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All About Hostas

They come in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes, so make sure to read the label before you buy; hostas do best when they have room to grow. As for colours, they usually come in green, yellow and blue. They can also be chartreuse in colour, which occurs when the green and yellow colours of the plant blend together.

They are herbaceous perennials – which are plants that have a non-woody stem. In the fall, as the leaves start to die, it is best to remove them before they rot or attract slugs. Make sure to cut the leaves back to just above ground level. They will grow back again in the spring.

Hostas make excellent border plants. They also look amazing next to statues or stone benches and can be used to help create a focal point in your garden. Best of all, they tend to crowd out weeds because of their dense foliage. Hostas can be planted in either the garden or in containers and will thrive in both environments.

Facts About The Leaves on Hostas

They are best known for their large leaves, which are often variegated (two different colours on one leaf). There are two different types of variegated colourations that occur in hostas:

1. Marginally variegated. This is where the darker colour is on the middle of the leaf and the lighter colour is on the edges of the leaf.
2. Medio variegated. This variation is the opposite of the marginally variegated. Here the leaves are darker on the edge and lighter in the center.

If hostas receive too much sunlight, the colours on their leaves will fade, especially for the hostas with green and blue leaves. Therefore, it is best to plant them in the shade. There are 2 exceptions to this rule of always planting hostas in the shade.

1. Hostas with gold or yellow leaves. The sun actually brings out their golden yellow colour.
2. The 'Plantaginea' hosta. If this type of hosta is grown in the sun, it will produce large, fragrant white flowers in late summer. They generally grow to be 1 1/2 feet tall and 1 1/2 feet wide, so make sure to give them enough room to grow wherever you plant them.

Care Requirements of Hostas

The only pest that will disturb a hosta is a slug; so if you see any, make sure to deal with them right away. The best way to get rid of slugs is to give them beer! Place the beer in a dish near the hostas. The slugs will be attracted to the beer, climb into the dish and will drown.

Care Tips:

• Place mulch around the base of the plant to help keep them low maintenance.
• Make sure they receive plenty of water and that the soil is able to drain well.
• To give the plants extra nutrients, you can add fertilizer to the soil about 3 to 4 times a year.
• If you have a hosta that produces flowers, remember to cut off the stalk and its flower, once the flower has died. This will allow the plant to better utilize its nutrients by sending them where they are needed.
• Finally, hostas can be divided to create new plants.

 

 

 

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