The shady garden has many looks but the look that most shady gardeners relish are the shady
characters called Hostas. These are favored for several reasons;they are readily available,come in
literally a thousand varieties and are easy to grow. I think there is indeed a hosta for every
conceivable use in your garden. They can be borders,ground covers or specimen plants in the
garden. They prefer shade to spotty shade but can withstand morning sunlight. Your leaf color
could vary with amount of sunlight provided as in the case of blue-greens will lighten up if there
is more sunlight. In the most deep southern areas you will want to go with the fragrant hostas
which can withstand more sunlight.
They are easy to plant as you just dig a hole half again as wide and deep as the root ball. I
would add to the soil well rotted compost,humus or a commercially available fertilizer. If your
drainage of the soil is slow it would be wise to dig the hole a little larger and combine some
coarse grit with your fertilizer of choice. The hosta should be placed in the hole so the crown is
ground level. This is after applying the water and the water has settled into the soil.
The hosta can be left alone. Development will proceed slowly and they should reach maturity in
about four years. I have never touched my hostas after planting but I know some people who prefer to add time release fertilizer now and again but it is certainly not necessary.They should be
watered once a week if no rain develops because of their origins in a temperate climate. Just make
sure the hostas have good drainage because they will develop crown rot if the area is too wet.
Here is my favorite thing about hostas. If properly taken care of you need never buy another
hosta. I moved to this residence thirty years ago and moved three hostas from the former home and now I have in excess of one hundred hostas. A border along a stream,flanking two sides of the house and placement among other shady garden areas. I prefer to divide the plants in the spring just as the shoots are appearing. It is not only less difficult but also assures me that my
transplanted hosta will be a truer off spring.
You will want to rake off all debris in the spring as I usually leave them covered with their own
wilted and dead stalks in the winter for protection. It takes time for these plants to develop in
the spring. I have never done this but some of my gardener friends have planted bulbs in a ring
around their hostas to add some color to the somewhat barren garden spot. A hosta is probably your best weed killer. The large leaves encircle the soil around them and prevent very little weed
growth and in some cases none. A welcome respite from the rest of the garden.
Your only pests is the ugly and slimly slug. It will require some snail bait or if you are a
purist,you might want to avail yourself of some pine needle mulch,ground-up seashells and even
flour sprinkled around the base of the hosta will do the trick. If you are not the squeamish type
you can also pick them off the hosta. Beer traps will also work and I have tried this method and
it does work but I find it an awful expensive way to kill slugs even with cheap beer.There are
also deer problems although I have never had this happen and if you do you should look into a good barking dog or deer repellent. Volves, if you have them, are another pest and its best not to keep mulch around and underneath your hostas if this is your problem. Cats and hawks are lethal weapons for this problem.
Hostas are a true contributor to your garden with both color and texture. They look great with say
impatiens here and there or fern, astibles and azaleas are a great contrast to the hostas. So if
you have not tried this beauty of nature,start with you a few and you will eventually have an
abundance.
