Knowledgebase

hosta has holes in the leaves #936206

Asked June 20, 2026, 4:09 PM EDT

Recently transplanted hosta has some yellow leaves, brownish edges and some holes. Please advise. Thank you.

Montgomery County Maryland

Expert Response

The damage looks minor and not concerning, even though it's hard to determine exactly what the cause was, since several factors can lead to similar-looking symptoms. Slugs/snails are the usual culprit for holes in the leaves, and fungal and bacterial infections can kill leaf tissue (or cause yellowing/browning before that part of the leaf disintegrates) that have no cure. Trim off any heavily-damaged leaves if you prefer, but avoid removing too many if they have only minor damage, since they are still feeding the plant by photosynthesizing. No pesticide is needed (nor can a fungicide cure existing infections). If you've been watering the plant due to the ongoing drought, make sure it's only being watered as needed, which is when the soil around the roots a few inches deep has become somewhat dry to the touch. Watering too often, and in a way that keeps the leaves wet (like running a sprinkler later in the day so that leaves stay damp overnight) can encourage infections by making it easier for disease spores to infect the leaf.

Miri

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