I did something incredibly DUMB :(

17 years ago

I decided to mulch my hosta over the winter with leaves. Lots of leaves. What was I thinking?!! I believe I've lost some of my favorite hosta, due to the PERFECT set up for voles.... all of those leaves created an all you can eat buffet. {{gwi:549195}}

I am holding out hope for some late risers, but so far I have not seen Gay Blade, Abba Dabba Do, Elizabeth, Blue Angel, Tortilla Chip, Elatior, Blue Mouse Ears, and more that I can't recall because I also can't find my list right now. Some of them were BIG, too. The most upsetting is an

that I just LOVED.

The good news is that I thought I was going to move last winter, so in the fall I dug up about a dozen and put them in pots, and it appears that all but one survived. Then the move didn't happen, so I stopped digging. UGH. The other good news is that the little b*stards did NOT get my prized Great Expectations. It might be smaller, too early to tell, but appears to still have at least 6 eyes.

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Comments (3)

lisasmall
17 years ago
The voles nailed me, too, and I didn't have piles of leaves, so don't kick yourself too hard.

From things others have said, I suspect the complete failure of acorn production last year made the voles desperate to chow down on my hostas for the first time. I believe I have lost:

Blue Mouse Ears (2)
Red Dragon
Halcyon (1 of my 2)
Fragrant Blue
Blue Chip
Patriot (2)
Ghost Spirit (?)
Masquerade (?)
Mississippi Delta
undulata (1 of a zillion)
and Lakeside Black Satin, perhaps
caliloo
17 years ago
WEED!

I am so sorry! I had a lot of losses this year too - mostly crown rot or drought victims from last year. I am positive your unidentified yellow is Sea Fire, it is the same one you sent me a few years ago. Here's the good news - mine has several eyes and I can send you a piece!

Hope everything else is going well for you, I've missed seeing you on the CF.

Alexa
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weed30 St. Louis
Original Author
17 years ago
Lisa, oh that's awful! I am sorry for your losses - it so disheartening. I read a lot on vole control, and it doesn't look hard, but the darned things are very prolific :(

Alexa, I will absolutely take you up on your offer. I just loved that hosta. Thanks so much!