Over the past several years, the hosta has made its way into garden beds across America and for good reason. The hearty leaves of this plant add color and texture in a place where other perennials struggle to grow. These plants thrive in low light and are easy to care for, but most people don't know much about them. Here are some tips for ensuring healthy hostas in your garden.
Spicy Variety
In many parts of the country, a number of cultivars are readily available at local nurseries. One of the reasons there are so many selections is, genetically speaking, hosta is an unstable plant that mutates easily. Most people are familiar with the green broad-leafed selections, but they're also available in blue, gold and white varieties, as well as a number of speckled and streaked versions. The leaves can be puckery and heavy, mound-shaped or vase-shaped. Plants can also bear fragrant flowers.
Taking Care of Hosta Business
Water plants regularly--an inch a week is not too much. Apply a 12-12-12 fertilizer, especially early in the spring, but don't fertilize after July because you don't want a big flush of growth just before the cold weather sets in. On flowering selections, it is recommended to cut back the seedpods after the blooms fade, but this is not absolutely necessary. It truly is a plant you can put in the ground and forget.
Slugs are a real threat to hostas, but this issue is easily remedied with slug bait or beer in shallow dishes that have been sunken into the ground. However, be warned that the beer can attract other critters like raccoons.
Hostas peak in June. You don't need to divide them like other perennials, but if you want to split them up to get more plants, here are some tips.
- Divide plants at any time. If you divide in the summer, be sure to water transplants well.
- To ensure the shape of the plant (e.g. a rounded shape), divide the plant in the spring.
- Hosta grows well in containers. If you're a collector, consider growing potted miniatures.
- These perennials need at least 30 days of below-freezing temperatures to come back in the next growing season. Most of the plants die back and return in the spring, but containerized hostas need special care. Winter-over potted ones by surrounding them with a wire bin in the fall and filling it with leaves (or other natural insulating materials) to cover the plants. If you have several pots, stack them inside the bin before covering everything with leaves. When spring arrives, remove the pots from the bin, apply some water and soon your plants will re-emerge.
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