FAQ

1. Where do hostas come from?

       Hostas are native to Japan, Korea, and China. They grow in woodlands, marshes, grasslands, and along rivers and streams. They were introduced into Europe in the 1800’s. By the late 1800’s, they were an established plant in North America. It was not until the 1970’s that their popularity started to grow and by the 1990’s hostas were the top selling herbaceous perennials in the nursery industry.

2. Are hostas shade-loving plants?

                 Hostas are, in fact, shade tolerant. If grown in deep shade, hostas may grow spindly and weak with larger, thinner leaves and smaller clumps. Generally speaking, the ideal light for hostas is dappled, or open shade.  Open shade is basically an area that is shaded, but receives indirect light.

3. Are there any hostas that like the sun?

                There are hostas that will thrive in the sun and there are those that will do

      well for the majority of the season in a sunny site. As a general rule of thumb, most         

      all green or yellow hostas will do well as will plantaginea and her family members.  

      Blue hostas will also manage well, but the blue will wear off much earlier in the  

      season. Thin-leaved hostas will not tolerate much sun at all. White-centered hostas

      will do well in 2-3 hours of morning sun, but will “melt out” their centers in the hot

      afternoon sun. It is important to note that hostas grown in full sun need more water   

      than they would if grown in shade.

                                This is a partial list of hostas that I have found to be sun tolerant:

Abba Dabba Do

August Moon

Avodaco

Birchwood Parky’s Gold

fortunei Albomarginata

fortunei Aureomarginata

Fragrant Blue

Fragrant Bouquet

Fragrant Dream

Francee

Fried Green Tomatoes

Fringe Benefit

Ginko Craig

Glory

Gold Drop

Gold Edger

Gold Standard

Guacamole

Holy Mole

Honeybells

Invincible

June

lancifolia

Lemon Lime

Moonlight Sonata

On Stage

Paul’s Glory

plantaginea

Royal Standard

Singing in the Rain

So Sweet

Stained Glass

Sun Power

Shade Fanfare

Sundance

undulata Albomarginata

undulata Mediovariegata

4. What is causing all the holes in my hosta leaves?

                        These holes are caused by slugs. You may not see them doing the damage because they are active at night or on very overcast, rainy days when you are not apt to be in the garden. They hide under whatever they can find, including debris, during the day. To get rid of them, you can hand-pick them and either squish them or (as I prefer to do) put them into a pail of water with dish soap. Another way is to spray them with a solution of 10% ammonia. This will only work if you spray the slug directly. It dissolves their layer of slime and dehydrates them immediately. There are pellets you can purchase with the active ingredient Metaldehyde, but you should be careful when using this as it is toxic to wildlife, pets, and children. I prefer to use a product like Safer’s which is safe for use and will not harm our little ones. Another method, which is impractical for someone who has many hostas, is to ring the hosta with copper. The slugs react to the copper when they touch it and will avoid it. This copper ring should go around the leaves of the plant. This means that as the plant grows, the ring needs to be expanded as one leaf growing over the ring will act as a bridge and allow the slug(s) to climb onto the hosta.

5. How do I fertilize my hostas?

                        I give all of my hostas alfalfa pellets every spring. I spread a handful (depending on their size) around each plant and let the watering/rain work the nutrients into the ground. There is a natural growth hormone in alfalfa that hostas seem to thrive on. If you wish to use a fertilizer, or to augment the alfalfa, it is best to use a 10-10-10 or 12-12-12. Do not fertilize after August 1^st as the hostas need to start  preparing for winter dormancy and if forced to put on new growth they will be caught unawares when the colder temps and shorter days start.

6. Are Epsom salts good for hostas?

                        Epsom salts are helpful to hostas that have dark green leaves. They seem to improve the leaf colour and make them darker. A solution of 2 tablespoons of Epsom salts per gallon of water or a sprinkling of salts around the base of the plant (without touching it) will give good results.

7. Are there hostas with fragrant flowers?

Fragrant Bouquet

Fragrant Gold(although I do not find it very fragrant)

Fried Bananas

Fried Green Tomatoes

Guacamole

Holy Mole

Honeybells

Invincible

Iron Gate Delight

Moonlight Sonata

plantaginea(and her hybrids)

Royal Standard

Seventh Heaven

So Sweet

Stained Glass

Stargate

8. Can I over-winter my hostas in pots?

                        Hostas do very well in pots and can stay potted for several years before needing to be split and repotted. To over-winter them, place them in an unheated garage or shed. If that is not an option, you can dig a trench and place the pots in the trench and fill with leaves and/or mulch and cover with boughs from an evergreen tree or a light covering of some sort. It is important to protect them from standing water in the pot so they don’t rot. It is also important to protect them from the freeze-drying winds of winter. With a little care, your hostas will come back every year more beautiful than the year before.

9. What can you tell me about HVX?

                                                                                        Ontario Hosta Society

                                                                                        2301 Fifth St. Louth

                                                                                        St. Catherines, Ont.

                                                                                        Canada, L2R 6P7

                                                                                        www.ontariohostasociety.com

                                                                                        American Hosta Society

                                                                                        Sandie Markland

                                                                                        AHS Membership Secretary

                                                                                        P.O. Box 7539

                                                                                        Annual Dues: $39.00 US/year or $74.00US/2 years or $107.00 US/3 years

                                                                                                                 (Money order or cheque drawn on a US bank to American Hosta Society)

                                                                                        e-mail:ahsmembershipsecretary@charter.net

                                                                                        www.hosta.org