Hosta variety

Large

Large varieties of hostas will help create a lush carpet of greenery on the site. Plants in this group grow up to 70 cm in height. Some classifications include plants up to 120 cm in height in this group. Hosta of any variety differs from other plants in its interesting greenery, but large varieties become the focus of any garden.

Big Daddy

Shrub 65 cm high with large, expressive bowl-shaped leaves. The color of the plant remains dark blue throughout the season, becoming lighter only in the sun. The flowers of the plant are white. It belongs to slow-growing varieties, but in one place the shrub can live up to 10-15 years.

Cathedral of Windous

The flower culture grows very quickly, turning into a dense shrub 65 cm high. The middle of the leaf is colored golden yellow, and the edges are irregularly bordered with a green tint. It is distinguished by the presence of large white flowers, the aroma of which is similar to lilies.

Neptune

A fountain-shaped shrub that grows up to 60 cm. The blue-green leaves have a wedge-shaped arched shape, the ends are elongated, pointed. Neptune blooms with lavender flowers.

White Feze

Winter-hardy, large, fast-growing flower culture. It differs in that in the spring its foliage is white. Over time, they turn green, decorated with white stripes. The leaf shape is narrow. The flowers are light, lavender. Grows up to 60 cm. The attractive shrub will stand out against the background of dark, rich greenery or bright flowering plants.

Landing

The host is planted in soil with humus. Its structure does not play a big role. The main thing is to avoid sands and heavy loams. Before planting, the soil is dug deep enough with organic fertilizers.

The landing time in the Urals and in the Moscow region depends on the air temperature. The main rule is that frosts should not appear by this time. And all other landing conditions are no different for all regions.

It is important to know that different host varieties react differently to sunlight. So hosts with thin leaves are more fond of shade.

And varieties with denser leaves prefer a little more light. Golden hosts like to grow in places where the sun shines a little in the mornings and evenings, and the shade remains during the day.

If the hosta grows in a place that does not suit her, then the leaves lose their decorative features - they become paler, their colors are less pronounced.

For planting, the host digs a wide hole so that the roots can grow horizontally. You can add a little sand to the hole, as well as peat and manure or compost soil. All this is mixed and filled up by 2/3, then the landing site is watered. When planting, the roots must be well spread. The kidney should not be below the level of the site, it should not be deepened. After planting, the soil is watered and mulched about 1-2 cm with peat.

When choosing a place for a host, it should be borne in mind that she can grow on it for many years. It does not need to be carried or excavated. Over time, the bushes become more beautiful, larger. Shaded wet areas are great for this plant.

What types are there?

The host includes a large number of species, among which it is worth highlighting the most popular options for growing in the open field.

White-bordered

A hybrid from Japan that grows green mass in the form of medium-sized broad-lanceolate leaves. The color of the crop will be in rich green tones, and there is also a white edging on the leaves, which increases the attractiveness of the plant. The species blooms with small flowers, the perianth will have a purple color with dark lines.

Bloated

A dark green hosta with shiny leaves, the bract is broad, heart-shaped.The flowering of the species provides for the development of flowers on an erect peduncle. The color of the flowers will be lilac. Among the varieties of this species, there are cultures that bloom in lilac color. The green mass will have small waves.

Ovoid

A species whose homeland is considered to be the countries of the Far East. Outwardly, the perennial is notable for its round shape of the bushes, the leaves will be ovoid, painted green. In the flowering phase, the host throws up a peduncle, which can reach 50 centimeters in height. Flowering in the culture begins in the summer, while the flowers are painted in lilac-blue shades, the shape of the inflorescence will be racemose.

Siebold

The bract in the hosta will have a combined heart-ovoid shape. Also, the green mass of the hosta has a waxy coating on the surface. Flowering involves the development of white or pale lilac flowers on the peduncle. Quite a popular type of culture among gardeners, varieties and varieties can have a gray or blue color of leaves, a bluish green mass. The culture very often acts as a mother plant in the course of breeding work to obtain new perennial varieties.

Fortune

A species obtained by artificial means, outwardly, the plant has some similarities with the previous variety, but the hosta Fortune is smaller in size. The bract develops with a waxy coating on the surface, heart-shaped. In the flowering phase of the culture, a large number of funnel-shaped bells, painted in purple shades, are formed on the peduncle. The species blooms in the last months of summer, and includes several varieties that differ in leaf color and bract size.

Beautiful

The birthplace of culture is Japan, however, the species received the maximum distribution in Europe. This is another artificially bred hosta variety that has an ovoid leaf structure with a wave along the edge. The green mass will be a standard saturated color with a white stripe around the edge. The inflorescence includes from 30 to 40 flowers, their color will be in purple tones.

Curly

Hosta is of Asian origin, with foliage reaching a length of 15-16 centimeters. The shape of the leaf will be ovoid-heart-shaped, while the edge is slightly pointed and curled. A notable feature of the green mass is the difference in the color of the outer and inner sides - the top of the leaf will be green and matte, when the lower part has a glossy surface, complemented by a white stripe along the edge.

Lanceolate

The bract in the culture is lanceolate-ovate, the color of the green mass is saturated, there are brown blotches on the surface. The flowering will be medium in abundance, the color of the bells will be purple, there are dark stripes in it. This species blooms later than all the others, but the plant pleases with its attractiveness until late autumn.

Plantain

In the wild, the culture is found in China and Japan. The green mass is ovoid, the leaves develop with an attractive shiny surface. The flowering is quite dense, falls in the middle of summer. The hosta bells will be painted white; during the flowering phase, the plant emits an unobtrusive aroma.

Landing hosts

Optimal time for landing hosts outdoors - early spring or late August-early September. It is not worth postponing to a later time. Choose the material for planting carefully. The roots should be elastic, 10-12 cm long. It is best if the sprout has 2-3 buds.

Hosta is traditionally considered a shade-loving perennial. But there is a pattern: the lighter the foliage, the more sun the plant needs. Dark green and blue varieties must be planted in the shade. For growing light hosts, partial shade or even a sunny place is suitable. Make sure that the plant is not in direct light, otherwise burns on the leaves cannot be avoided.

The host can be planted in the shade or partial shade

Light, well-drained, moist soil is good for planting and propagating outdoors. The holes should be made wide, about 30 cm deep. The distance between them should be from 30 to 100 cm (depending on the size of the plant).

Fill each hole about 2/3 with compost, peat, form a mound. Place the roots of the seedlings on it, but so that there are no empty spaces. Spread them out, cover them with fertile soil, compact. Finish planting with abundant watering. Mulch the roots with chopped bark or peat. This will help retain moisture. Repeat the watering procedure several more times every 3-4 days.

Advice. The buds of the plant during planting should be at ground level. If necessary, add additional soil under the root.

Secret # 1: storing hosts before boarding

Hosts in open ground are usually planted in spring or autumn (from late August to mid-September). In a great time of the year, this can be done when the threat of return frosts has passed. Although some varieties can withstand negative temperatures of several degrees, it is better not to risk it. The optimal planting dates in spring are from late April to the first half of May.

However, if you purchased the plant much earlier, then you need to take care of its proper storage. There are two ways to do this: plant the host in a pot or place it in the refrigerator in a plastic bag with wet sawdust.

With regular spraying, the seedling in the vegetable storage compartment will last until April, after which it can be planted for growing in a seedling bed or greenhouse.

In a pot, the host should not be kept on the windowsill, because she prefers shade. When the plant gets stronger and favorable weather conditions come, transplant it by transferring it to a flower bed or garden.

Photos of the most popular varieties

The most common garden host varieties:

1. Hosta white-bordered - a small bush with slightly grooved petioles and ovoid green leaves with a white border.
2. The swollen host is a small plant with deeply grooved petioles and broadly ovoid green leaves with a shiny underside.
3. Khosta high - a large shrub with arcuate petioles and dense green leaves with a matte underside.
4. The ornamental host is a small plant with flat, wide petioles and wide-oval green leaves with a white border.
5. Khosta Siebold is a medium-sized shrub with grooved petioles and elongated, cordate, gray-green leaves.
6. Hosta Elegans Elegans is a medium-sized shrub with broad-hearted blue-gray leaves.
7. Khosta is beautiful - a small-sized plant with small oval green leaves.
8. Khosta curly - a small bush with ovoid-heart-shaped green matte leaves with a white border below.
9. Hosta wavy - a medium bush with wavy grooved petioles and oval-pointed leaves with wavy veins.
10. Khosta plantain is a large plant with ovoid-heart-shaped thin green shiny foliage.

According to the color of the leaves, hosts are distinguished into the following types:

1. Hosta yellow - shrubs with yellow leaves. Yellow hosts include the following varieties: “Gold Standard” (Gold Standard), “Tortilla Chip”, “Golden Sunburst”, “Lakeside Cha Cha”.
2. Khosta green - leaves of all shades of green. The most common varieties are: “Honey Bells”, “Royal Standard” (Royal Standard), “Big Boy” (Big Boy, Big Boy), “Empress Wu”.
3. Khosta blue - bushes with blue, blue, gray leaves. Varieties: Blue Cadet, Canadian blue, Abiqua Drinking Gourd, Big Daddy, Blue Angel ), Bressingham Blue, Halcyon.
4. Hosta variegata - the leaves of this species are variegated, framed with a light border.Popular varieties: "Full bowl" (Brim Cup, Brim Cup), "Patriot" (Patriot), "Carnival" (Carnival), "Golden Tiara" (Golden Tiara), "American Halo" (American Halo), "Robert Frost ”(Robert Frost),“ Albomarginata ”(Albomarginata),“ Moerheim hybrid ”(Moerheim),“ Pizzazz ”(Pizzazz),“ Christmas Tree ”(Christmas Tree, Christmas Tree),“ Black Jade ”(Black Jade),“ First Frost, Time Tunnel, Stiletto, Antioh, Aureomarginata, Ivory Coast, Wide Brim Brim, Wide brim), “Karin” (Karin), “Minuteman”, “France” (France, France).
5. Hosta media variant - this species is characterized by light leaves with a green border around the edge. Varieties: “Fire and Ice” (Fire and Ice, Fire and Ice), “Saint Paul” (Saint Paul), “Chameleon” (Albopicta, Albopicta), “Undulata”, “Magic Island” (Magic Island) , June, Univitata, Guacamole, Orange Marmalade, Sharmon, Free Wind, Cherry Berry ).

It is worth highlighting the hybrid variety “White Feathers” (White Feather), the leaves of which are creamy-white; over time, green veins appear on them, which fill almost the entire leaf.

Fertilizers, top dressing

Caring for the host requires top dressing with certain fertilizers.

Photo 6. Hosta canadian blue with green-blue leaves

Throughout their lives, perennials are fed with mullein infusion, ammonium nitrate, compost, superphosphate, potassium sulfate.

Top dressing is carried out three times during the growing season:

• at the beginning of the season,
• during the budding period,
• after flowering.

It is worth remembering that overfeeding is harmful to plants.

Diseases and pests

Hosts suffer from slugs. Other diseases and pests are far less harmful than slugs.

Photo 7. Hosta Guacamole with large rounded yellowish-green leaves

Hosta planting is traditionally performed with ferns, bush, hellebore, astilbe, lungwort, autumn anemone and many other plants such as alpine aster or chamomile.

This makes the plants look even better. To maintain an adequate appearance, it is worth regularly removing yellowed leaves, thus updating the outlet.

Hosta easily tolerates a transplant in autumn or spring

It is very important to choose the right place for planting this plant, as it depends on what kind of hosts you have chosen. About this this video:

Good luck, gardeners to you!

Recommended Reading: Groundcover Plants Blooming All Summer

Subtleties when growing

How beautiful to plant hosts in a flower bed? To do this, you can apply the following techniques:

• Medium-sized hosta varieties should be combined with lilac or white flowers.
• Varieties with green and blue leaves will show the best qualities only in the shade, and yellow and light green varieties need a lace shade for optimal decorativeness.

The delightful beauty of the hosta bush will be its own on any flower garden. Unpretentious cultivation makes it even more desirable for gardeners. And the ability of a culture to grow in the most unpopular areas of the garden makes them even more attractive. Only they must be protected from strong drafts! A calm, damp area in the shade - and the plant will look spectacular.

Adding an article to a new collection

The main advantage of the host is that they grow well in almost any conditions. But what is the right way to combine them with other plants?

Hosts are such hassle-free plants that it is a pleasure to grow them. They are not only unpretentious to growing conditions, but also get along well with many ornamental crops.

Although certain rules are still worth following: when planting hosts, it is important to choose a place for them, protected from direct sunlight and strong winds. In addition, hosts will grow best in slightly acidic, moderately moist soil.

To determine the best place for a host on the site, you can plant these plants in different parts of the garden. After a year, it will become clear where they feel best. This can be determined by the color of the foliage, which can change depending on the growing conditions: fade or change the shade.

Landing hosts in open ground

When to plant hosta in the ground

When is the best time to plant and when to transplant the host? The best time for this is spring, when roots begin to grow, but the leaves have not yet appeared on the plant. Or the end of summer, the beginning of autumn. Actually, the hosts can be replanted throughout the summer, but the last term is mid-September: the bushes planted later may not have time to take root. Still, we recommend spring planting for you.

Soil for hosts

According to experienced gardeners, planting a hosta and caring for it will give the expected results only if you find a suitable place for the plant and provide the soil with an optimal composition. Despite its unpretentiousness and the ability to grow on any garden soils, the host will demonstrate its maximum decorative effect only when grown in a well-drained, moderately moist nutrient soil, in which there is a lot of humus and earthworms. Most of all other types of soil correspond to these characteristics of cultivated loam. The pH of the soil should be in the range of pH 6.5-7.5. Unsuitable for the host is heavy, untreated clayey and dry sandy soils.

Two weeks before planting, spread organic fertilizers on the surface of the hostas intended for cultivation - rotted pine bark, leafy soil, peat, rotted manure or compost soil - with a layer of about 10 cm and dig up the soil with this organic matter to the depth of a shovel bayonet. The consumption should be approximately 1.5-2 buckets of fertilizer per m² of the plot. Try to raise the flower bed: this will help to better aerate the soil and roots.

How to land the host

Water the area about half an hour before planting. Small and medium-sized hosts are planted at intervals of 20-30 cm, and large-leaved ones - at a distance of 30-40 cm.The root system of a host usually grows horizontally, therefore, the wider the fossa and the further apart the hosts, the larger their feeding area will be. which will have a positive effect on decorativeness. The plant responds well to mulching the surface between the rosettes with leafy soil, and the layer of mulch should not be thinner than 5 cm.Thanks to mulching the soil with organic fertilization, the host will not lack nutrition, especially those bushes that grow near trees and shrubs. In addition, mulch improves the drainage properties of the soil and does not allow moisture to evaporate too quickly.

After planting, the hosts are watered, and the surface can be mulched the next day.

Landing rules

This hosta variety can be attributed to unpretentious crops, since it does not require specific care and does not need special growing conditions, except for planting in the shade (or at least partial shade). The host does not require the selection of any special soil or the selection of neighboring plants. An excellent option would be to place the hosts next to such flora as astilba, juniper or fern. This plant is excellently combined with dwarf shrubs.

If you have a small artificial reservoir in your garden, then the best solution would be to place the host there, it will perfectly complement the composition. In some cases, it is possible to plant a plant in containers, and then it will be possible to move them freely around the site. The only criterion when planting a crop is the correct selection of a place for further growth of the hosta, since it is worth avoiding areas that are exposed to direct sunlight.

As a rule, planting is carried out in open ground in the spring, in April. The procedure is not particularly difficult. First, you need to well prepare the site for the growth of the future plant, namely:

• dig up;
• fertilize.

Further care for the plant is simple, only weeding, moderate watering and feeding with organic fertilizers are required. The soil for the plant should contain a large amount of humus and earthworms, and have neutral acidity.The main feature of the culture can be considered that it is frost-resistant and grows well in cold climates. When transferring hosts, you must:

• the pit for planting should be 2 times the size of the root system;
• prepare a drainage layer at the bottom of the pit;
• spread the roots;
• Sprinkle the plant with soil to the level of the root system;
• water the bush.

Secret # 4: how to take care of hosts in spring

Host sprouts after winter make their way into the light rather late. In order not to damage them during weeding or other work in the flowerbed, plant primroses between the bushes. They will bloom earlier and indicate the host's landing site.

If you have not pruned the perennial for the winter, then in the spring, free it from old leaves. Experienced growers recommend removing dry vegetation early. So young shoots will start growing faster and will not undergo deformation.

After harvesting, the soil around the plants should be mulched with needles, which will prevent the slugs from reaching the young leaves and "feast on" them.

Hosts cut off for the winter germinate earlier. They need to be weeded out, loosened and open root collars are mulched. In the future, when the bush grows, it will not need weeding.

Taking care of the host in the country

It is very important to water the hosts on time, as the soil around them should be slightly damp all the time. Please note: plants are watered with a small stream and exclusively at the root, since when water gets on the leaves, they deteriorate and become attractive to pests such as snails and slugs

It is best to water the hosts in the morning before 11 o'clock. In exceptional cases - during the day, but only in cloudy weather. Otherwise, if water drops on the leaves, the bright sun can cause them to burn.

When watering, the soil should be saturated to a depth of 15-20 cm

Until the hosta grows, weeds are regularly removed around it and the soil is loosened. And when the bush becomes quite spreading (after 3-4 years), this will no longer be necessary. However, mature plants begin to lose their attractiveness over time, so their bushes are divided and planted.

If you planted the plant in fertile soil, then in the first 3-4 years you do not have to worry about feeding. And from the 5th year, in late spring and autumn, organic fertilizer is used in the form of mulch. To do this, use compost, decomposed manure, mowed lawn grass, straw or peat.

If adult plants begin to bloom worse or turn pale, granules of a complex mineral fertilizer are scattered under the host bushes into the loosened soil, in which nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus are contained in equal amounts. Then the plants are watered abundantly at the root. Such dressings are carried out 2-4 times per season, while the last dressing should be in the first half of August.

Currently on sale there are special liquid water-soluble fertilizers with macro- and microelements for ornamental foliage plants. They are great for the host, as they not only help plants grow properly, but also improve the expressive texture and contrast of variegated leaves.

So that the hosts do not lose their beauty, they are fed during abundant watering or after rain.

After the end of flowering, the peduncles are promptly removed so that the bush does not become loose. In September, the host begins to prepare for wintering. At this time, the bushes can be planted. It is imperative to do this before mid-September so that the delenki have time to grow roots before the onset of autumn frosts.

For the winter, the entire ground part of the host is cut off (almost at ground level) as soon as its leaves turn yellow. This helps to remove the pests hidden in them. Additional shelter to protect against frost is not required, but plants can be mulched with leafy soil to preserve nutrients in the soil.

As you can see, it's pretty easy to take care of the hosts. Moreover, they easily multiply not only by dividing the bushes, but also by seeds. Read about the last simple method here.

Common diseases

Now it's time to talk about hosta diseases and their treatment. Although this culture has a fairly good immune system, nevertheless, sometimes it is exposed to some misfortunes. The most famous ailment is powdery mildew, which appears after the leaves are exposed to icy water. For treatment, you can use any proven fungicide, for example, the drug "Fitosporin" (diluted strictly according to the instructions).

Gray rot is another common ailment that can be easily confused with sunburn. In fact, the cause of the development of the disease is high humidity. Although the plant loves the content of a large amount of water in the soil, if it does not evaporate properly from the upper layers, then sooner or later it will provoke the development of infection. Fungicides and complete excision of diseased areas will also help to cope with the scourge.

What is permissible to plant in the vicinity of the host

For example, the hosta is shade-loving, which means that it will be better to plant nearby plants that also love the shade. Here is some of them:

Roses and conifers in landscape design

The last 2 crops will look great with tall host varieties, but undersized varieties are best combined with forget-me-nots, lungwort or cuff.

Note! The host feels comfortable in the shade of a thuja or a garden cypress. You can also create compositions exclusively from the host

Various types and varieties due to the variety of leaf color will help create an original design. In this case, you will not need to plant something else next to the host.

You can also create compositions exclusively from the host. Various types and varieties due to the variety of leaf color will help create an original design. In this case, you will not need to plant something else next to the host.

Geraniums, ferns, mountain goats, peonies, heuchera, all types of conifers are suitable for a culture as neighbors.

Hosta and roses

Being the queen of flowers, the rose does not really need neighbors. In addition, she loves open, sunny areas. But some crops are quite capable of emphasizing beauty, contributing to the preservation of moisture in the soil and preventing the attack of harmful insects. Hosta is one such plant. True, they should not be planted in close proximity to rose bushes. They are, after all, different in terms of conditions of detention. The host can pull moisture towards itself. As a companion plant, the host can be planted no closer than 30-35 cm from the rosebush. It is best to surround the planting of roses with one type of culture.

Flower garden with hosts and astilbe

There is a good compatibility in garden plantings of hosts and astilbe. The main decoration is its leaves, which are:

In addition, the leaves are different in shape. There are round, narrow, heart-shaped. They also differ in size.

Not only are they different in color, they also retain their decorative effect until the very frost. Well, astilba has a wonderful feature to bloom all season, delighting with its multi-colored buds. These 2 cultures are also united by the love of shady, wet areas of the summer cottage. They feel great under the shade of tall trees, where other flowers cannot survive.

Flower garden with hosts and astilbe

Gardeners use this tandem to decorate the abandoned dark corners of the garden and artificial ponds. In the planting of the picturesque and spreading astilba, the host brings calm and orderliness.

They can also be supplemented with bulbs, such as tulips and lilies of the valley. Sprawling hosta bushes will hide them after flowering. Thus, the neat appearance of the flower garden will be preserved.

Important! Only astilbe and hosts are often planted on a gravel bed. Several varieties of these 2 crops are planted according to height, shape and color combination

The stone retains moisture well, and the moisture-loving neighbors turn a simple flower bed into a fabulous garden.

Hosts and daylilies

They create a wonderful tandem with representatives of the daylily family.Because hostas have leaves of different shades, and daylilies have very diverse shades of flowers.

Note! To plant a daylily next to the hosta, the combination of these two cultures should be carefully considered. For example, if the middle of the last bud is yellow, then the host needs to choose a yellow-leaved one

And if the flower has a green (or its shade) middle, then any kind of hosts will do.