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We live on an acreage with a pond and lots of wildlife. Wild turkeys come up to the house where we fed them all winter. The feed was in my hosta bed. All hostas are dead now. Could the turkey manure have killed the plants?

Last Updated: May 11, 2007

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If a substantial amount of manure accumulated in the feeding area, it's possible that the hostas succumbed to an overdose of nitrogen. Since hosta crowns grow near the surface of the soil, the turkeys may also have damaged them by their constant presence and feeding activity. Such damage is more likely if there wasn't much snow at the time the birds were present.

If you replace the hostas, I advise protecting them with a fence or feeding the turkeys at another location. You may also place some tree branches over the hosta bed during the winter to protect the crowns in the absence of snow.

We should also warn you that feeding wild turkeys may make them more vulnerable to hunters by helping reduce their natural fear of people.

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