When you like to spend a lot of time outside your house, you probably want to have a lawn that looks healthy and fresh.
This is particularly true if you grow plants or herbs. If you’re a gardener, you probably don’t consider it a simple hobby. You can make your garden an excellent source of food.
One of the most popular plants homeowners includes in their garden is hostas.
For those who don’t know, hostas decorate semi-shady gardens with delicate seasonal flowers and huge foliage. They’re a beautiful addition to any garden. Unfortunately, a lot of pests like to feed on the stems and leaves of these plants.
The pests that eat hosta leaves include squirrels, slugs, deer, rabbits, and much more.
However, one common pest that gardeners loathe is chipmunks. Do chipmunks eat hostas? Well, the truth is that chipmunks do not voraciously feed on hosta. They also don’t look for it actively. (Learn How To Keep Deer From Eating Hostas)
However, they do feed on tender and young plants as they emerge. In addition to that, they also eat hostas during a drought since this plant is rich in water.
Chipmunks Will Eat Everything in Your Garden
Just like squirrels, a chipmunk loves to eat nuts and acorns. However, what do they eat in your garden?
These pests will happily eat vegetables, such as mushrooms and celery, herbs, and fresh berries. On several occasions, chipmunks will snack on the leaves and flowers growing in potted plants.
That is why some gardeners think their garden is getting destroyed by other animals, such as rabbits, deer, squirrels, insects, or more. When in fact, it is a chipmunk that is destroying it.
Due to the odd palette of chipmunks, many gardeners will find their lawn plants uprooted and the leaves chewed through.
Unfortunately, they will not stop chewing. Just like a rabbit, their front two teeth will always grow. Thus, they’ve got to munch something to control its growth.
If you don’t do something about it, a chipmunk will continue to destroy your garden every time you fix it.
So, how do you prevent chipmunks from eating hostas? Here are some tips:
Offer Something to Drink
One of the main reasons why chipmunks eat hosta leaves is that they hold a lot of water. Thus, they’re an ideal treatment for these pests.
It would help if you thought about placing a couple of water sources around your lawn for the chipmunks during a drought. With this, you can prevent them from attacking your hosta leaves.
Aside from attracting chipmunks, you can also attract beautiful butterflies and songbirds if you place a birdbath in the right area. (Learn When to Divide Hostas)
If you install feeding stations, you can also keep chipmunks, squirrels, and other rodents away from your Hostas. This is particularly true during early summer and spring.
Place unique chipmunk feeders across your lawn and fill them with treats, such as seeds, corn, and nuts.
Spicy Treats
Some people like spicy food. However, chipmunks and squirrels despise it. You can burn the tongue, lips, and paws of these pests if you spray a solution of hot sauce on hostas. In addition to that, the odor of the hot sauce solution can repel them.
When creating a solution, all you’ve got to do is boil 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 1 chopped jalapeno, 1 chopped yellow onion, and 2 quarts of water for 30 minutes.
Then, use a cheesecloth to strain the mixture and leave it for a couple of minutes to cool down. Place the solution inside a spray bottle and spray your plants every 3-5 days.
Stop Digging
Chipmunks and rabbits might dig up the roots of a young hosta plant. To prevent this from happening, you should consider installing a layer of hardware mesh under the soil’s surface.
To do this, scrape away at least 1 inch of soil around the plant. Then, place the mesh. Finally, cover the mesh with soil and mulch.
Keep in mind that young hostas will keep on growing wider at their bases as they mature. Thus, you should inspect the mesh across the growing season. This will help guarantee it is not obstructing the growth of your plant.
If it does, move the mesh away from the base of your plant. In addition to that, you can also dig a tiny trench around the base of your plant and create an under-the-soil wire mesh cage.
Create Cages
Installing tiny plant cages or fences around your plants will stop some pests from feeding on them. This includes deer, rabbits, squirrels, and more. These cages are also known as tomato cages.
Unfortunately, metal fences and cages might not be the most appealing solution. They’re also a bit expensive. However, you can build one easily.
All you have to do is to install metal garden stakes around your plants. Make sure you space them around 4 feet apart or less. Also, the metal stakes should be taller than your plants. Next, install a wire mesh fence or poultry wire to the stakes.
Getting Rid of Chipmunks
If you want to get rid of chipmunks, you do not have to kill them. All you’ve got to do is to plant something that generates strong smells.
Pests usually rely on their nose to lead them to shelter and food for those who don’t know. Thus, you should include plants that produce strong odors to repel pests. These plants include peppermint, citrus, garlic, cinnamon, and eucalyptus. (Learn What is Eating My Hostas)
Final Verdict
Gardening can be a bit difficult. This is particularly true if there are a lot of animals constantly destroying your plants.
If you follow the tips above, you can easily protect your garden against these critters. The tips don’t apply to hostas alone. It also works with other plants in your garden. As long as you’re proactive, you can keep your garden safe and secure.
