Esther..oh no..your treatment and a freeze someday should do the trick!

well it took forever but we have a meeting tomorrow about the damage from utility workers..wish me luck..

Good job Esther!

Good luck with your meeting tomorrow nicholsworth! Let us know how it worked out.

Yay our meeting went well!!..the 2 guys were pleasant and understanding..we showed them our insanely high estimate for $1500..we said we'd never pay that and don't expect you to..one guy says "the most I'm authorized to offer you is $500..if that doesn't work I can contact my supervisor"..my husband says that's fine..and I agree..it should be more than enough for our time and supplies..

I'm glad it was good news. I'm not clear about whether you are accepting the $500 or holding out until you speak to the supervisor.

No such thing as a dormant leaf! Remove any leaves and toss the aphids with them. Dormant hostas are roots and crowns, no leaves. Since you haven't had a frost to kill off the leaves, just cut them off.

-Babka

newhostalady..we accepted the $500..it's reasonable..who knows if the supervisor would be willing to offer more?..he might want to offer less!..we're happy that it's resolved and that we received compensation..

Nicholsworth, I'm glad your meeting went well. Good on you at getting at least $500 from those dolts. Babka, it was 31 last night around 2 a.m., and proceeded to stay between 28 and 32 until about 7 a.m. this morning. Would that be considered a freeze? I will try to get back out on the balcony and snip off what might finally be dead leaves and the aphids which inhabited them.

Esther..it felt good for them to take responsibility for the damage..they did apologize..we're pleased..

No, of course that is not a freeze. You don't need a freeze for them to go dormant. Mine have NEVER FROZEN here. We don't get much below 40 degrees in winter. The tops lose their green color, and start to flop. You can cut them off anytime after that. If some don't, you cut them off anyway , for sure by December. If you still have some green leaves, PRETEND you had a frost and cut those off too!

-Babka

Unless one has root aphids, which are not nearly as common as regular aphids, the eggs do not live in the soil but are attached to remaining plant parts. The eggs themselves are very cold tolerant and can withstand freezing temps much better than larval or adult stages so all the more reason to cut back any foliage to the soil level and remove and destroy.

Like Babka, frosts are not common here until very late winter but as soon as hosta foliage starts going over with shorter days and cooler weather, they get cut back. I do this more for slug and snail control, as aphids have never been an issue with me.