I would like to know how to prepare hostas for the winter. They had been attacked by slugs so the leaves are full of holes, but still alive . I also have weigela that has a lot of dead leaves but seems to be surviving just the same
Hostas are very tough, and should bounce back fine from slug attacks. You can just let the leaves die back naturally as autumn progresses, and then remove the dead leaf material, so as not to give pests (or their eggs) a cozy home to overwinter. It doesn't hurt to apply a top coat of compost or a light layer of mulch. But really, hostas don't need too much attention. This was an unusually wet summer in this part of North America, so slug damage is much worse than usual. Hosta leaves might be left looking like Swiss cheese, but the plant itself is usually still healthy. I'm not an expert on weigela. In general, it's a good idea to prune shrubs during the dormant season -- for instance in late winter or very early spring -- to remove dead branches and to open up the remaining branches to air and sunshine. I usually wait until new buds are starting to form in the spring, and cut back to the level of the first big, vigorous-looking buds. Until then, it's hard to know how much the plant has been killed back by winter. If the plant is old and congested, you can cut off whole branches all the way back to where they emerge from the main trunk, or from the ground. Usually in late winter, when the leaves are gone, you'll be able to tell which branches are old and bare, and which are still vigorous and producing healthy new leaves and flowers.
