Tips For Growing Hostas

Grown mainly for their beautiful foliage, hostas exist in a wide range of shapes, colors, sizes, and textures. They were once classified in the family Liliaceae but are now included in the family Agavaceae.the name hosta evokes an image of a low-growing green plant with large broad leaves. To be more specific, a hosta is a non-bulbous lily that is a shade tolerant, hardy perennial plant grown principally for its foliage. But hostas produce pendulous 1" to 2" long white or violet flowers on an erect panicle up to 31" tall. Hostas are also called plantain lilies or Funkia, but these names are outdated. The scientific name for hosta is also its common name.peat moss, rotted or composted manure, rotted sawdust, or composted leaves. By adding large quantities of organic matter, moisture retention and aeration of the soil is improved. Due in part to their leaf size, hostas have a very high transpiration rate, and so soil conditions should allow for optimum water retention.
This is true especially if growing under trees which take up much soil moisture. Plants in ideal growth conditions receive 1-1/2" per week. Over the course of a season that is 3/4" every 3 to 4 days. Hostas need this extra water during the growing season, but not in winter when they are dormant. Too much water in winter can contribute to crown or root rot.Add a slow-release fertilizer to the soil. Place the hosta in the hole so that the clump is level with the soil surface, and water thoroughly. You can plant them any time during the growing season, but the later in the season you plant, the more important it is to keep them adequately watered. Cutting off the flower scape as soon as possible after blooming tends to increase the probability of re-bloom.
There are books about slug control methods including: picking them off one by one, leaving out beer-filled trays in the hopes the slugs drown, copper rings, squashing them between bricks, pesticides, and my favorite, diatomaceous earth. It is a powder of the finely ground shells of diatoms. Diatoms are microscopic sea creatures. When sprinkled on the ground, the slugs crawl over the powder, cutting themselves all to pieces, then they die of dehydration.Leaf beetles will eat holes in the center of the leaves between the veins. Sometimes this can be confused with slug damage. A natural control is the house wren. They have a tremendous appetite for those pests and for slugs. If you're not keen on birdhouses, you can fall back on commercially available pesticides. Always carefully follow label instructions and heed warnings.
x'Sum and Substance' - A striking hosta with large, leathery, neutral-green leaves. It has been called "the biggest and most popular hosta in the world." It grows to 3' tall and 5-6' across.
x'Blue Angel' - The largest and most dramatic-looking of all hostas, 'Blue Angel' has deep blue-green leaves and can grow into a mount 30" tall and 6' wide.

x'Emily Dickenson' - Deep green glossy leaves with creamy white margins, a neat, compact, mounded habit, and deep lavender flowers make this a welcome plant in any garden. It grows to 20" tall and 26" wide.