers can get in. the hole procedure is the same, except can be a round hole and you only need enough above ground to connect to the top of the tomato cage which is now become the bottom (probably know this, but dont put any wire across the top/new bottom of the tomato cage as makes it hard to place over the plant.). u can use wire to connect the cage to the ground unit or strong aligator clips for quicker entry to weed or do whatever. you will need quite a few if you have squirrels that realy want in, they will run amuck on it. this also makes it so you can have plants nearer together. Still not attactive, though some folks do use tomato cages upside down to train plants and support weak stalked so not unusual to see,just not wrapped in wire to often. but simple to make easier to get to your plant.

oh didn't mention the top in other post, figured it's pretty easy to figure out, allligato clips also work in previous design as well, again just need quite a few to be sure it's secure. might be some bending involved to get a good grip and also be sure to get high tension spring type, some cheap small ones pop off to easy.

Thank you for all of your suggestions. Placing a heavy guage wire in a planting hole seems like a LOT of work for me. What if I just plant the hosta in a large (5 gallons) black nursery pot and place a piece of wire at the bottom of the planting hole and around the pot? Do you think it will work?

It is ALWAYS the expensive hostas that die. The bad guys just KNOW.
-Babka

I'm guessing your going to plant the pot, either way that will protect the pot from being chewed into, you still have to protect the hosta, as long as you can get the tomato cage over the pot if not planted and the hosta leaves if not a youngun, then that will work. if you have a massive hosta, then a box is needed if above ground box is fine but not if in ground cuz then the critter is a digger, can just come up inside the box and eat up. course if you put wire down and your sure it is overlaping the edge of the pot in the ground should be ok. You will definately have to wrap the pot as most all these critters have super teeth and are rodents even if they don't have the continuous tooth growth aspect. golphers or golfers whichever you prefer and voles and of course mice and squirrels are rodents moles, though one might think so aren't.

and if your abover ground with a tomato cage be sure and weigh it down with something, even if you can get it attached to the wire on the pot. as squirrels can and most likly will tip it over. If they want to plant something or eat something they planted or eat your plants. Once well secured fill with peanut, pecans shelled or unshelled and watch the show.

daniss, I would think that would work. Just make sure the soil you use in the pot drains well so that you come through the winter ok. My buried pot hosta definitely don't drain as well as the ones planted directly in the ground or in the soil. I'm sure they can chew through buried pots, but I'm guessing (hoping?) it will at least be a deterrant! I pulled up a buried pot last summer and saw vole tunnels all around it, but the pot and hosta were untouched.

BTW, the hardware cloth cages really aren't that hard to make...you just make a cylinder (I use zip ties to close it on the side). Dig your hole, put cylinder in, and then put a layer of gravel to serve as the bottom of the wire "pot". Then put a light layer of gravel on top after the hosta is planted, too. I made about a dozen last year and will probably use that method for anything I plant this year.

Your issue with planting the pot is going to be this:
In late winter, as snow is melting, water and snow are going to collect right on the crown and cause it to rot.
You would need to protect the crown and roots from too much moisture but not restrict air flow.

How do you protect an expensive hosta?

Well, the best advice I can give is whenever you get a new hosta, divide it immediately and put each division in a different area of the garden. Even if it has only two or three eyes, split it and make two seperate plants. That way, if something happens to one of them, you still have the other one.

An additional benefit of having two plants is that one plant you never mess with...you just let it grow and grow and grow to maturity (assuming you can keep the voles away). The second plant you put in a separate garden from which to take divisions of, so you can give away or trade a division with a freind, or for resale. That way, you never disturb your "show plant" in your display garden.

and if you really want to have some payback/fun, hook a 12 volt battery up to it. ok now i've gone to far, but it would be funny in a perverse way and if you like fried squirrel, i haven't ever tried vole or golpher or the others, don't know if anyone had ever gotten that hungry before. BUT, would probably be ok in a stew, just use lots of hot sauce .....GET ER DONE>.....

I don't really hate squirrels or the other critter/varmits, nor do I wish them dead. I do begrudge them their destructive natures, but there ya have it, it is their nature, it's what they do, it's their job. AH well, what can ya do, they are kinda cute (squirrels and chip monks only , the others eeeeeh not so much)and they do some funny stuff, so i guess don't use a battery.............Still now SLUGS, in my mind Gods biggest, what the heck was i thinking moments. so kill em kill em allllll!

I also had used a large bag of turkey grit, did not use any underground wire mesh yet. But those measures only prevent the voles from eating the hostas, that does not eliminate or reduce those rodents.

We had vole threads here, and what I remember is that those critters multiply rapidly and can not be contained well via trapping, etc, but best by poisoning. That's what I do, put mouse poison pellets deep into any holes in the ground to feed the mice and voles, and I think I saw only one hole after the thaw this spring. I also had no above ground runs in my lawns, but for those I used an application of Grubex to remove the food source of those critters.
Bernd

Here is a link for vole control. Note further links at the end of this publication.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vole Control and Management

Email the guy at AAhostas.com. If I understood some of what he's written, he's putting all his best hosta in pots in the ground - even the really big ones.

I'm sorry I can't help directly, as no vole could dig through our soil (commonly called black gumbo). Also, I grow in pots above ground, so I can't help you there.

The squirrels are a pain, but they don't eat the hosta. They just dig around them looking for stuff to eat or a nice soft place to bury their nuts, seeds, etc.

I've also heard about putting wire baskets over the plants to keep the rabbits, etc. from devouring the tops.

Why are you putting the pots in the shed for the winter? I just leave mine out (but,we don't freeze here,either).

bkay

I don't have a vole problem (yet) but between freeze damage and deer, some of my early hostas aren't faring too well this spring. Thank goodness not many of the expensive ones yet!), mostly plantaganea with freeze damage, and a few others, but those wood rats with antlers did eat one hosta and a scilla. I also have ground hogs to contend with. I spread blood meal throughout most of the beds this evening, and black pepper where the ground hogs tend to munch--they love the Virginia bluebells (it does work, too!).

Sandy

Thank you so much for all your responses
"whenever you get a new hosta, divide it immediately and put each division in a different area of the garden.."
I would like to, but all of the expensive hostas come to me as single divisions, so they would need 3-4 more years until I will be able to divide them.
"Why are you putting the pots in the shed for the winter?.."
Because I am in zone 5-6, and to keep hungry critters away. It�s better to be on the safe side.
This morning I ran out and replanted my expensive ones in pots. The gravel on the top will keep squirrels away. I would rather be on the safe side and will move them into shed for winter. I like the idea of using hardware cloth cylinders and gravel at bottom of the hole, and will replant the rest directly without pots. I really hope it will work. Thank you for this idea.
I use soilless mix and the results are really good� no roots rot, but this morning I also realized that I lost another 10 out of a 2 dozen I purchased and planted last fall. I ran out of my soilless mix and was too lazy to drive for another bag. I had Miracle grow potting soil that I used to plant these 10. ALL of them are gone due to rooting rots, but the ones in the soilless mix are OK. Another lesson for me :(

Out of my 0.3 acres the plant beds barely occupy 1/5 of it and I am overwhelmed with all the work that should be done to protect the plants. I do use Kaput vole baits, mouse traps, Cayenne pepper, Ammonium, slug baits ( and a beer sometime) in my arsenal. My husband, who hates gardening, would go crazy when every night I disappeared for an hour with a flashlight in my hand. I browse this forum frequently and looking at the beautiful manicured beds of hundred of hostas, and wonder how the folks with acres of hosta beds and collection of hundred of hostas are able to keep the critters and slugs away�.
Dani

You must have some kind of serious weather there,Dani. I don't have a lot of pots,and a couple of half-whiskey barrels. My half whiskey barrels sit out in my garden,with no cover or anything. The only cover they get is when Oak leaves cover them. I planted them in regular potting soil,with some mulch mixed in and I have never lost a hosta yet. I guess I am blessed,because I don't have any deer in the area,and there are lots of rabbits in my woods,but they don't eat my hostas,and believe me,I have lots of hostas! Just a few thoughts this beautiful spring day in the neighborhood. Phil

Bringing pots into a garage or protected area may help from weather problems but...

I lost my most expensive hosta by far ($200) this last winter in the shed....the mice ate its roots, along with the roots of some other pricey, large ones. Of course, most of the cheap ones are just fine. I thought it was weird that they liked the biggest pots the best. I guess they like to chew, nap, chew, nap. Go figure.

I know that you can put mice bait with the pots, but I can't do that because I have a new cat that's a mouser and I don't want to kill my cat!

I didn't dump the pots...I'm watching them with the hope that a sliver of root remained, that may come up later. This has happened to me before, so I learned it may be worth saving the soil intact for a season or two.

I allow myself only one cage. I don't care to have the garden look like I am growing cages. Mine is for a very expensive orchid. What? Not a hosta? Nope.

I have voles, but then we are on heavy MN unamended clay, and hard pan - like rock. Voles are here, but I haven't seen any signs of their destruction.

As for all the chemicals and traps you mention, I suggest you get rid of them and drink the beer, than it won't matter so much to you.
gramma

Yes, I've always made sure not to step in my beds, keeping the soil very loose and therefore the voles were able to have a field day. But....many hosta aren't going to look their best or grow to their potential in hard packed soil, either. So I go with cages or buried pots and it doesn't look like the garden is "caged" when I look at it. I didn't lose any over the winter, but found many, many tunnels leading to the pots. I plan on digging around a few more mature ones this year and adding gravel moats. The days of just plunking down a plant in nice loose loam are gone for me.