The other day, my friend was complaining about how rugged
her hostas were. She mentioned how brown
the leaves were and how they appeared to be dying even though they get adequate
water. I asked her where they were
planted. She mentioned that they were in
the sun with landscaping rock around them.
“Ah! I see the issue,” I told
her.
While
hostas are one of the easier plants to grow, very good plants for beginners,
there are still some points to note when you are looking to add hostas to your
landscape.
The
first thing to consider is how much light does the area get. Hostas will grow in full shade to full sun
(even though they mostly prefer morning sun to afternoon shade). A good rule of thumb is the darker the leaf,
the more shade that variety of hosta needs.
Your gold/yellow/light green colored hostas are going to be the variety
that you want to plant in your sunniest places.
I have ones this color in full, strong, southern sun and they are
growing like weeds. However, if you
plant a hosta that likes more shade than sun in too sunny of a location, you
will see stress in the form of browning leaves on your plant. While hostas are easy to grow, they are
particular about their sunlight.
The
second thing to consider is the amount of water they are receiving. Hostas grow in almost any soil condition,
including sandy soils, provided they receive enough water. Hostas do well with about an inch of water a
week (much like your lawn). They don’t
like to get too wet or too dry, so ensure they are planted in a well-drained
spot. If you do plant them in sandy
soil, they take a little more water and will grow better if the soil is covered
with mulch to keep the roots cool and moist.
This
leads me to my third thing to consider – mulch.
I’ve seen several people, including my friend, who grow hostas in
landscape rock and then wonder why their plants are “dying” underneath with the
under layers of their plants turning brown.
While I’m not one to say you shouldn’t use landscaping rock (it does
look very beautiful in landscapes), it is hard on your hosta. During the day, especially during the summer
months, the rock heats up, causing heat to radiates upwards and is essentially
burning the leaves of your hosta. Hostas
do better with cooler mulches such as wood chips or cocoa bean shells. However, if you are set on rock, you can
still plant hostas into your landscape.
Before you put your rock into your landscape, build a ring around your
hosta. Black landscaping edging works
perfectly for this. Build your ring out
to just beyond your furthest reaching leaf (also known as the drip line) and
then place your rock up to the edge, leaving the area underneath your hostas as
dirt or you can add cool mulch. This way
you minimize the heat damage to your plant while still enjoying your landscape.
While
hostas are great beginner plant, they don’t come without some cons. One is deer find hostas to be a tasty
snack. You’ll want to keep this in mind
as you plan your hosta beds. Second,
slugs also like to feed on your hostas.
You can help cut down on the slug issue by sprinkling Epsom salt around
your hostas. The salt causes the slugs
to dry up, while providing magnesium and other needed nutrients to your
hosta. Just be careful not to go
overboard with the salt, as you could cause damage to your plant. About ¼ to ½ cup, depending on the size of
your hosta, is about all you need.
If you
take good care of your hostas, they will reward you. Hostas have been known to attract
butterflies, humming birds, and other flower loving creatures. Start your hosta garden today and see what
wonders you will be rewarded with.
