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HOSTA INFORMATION -
MISC.
Diseases - can destroy your garden:
 If
you buy plants that are not guaranteed to be
disease free, like ours, you should start a
separate garden to quarantine these plants
for two years until you know they are
healthy. Hosta Virus X and foliar nematodes
can spread rapidly and are very difficult,
if not impossible to get rid of. Hostas
can be diseased with Hosta Virux X or Foliar
Nematodes and you might not see it - ever.
Create a "starter garden."
While you decide on the final plans for your
garden, get your plants for less and get
them growing. This starter garden can
receive a lot of light as long as you water
the hostas well and frequently. Hostas
grown in a lot of sun can get bleached,
sometimes brown on the edges later in the
year, and get elongated. They grow more
roots and multiply crowns faster than those
growing in the shade. After they are
larger, transplant to where you want them
and in more shade. Of course, save or
spend the money you saved! It is fun to
watch them grow and mature!
Hosta placement:
If you don't know where you want your hostas
to go in your garden, just get them started
and you can transplant them easily almost
any time of the year (mid summer is not the
best). For best results take the hosta with
its surrounding soil and place it where you
think you might like it - but don't plant it
yet. Step back and see how it looks with
the balance of your garden. Dig a well
prepared hole larger than the hosta, prepare
the soil, and insert the plant - see our
growing instructions on our web site.
 Shape
your clump:
I think hosta clumps look best when they are
round. In the spring consider removing
those shoots that are grossly outside of the
otherwise round circle in your clump.
Medio-variegated:
term used for hostas with a white, yellow,
or gold center. They often require more sun
than other hostas because their leaves have
less chlorophyll. Morning sun and bright,
filtered light is ideal.
Veridescent hostas:
Are hostas that come up in the spring one
color and then change during the course of
the season.
Slug tolerant hostas:
have leaves that are thick. You can see
which hostas are slug tolerant on our web
site. Slugs eat ugly holes in your
hostas. We have found Sluggo to be the
best product as it is safe for animals, the
environment and it works well. Slugs often
produce a large batch of eggs in mid
October. Kill them one last time.
 Blue
hostas:
are blue because they emit a wax on their
leaves. Thus, to retain their color until
later in the year it is best to keep blue
hostas out of direct sun light where the wax
can melt. We have read that it is
preferable to protect them from hard rains
and winds that cause rubbing of the
leaves. Some blue hostas show their blue
earlier in the spring than others. Some
blue hostas build up wax over time. As the
plant matures, it often creates more wax.
The term used is "glaucous bloom."
Labeling - inventory:
It is more fun and interesting to retain
your hosta's name and also keep a list of
which hostas you own and what gardens they
are in. If you want more of the same
variety, you know what they are. If you
don't want to duplicate, you know what you
have. It also makes hosta research easier
as well. Many people start with a few
hostas, don't retain their names, and get
hooked on hostas and add more and more
wishing they had labels to start with. We
are offering a new type of label - stake and
soon a label printing service and beautiful
garden stake in the near future. It is
wise to have plant ID for a $10 to $100
hosta.
Planting preparation:
Spending a little extra time and money to
prepare the appropriate soil and hole before
planting can make a HUGE difference in hosta
performance. We have provided information
on our web site.
Over wintering our Best Value TC hosta:
I have planted these hostas many times as
late as October 15 in Minnesota. No
problem. However, I am not suggesting you
do that! It is advisable to cover all
perennials their first year, including
hostas. Remember to keep them moist all
year long - about 1" per week.
 Pricing:
Hostas vary in price. Generally, the newest
introductions are more expensive. Keep in
mind royalties are paid to the hybridizers -
which they more than deserve. Hybridizing
is laborious task that takes many, many
years. Some hostas are patented. Some
hostas are more difficult than others to
propagate requiring extra expensive labor.
Some hostas do not reproduce as well in the
labs, requiring expensive culling. |
