Plant Gardens 101

Growing hostas is a sure bet for fabulous, foolproof foliage that will enhance any garden. Their food and water requirements are minimal, and they repay even even modest care with stunning beauty.

Hostas are the most popular perennial in the US and it’s easy to see why – these undemanding, easy-to-grow plants will thrive almost anywhere with a minimum of care.

Water Requirements

Hostas like to be moist, but they don’t like to be soggy. As a general guideline, think in terms of a minimum of an inch of water per week, but be prepared to adjust according to temperature and conditions.

When the temperatures are high, hostas will need more water. If you’re growing your hostas in sandy soil water will drain quickly, so you may need to increase the amount of water you provide. (more…)

One of the things that makes growing hostas easy and fun is the species’ resistance to pests and disease. But though they are very pest-resistant, there are a few critters to look out for.

Slugs and Snails These are the most common hosta pests. Unchecked they can wreak havoc on your plants, chewing small round holes in the leaves until the foliage looks like Swiss cheese. Fortunately slugs and snails are easy to spot and easy to control.

Commercial slug pellets and baits are the most sure-fire method of controling these pests; even a fairly significant infestation can be eliminated quickly. But if you go this route, be sure to follow package directions carefully, as the active ingredients can be poisonous to animals and birds. (more…)

Hostas are the most popular of all perennials, and with good reason. Growing hostas is easy, and they provide fabulous, foolproof foliage that thrives in either sun or shade.

Hostas have been grown in the US since the 1800s, but they’re native to Japan, China, and Korea. Horticulturalists have developed a mindboggling array of varieties – there are actually more than 2,000 types of hostas – so there are bound to be varieties that suit the needs of just about every gardener.

The most common hosta varieties range from 18″ to 28″ high, and depending on the variety they may reach widths up to two or three feet. (more…)

If you’ve tried growing hostas, chances are you’d like to add more to your garden. The good news is that these easy-going, adaptable plants are as easy to propagate as they are to grow.

Propagation by division

Think division when you’re ready to propagate your hostas. Making one plant into two or more is a simple and effective way of increasing your hosta garden. It won’t harm the “mother” plant at all, and in fact older hostas may benefit greatly from being divided occasionally.

When to propagate: As hostas get older and larger, you may notice bare spots in the middle of the mature clump. Dividing the clump will enhance its appearance and eliminate bare spots. (more…)

Looking for a hardy perennial to use as a ground cover in a shady area of your yard? Hostas are one of the best plants for shade gardens or for under tall trees. Where grass and other ground covers struggle, hostas thrive adding lush greenery and becoming more beautiful every year. They love the afternoon shade and the moist soil these areas usually have. Hostas can transform brown and barren into green and abundant for you.

Offering an incredible array of sizes, colors including variegated, and shapes including crinkled edges, hostas come in numerous varieties. Most garden centers have a nice selection at reasonable prices to let the ordinary everyday gardener share in the diversity these shady plants offer. For the expert, there are varieties too that are more rare and more expensive. (more…)

Hostas are easy to grow, shade tolerant, herbaceous perennials. Grown mainly for their beautiful foliage, hostas exist in a wide range of shapes, colors, sizes, and textures. They were once classified in the family Liliaceae but are now included in the family Agavaceae. Hostas are also called plantain lilies or Funkia, but these names are outdated. The scientific name for hosta is also its common name.

Hostas, native toJapan,Korea, andChina, were imported toNorth America in the mid-1800s. From the handful of species that were imported, hybridizing and tissue culture propagation have increased options for today’s gardeners as there are many species and thousands of cultivars available.

If we’re at all familiar with gardens, the name hosta evokes an image of a low-growing green plant with large broad leaves. To be more specific, a hosta is a non-bulbous lily that is a shade tolerant, hardy perennial plant grown principally for its foliage. But hostas produce pendulous 1″ to 2″ long white or violet flowers on an erect panicle up to 31″ tall.

Hostas are hardy in USDA zones 3 through 8, meaning they grow in most areas except deserts and the tropics or subtropics. They need about 700 hours below 40 degrees F to meet their dormancy requirements. (more…)