Part of it caused by white melting out with sun/heat which is not unusual for undulatas. Watering may help.

Also, see some small square insect holes, occasionally I get similar from the four-lined plant bug. Link has some management techniques including insecticidal soap.

Paul

Here is a link that might be useful: four-lined plant bug

The first thing I notice is that the all green leaves seem to have fared better. The larger holes on the white parts are likely melt out that can sometimes occur on white...I have some melt out on my Blue Ivory edges.

Although it does look like you have some insect damage it appears to be minimal from what I can tell from a photo.

How long has this plant been in the current location?

Looks like too much sun and too much heat besides a bit of insect damage. (I see some rocks in the picture...those will add to the problem by storing, reflecting & radiating heat. And, that particular hosta just starts looking like heck in the middle of the summer anyway. Especially in Zone 6. Mine here in zone 4 have held up pretty good so far but they'll probably be looking like yours do in another three weeks or sooner if we don't get a break from the heat.

Thank you all for the info and advice! We're experiencing a heat wave here in Central PA right now, so maybe that's adding to the problem. These hostas have been in the same location for about 4 years now. Every summer they do start to look ratty at some point. We thought maybe we were doing something wrong. We'll do something about the rocks and I'll check out the insecticide options as well. Thank you all so much! :)

Every summer they do start to look ratty at some point. We thought maybe we were doing something wrong.

==>>> yes you are.. growing it in too much sun.. over rock ...

move the hosta.. leave the rock ...

forget about insecticides ...

look for slugs at night ...

ken

ps: should i ask???... under what kind of trees??? .... if its maple.. that complicates to whole equation ....

They are not under a tree, they are along the side of our house. They are in a bed with a rock border. We have looked for slugs at night... the picture above was taken last night around 10:30 PM. I guess we'll try moving them to a MORE shaded area. The place they're at now gets a pretty equal amount of shade/sun.

I think what Ken is trying to say is that all of it will help some, but it still won't be a hosta that will hold up through the season. It is what it is - undulata variegata. If you water it, shade it and protect it from so much heat, it will look better, longer, though.

AND, it will always be pretty in the spring.

Welcome to the forum. Stick around and we'll have you loving hosta as much as we do.

bk

I have a similar thing going on in shade. I put slug pellets out, water regularly, spray with insecticide, but still. It seems there are some bugs out at times. The leaves of this hosta are also rather thin and gets easier damaged by bugs. Bernd

I have a similar thing going on in shade. I put slug pellets out, water regularly, spray with insecticide, but still. It seems there are some bugs out at times. The leaves of this hosta are also rather thin and gets easier damaged by bugs. Bernd

It's called July! My hostas of similar type look just like that this time of year. I'm in zone 6 also. Phil

That would be the undulata uglies. Typical of July/August of this cultivar.

Next year, if you thoroughly deep water them at their roots, they may last a few weeks longer before the uglies set in.