Hosts

Hosta "First frost" (18 photos): description of First Frost, planting, care and reproduction of a hybrid variety

Hosta First Frost is a perennial herbaceous hybrid plant that belongs to the lily family. The natural habitat of this flower is the territory of the Far East, East Asia and Japan. This variety has been enjoying well-deserved popularity among gardeners from around the world for many years.

This flower is medium in size and has a beautiful milky border on all leaf blades. In early spring, the border has a more yellow color, but in summer its shade becomes tender milk. The height of an adult plant does not exceed 40 cm, and the diameter of the bush is 80 cm.

Due to the presence of hard and coarse leaf plates, the plant is practically not damaged by pests. The flower has an unusual shade of leaves - blue. The average leaf length is 20 cm, and the width is 10 cm. The leaf plates are located on petioles, which form a large basal rosette.

The maximum height of the peduncle is 100 cm. The flowering period of the plant is mid-summer. The flowers are bell-shaped and form brushes-like inflorescences.

First Frost host can also be found under the names: First Frost.

Possible translation: First Frost.

First Frost is a very popular beautiful host. Appear with yellow edges that gradually turn white.

The blue center becomes more green by autumn, but nevertheless, oval textured leaves with a spectacular golden border with tints of white remain blue for a long time and are attractive throughout the season. Blooms in mid-summer.

But for a variety with such bright foliage, flowers in my opinion are superfluous, First Frost looks amazing without flowers.

• Host of 2010 according to (American Hosta Growers Association, USA).
• According to the survey results, First Frost hosts were included in the hosta rating according to the American Host Society. (See host varieties by score).

Examples in landscape design

Hosta "First frost" is a very beautiful and unusual plant, which is widely used for decorating not only personal plots, but also city flower beds and alleys. This flower can become both an independent green planting and a part of a beautiful composition.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the Scented apple tree description

Green architecture experts recommend planting a variegated hosta against a background of monochromatic plants, the color of which will effectively emphasize the beauty of the flower. Joint planting of hosts with all types of cereals looks no less advantageous.

Many designers use this flower as a curb plant that looks very impressive near garden paths. For the aesthetic decoration of nondescript fences, experts recommend planting alternately variegated and monochromatic hosts along their entire length. This plant looks harmoniously with all astilbe, daylilies and bruners.

For the tricks of growing hosts on the site, see below.

Planting and leaving

The main feature of the culture under consideration is its unpretentiousness. Hosta tolerates any soil, except sandy and loamy.

The roots of the hosta are long and thick, intertwined. They grow at a high speed, and with their help nutrients enter the aerial part of the plant. The culture propagates by dividing the rhizome.

Growing hosta from seeds is long and impractical; this method is used in most cases in genetics. If several host varieties grow in the garden at once, you can get a variety of hybrids, because these plants are easily crossed.

If you plant the hosta with seedlings, then with the arrival of spring it is necessary to sow the seeds in a container with fertile soil, while it should be well moistened. Cover the container with glass on top. A little more than half a month will pass, and seedlings will appear. Protect them from direct sunlight. When a pair of leaves appears, a dive is made.

Another way of planting hosts is with the help of seedlings, which must be purchased in the autumn, when the growing season is over, but there is still time for rooting.

It is necessary to place the resulting culture, taking into account its long-term growth. As you grow, the size of the occupied area increases

For a culture to have a beautiful appearance and delight the eye, it needs to create optimal conditions.

• Temperature regime and humidity level. Love for these plants is due to the fact that they do not differ in demanding care and growing places. They tolerate drought and temperature fluctuations well. They grow well in the shade of trees and shrubs and on the northern slopes.
• Watering. The host loves moist soil, but moisture should not stagnate on it, because this will lead to decay of the roots.
• Fertilization. Plant feeding is carried out in the spring or during transplantation for better rooting.
• Pruning is done after flowering.

The greatest harm is caused by snails, caterpillars and locusts, which eat up the green mass.

How to apply the host her history and agricultural techniques in the next video.

Diseases and pests

Withering, drying of foliage, the appearance of dark spots and other defects - this is not a complete list of signs of disease, pest damage. A detailed description of common flower problems, features of caring for it:

• Fungus (phyllostictosis, anthracnose) Signs: dark yellow spots on the foliage. Methods of struggle, care: dig up the affected bushes, disinfect the ground with "Fitosporin", "Alirin-B", "Trichodermin" or "Baikal EM-1".
• Rust Signs: red "pads" on the leaf plates, yellowing and falling of foliage. Methods of struggle, care: treatment with Bordeaux liquid (1%), fungicides - "Abiga-Peak", "Cumulus", "Poliram", "Strobi".
• Slugs, snails Signs: there are large holes on the foliage. Methods of struggle, care: mulch the soil with broken shells, place mugs with beer near the bushes, after a day remove containers with insects.
• Aphids Signs: small insects on the back of the foliage, transparent bloom on the leaf plates, twisted darkened greenery Methods of struggle, care: wipe the leaves with a damp sponge, remove heavily damaged parts of the flower, spray it with soapy water (10-15 g of soap / 1 l of water) ...
• Deciduous nematode Signs: stunting, root death, rare flowering, discolored foliage. Control measures, care: plant transplant, soil disinfection with "Fitosporin", "Alirin-B", "Trichodermin", "Baikal EM-1" or its complete removal , processing the bush with sugar water (100 g / 1 l).
• Caterpillars, grasshoppers, beetles Signs: eaten foliage, holes in it. Methods of control, care: treat the host with insecticides - "Akarin", "Aktaroy", "Aktellikom", "Arrivo", "Apache" or "Bazudin".
• Vole mice Signs: burrows near the bush, damaged (eaten) roots and foliage. Control methods, care: carefully weed the ground near the hosta (weeds can attract rodents), install a wire border around it with a height of 20 cm or more.

How to plant correctly?

To grow successfully, the hosta needs to know what kind of soil it prefers. Heavy soils with a predominantly clay content are not suitable for the plant; too dry soil, most of which is sand, is undesirable.The ideal option is loamy, fertile soil with a high concentration of humus. It is better to plant the culture in partial shade, so that the shrub can equally receive light and be protected from it at midday. An additional condition is the absence of drafts and protection from strong gusts of wind. In this regard, bushes are planted next to plantings of other plants with a dense crown, or near buildings, fences that can protect them from the wind.

You can plant cuttings or cuttings prepared by yourself, or use purchased planting material. As a rule, such seedlings with buds and reliably hidden roots are sold in containers or plastic bags with wood chips and peat.

Planting is a responsible process, on the knowledge of the intricacies of which the quick adaptation of the variety to new conditions depends.

• Planting holes are dug to a depth of 25 cm; in general, it is better to focus on the size of the earthen coma with the root system. The main thing is that the fossa is spacious, and there is space for the roots to grow in breadth.
• At the bottom of the pit, fertile soil is placed with the addition of ammonium and potassium nitrate, "Superphosphate" 15-20 g each. If the ground is heavy, you will need a drainage device made of gravel, pebbles or pieces of brick.
• When planting several plants, intervals of 40-50 cm are left between them.
• The seedling is placed in the center of the hole and carefully covered with a nutritious substrate, watered, then the trunk circle is slightly tamped, and mulched with dry leaves, peat and pine bark.

Mulch protects the soil from drying out, which is detrimental to young plants, in addition, it provides them with additional nutrition.

Description of hosts Golden Meadows

Golden Meadows is distinguished by unusual wrinkled leaves of a rounded, twisted shape. They have a very peculiar color: the center of the leaf is bright golden, and already in the middle of summer it becomes more muted, creamy, and then acquires a yellow-green tint.

At the edges, the leaves of Golden Meadows are painted in pale green and bluish shades - they are in good harmony with the central part. The leaves are rather large in size: 20 cm long, 10 cm wide. They are located on dense cuttings that form a large basal rosette.

Golden Meadows is distinguished by beautiful leaves with a pleasant yellow-green-blue color.

A small bush - up to 50-60 cm, not very spreading. Begins to bloom in the second half of summer, flowers are not large, drooping, white shades. They are formed in small inflorescences, and the peduncles rise 10-15 cm above the main part of the bush.

Golden Meadows prefers to grow in moderately shaded areas. If there are many cloudy days in the region, it is better to plant in an open area. In the south, stable shade (from trees or shrubs) is preferred.

In terms of winter hardiness, the Golden Meadows host is one of the most hardy. It can withstand even very harsh winters down to -40 degrees, so it belongs to the 4th zone of winter hardiness. Cultivation is allowed in all regions of Russia, including:

• Central part;
• Ural;
• Southern Siberia;
• Far East.

Important! In regions with severe winters, young seedlings of Golden Meadows hosts are covered with a high layer of straw or hay for the winter. Golden Meadows blooms in late July and early August

Golden Meadows blooms in late July and early August

Application in landscape design

Golden Meadows is distinguished by really unusual, large leaves with an interesting color. Therefore, it can be used:

• in single plantings (a row of several seedlings of the same age);
• in mixborders;
• in rock gardens;
• in plantings along the paths for their design;
• on rocky flower beds;
• on the coast of small bodies of water.

This species, like other hosta varieties, goes well with a wide variety of plants. Bushes look good in compositions with such crops:

• other host species, especially higher ones (for example, Blue Mammoth, Jade Cascade, Dino, Empress W);
• undersized varieties of daylily;
• astilba;
• maidenhair stop-shaped;
• rhododendron;
• forget-me-not;
• purple periwinkle;
• conifers (juniper, thuja, dwarf fir, dwarf pine and others).

Important! It is not recommended to plant the hosta next to "aggressive" plants that actively take up space and fill everything around. Hosta cannot compete with such cultures

Golden Meadows looks good in group plantings with other hosts

Variety characteristics

Description

Leaves are dense and tough, large, wavy at the edges, similar to terry. Color - gray-green with a creamy core. The border is wide feathery, blue in color. The center of the leaf plate in the spring is golden, in the middle of summer it is creamy, then it begins to turn green.

The originality lies in the twisted leaves and the change in color of the leaves at different periods of the season. The shape of the leaf is round, the size is 23 by 15 centimeters. The plant is powerful, reaching 60 cm in height. It grows gradually.

Location and lighting

The variety loves partial shade. The scorching rays can burn out the core. In a space that is too dark, it can turn completely green. In nature, hosts grow in river and lake valleys, on mountain slopes and forest edges.

The variety loves partial shade

Bloom

Occurs in July. The buds are like bells or little lilies. At the end of a long process, many flowers bloom.

Flowering hosts

Varieties

Hosts were brought to Europe from Japan in the 18th-19th centuries, and since then they have been cultivated. In height (excluding peduncles), these decorative perennials are divided into six groups.

At the same time, there are no strict international standards for assigning a certain variety to a particular group. They may differ from country to country and even from different vendors.

On average, all hosts are divided into:

• miniature (reach a height of just over 10 cm)
• dwarf (10-15 cm)
• undersized (15-35 cm)
• medium-sized (35-55 cm)
• tall (55-75 cm)
• giant (75-150 cm)

The Khost genus has more than two dozen species. Moreover, some of them exist only in culture, and do not occur in natural conditions of growth.

The most common and popular are the following types:

Wavy host

Wavy host

A plant with leaves up to 20 cm long, elongated and wavy edges.

In the color of the leaves, white areas are interspersed with green, and the flower petals are painted in a light purple hue.

Hosta Siebold

Hosta Siebold

Plant with dense, wide leaves up to 30 cm long, covered with a gray waxy bloom. The inflorescences are short and dense, the flowers are lavender or light purple in color. In the sun, the leaves of this species lose their gray tint and turn green.

This species is named after Philip Franz von Siebold, a German naturalist and plant collector. He lived for some time in Japan in the 19th century and studied its flora and fauna. In addition to the hosts, several dozen Japanese plants bear the name of Siebold.

Hosta lanceolate

Hosta lanceolate

The plant is native to northeastern China and the south of Primorye.

Elongated lanceolate leaves are up to 25 cm long and form a compact bush, and numerous purple flowers bloom on peduncles up to 100 cm high in July-August. Bushes grow quickly.

Plantain hosta

Plantain hosta

The plant is native to Japan and China. Rounded leaves up to 40 cm long, painted bright green, form a large "pillow" that rises above the flower garden.

In August, peduncles up to 100 cm tall with tubular flowers appear.

Hosta Fortune

Hosta Fortune

In many ways it is similar to the Siebold hosta, but has a smaller size and less waxy bloom on the leaves. This species includes varieties that are different in color and size of leaves, shade of flowers and height of peduncles. The garden forms of this hosta are quite unpretentious and can grow only in temperate latitudes.

The species is named after British botanist Robert Fortune. In the middle of the 19th century, he made several long journeys across China, Japan and Taiwan, collecting plants unknown and unknown in Europe.

Hosta white-bordered

Hosta white-bordered

Forms a dense rosette of leaves and blooms in July-August. The bushes are not large, they can grow well in a container.

There are a large number of varieties of this species with green, yellow-green, dark green and blue-green corrugated leaves that have a thin white border around the edge.

Hosta rectifiable

Hosta rectifiable

Vigorous plant with leaves growing almost vertically on long petioles. Found in the wild in Japan, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

In the Land of the Rising Sun, this plant is considered edible and even medicinal. It is used in many Japanese traditional medicine recipes.

The host is bloated

The host is bloated

Plant with broad, heart-shaped leaves. Forms a powerful bush, reaching 80 cm both in height and in width. Lilac flowers bloom on long (120 cm) peduncles in July-August.

This species has many varieties with the most varied color of leaves and flowers.

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Buying hosts - how to choose (how to save a host before landing)

You can buy hosts in a specialized store or in the market. In any case, you need to choose good plants.

For this, it is important to pay attention to the roots of the host. They must be strong and healthy. The leaf bud should be prominent, well developed

If the leaves have already unfolded, then the plants are not worth buying. Its rhizomes are weaker, so the hosta will develop poorly after planting. Even plants that are sold in pots are not worth buying. Yes, the colors of the host are clearly visible on them, but it is much more difficult for them to get accustomed.

The leaf bud should be prominent and well developed. If the leaves have already unfolded, then the plants are not worth buying. Its rhizomes are weaker, so the hosta will develop poorly after planting. Even plants that are sold in pots are not worth buying. Yes, the colors of the host are clearly visible on them, but it is much more difficult for them to take root.

After purchasing such a dormant seedling, you must save it until planting. To do this, the plant must be placed in a dark and cool place. The easiest option, which suits most, is to put the plant in the refrigerator, namely in the fruit compartment. A glazed loggia and a cellar are also suitable. A basement is fine too, if not too warm. You can even bury it in the snow on the site. For this, plants are placed deep in a snowdrift, near the very ground. They are sprinkled with sawdust, peat or sand. A large snowdrift is poured from above. But this is only suitable for plants whose buds are still dormant.

Roots should be inspected for rot before storing. It is eliminated, the cut-off points need to be treated with brilliant green. You can put the hosts in a pot and put them in the house. But in this case, the plant will turn out to be too pampered when it comes time to plant it in the garden. It can be hardened before disembarkation. To do this, in the morning the plant is placed in the sun, and in the evening - in the shade.

Immediately before planting, the rhizomes are treated with potassium permanganate.