Diseases and pests
The plant has a pretty good immunity, so they rarely get sick. Slugs often attack the host, making the foliage look spoiled. They fight them with metaldehyde. Another enemy of hosts is a host virus disease, during infection, the following changes occur:
- variegation on the sheet;
- pallor.
The stem nematode is also dangerous, the lesion looks like black stripes. The foliage with stripes breaks off, the host is transplanted, the root system is treated with manganese. If planted in dense clay soil, gray mold damage may occur. In this case, it is better to transplant "June".
You will learn more about the June host and other varieties by watching the following video.
How to plant and care?
Blue hosts are planted in the spring. The ideal soil for this variety is wet or slightly acidic. Do not forget about the drainage layer, which is laid out on the bottom of the planting pit. Note that the blue hosta reacts negatively to drafts, so the place must be protected from gusty winds.
When planting, the root system of the plant is evenly distributed and covered with soil. The soil surface is mulched with dry foliage or peat, then the plant is watered abundantly.
Blue Ivory is used in collective plantings. The distance between seedlings should not be less than 1 meter. Water the hedge very carefully, otherwise there is a high probability of spoiling the leaves.
Fertilizers begin to be applied a year after planting. They feed the blue hosta until July. And also do not forget about regular watering and weed control. Moisten the soil in the early morning by lifting the foliage. Then the soil must be mulched, which will allow the soil to retain the necessary moisture.
The Blue Ivory variety is pruned. With the onset of cold weather (late October), the leaves are removed so that new ones appear in the spring.
After a couple of years, the perennial will acquire a presentable appearance: the curved foliage will turn gray-blue with a snow-white border.
COMPANIONS FOR MINI HOST
Other shade-loving, not too bright plants that will set off the modest charm of the little ones will become wonderful neighbors for tiny hosts. These are shady saxifrage, lungwort, liverwort, soft cuff, Moravian and rust-spotted sedges, ferns - maidenhair stop-like, centipede leaf; various mountain women, astilbe (preferably with light, delicate white or ivory inflorescences), geychera, Carpathian bell, fragrant violet.
They can be safely placed among compatriots - a medium-sized host, planting them on the front edge of a mono flower, so that the blossoming leaves of larger specimens do not overshadow the delicate fragility of the crumbs. The neighborhood of larger specimens will further emphasize their small size. It is necessary to arrange the whole company, achieving color harmony. To do this, it is better to first "play" with hosts temporarily planted in pots. So, rearranging them from place to place, you can achieve the best option.
AFTER THE PURCHASE
Let's be honest, small hosts are not as easy to care for as their larger relatives. One cannot say about them “planted and forgotten”. First of all, because these hosts are developing slowly (and some varieties are very slow), and they will be able to show everything they are capable of only in the 3rd year (and this is at best).
Also, do not forget that when buying mini-host parcels, you do not need to divide them into small parts, plant them as they are. Otherwise, you can harm the plant (after division, small hosts do not take root very well and come to their senses for a long time), and the kids will not look attractive soon.
If you purchased a very small piece (which is far from uncommon, since mini-hosts grow slowly, and it is almost impossible to get a large share), do not rush to plant it in a permanent place, keep it in a container for a while. Let it first develop the root system, get stronger, and only then transplant it to a permanent place in the garden.
