Perennial with an unusual color is highly valued for its decorative qualities. Its main decoration is leaves. In different varieties, they can have a different shape and color, among them there are plain, spotted and with a colored border. At the same time, the culture is very unpretentious, even a beginner in gardening can grow it. We will understand all the intricacies of planting a hosta and caring for it in the open field.

All about planting and growing hostas

Species features
How to choose a variety
Reproduction methods
— Delenki
— Seeds
Disembarkation dates
Place to drop off
Planting a plant
Postplant Care

Species features of perennial

Ornamental culture today belongs to the asparagus family, although earlier it was considered part of the lily family. This is a relatively rare species, it includes about four dozen varieties. All these are rosette varieties: dense bushes of different heights. Rosette bushes form basal leaves. They have thickened powerful rhizomes with numerous filiform root processes.

The perennial blooms quite beautifully. The flowers are small, funnel-shaped, collected on inflorescences towering above the bush. But its main advantage is decorative leaves. In different varieties, they differ in color: from light green to gray-blue. Sheet plates may have stripes, strokes or a border of yellow or white. The shape of the leaves varies from heart-shaped to narrowly lanceolate.

Perennials vary in size. Among them there are dwarfs no more than 10 cm high and one and a half meter giants. Growing a hosta in the garden and caring for a flower is not difficult. Culture is unpretentious, undemanding. It is frost-resistant, undemanding to heat, shade-loving. It tolerates transplantation well, is genetically resistant to most pests and diseases. It can grow in one place for decades. At home in Asia, it lives on fertile, moist soils in shady forests.

How to choose a variety

There are many varieties of perennials. In order not to make a mistake in the choice, it is necessary to take into account several important points.

• Bush height. Large specimens require a lot of space, they are planted in multi-tiered compositions or as independent decorative elements. Small bushes look good in containers, in flower beds, in borders.
• Plant form. It is very important to know how to plant a hosta. Leaves stretching upwards form a compact bush. If the leaves are spreading, the plant will be low, but will take up a lot of space. This must be taken into account when landing. Compact specimens are planted at a smaller distance from each other, spreading — at a greater distance.
• Growth conditions. Despite the fact that the perennial is unpretentious, some of its varieties can be quite capricious. So, for example, blue bushes cannot grow in the sun. But their rough hard leaves do not damage the slugs. Varieties with yellowish leaves tolerate the sun much better. They grow well in partial shade.
• flowering type. It is generally accepted that hostas are attractive only with decorative foliage. But some varieties also bloom very beautifully. If a variety with beautiful flowering is chosen, it is planted so that nothing interferes with admiring the flowers.

How does an ornamental plant reproduce?

You can grow a bush from a seed or delenki. This is the name of a fragment of the rhizome, correctly separated from the mother. Let’s take a closer look at both breeding options.

Delenki

Ready seedlings are bought in a specialized store. You can divide the already existing bush in the garden. Young specimens are not suitable for division; an old bush is chosen. When the roots grow and there is little room for them, they begin to literally bulge out of the ground. This is a signal that it’s time to plant a perennial.

With a shovel, carefully dig out a bush and lay it on a flat surface along with an earthen clod. They carefully examine the excavated specimen, find sockets that can be separated. There will be several outlets. Draw dividing lines. An important point: it is necessary to divide so that each fragment has many roots. Otherwise, the delenka will die.

Relatively young rhizomes are separated with a sharp disinfected knife. An incision is made, then the root processes are carefully separated. This procedure leaves a small wound that heals quickly. Powerful old roots cannot be divided with a knife. They are cut with a shovel or an ax. We must try to do everything as carefully as possible in order to minimize trauma to the fragments being shared. The resulting delenki are ready for planting.

seeds

Not all flower growers know how to grow a hosta from seed. This is a long and rather laborious process, so it is most often grown from cuttings. But if necessary, you can use seeds. First of all, you need to get them. You can buy in the store or collect from plants in the garden. In the latter case, they are waiting for flowering. It is important that the flowers are pollinated by insects. If necessary, it is necessary to attract bees: free the peduncle from the leaves, spray it with sweet water.

Pollinated flowers by the beginning of September give fruits-boxes of dark color. They contain seeds. Boxes are collected, dried and seeds are taken out. They are stored in a dark, dry place until spring. At the end of March-April, they begin to grow seedlings. It is sown in boxes or immediately in individual containers. In the first case, they wait for shoots, then the seedlings dive into individual pots. By the time of transplantation, young seedlings must be hardened so that they take root better in a new place.

Disembarkation dates

Inexperienced flower growers do not always know when it is better to plant a hosta: in spring or autumn. Both options are good. Agronomists believe that there are two optimal terms for transplanting perennials. This is early spring before the start of active sap flow and the beginning of autumn, when there is still time before the first frosts.

Exact dates depend on climatic conditions. So, in the south, spring landing is carried out already in April, and in Siberia — at the end of May. In autumn, in the middle latitudes, transplantation is carried out in the first decade of September. But in Siberia it is better to do this in the last weeks of August. Then the seedling will have enough time to fully prepare for winter.

Knowing when to plant a hosta in open ground, you can calculate the time for sowing seedlings or buying a seedling. They start selling at the end of winter. Despite the fact that there is still a lot of time before planting, planting material can be safely bought and stored until disembarkation in a cool place: a pantry, basement or on an insulated balcony.

Where is the best place to plant a hosta?

The right choice of location is a key moment in growing and caring for hostas. Sunlight provides the plant with the desired color. But it also activates the aging process. If the sun is too much, it changes the color of the foliage, depresses the plant. Therefore, bushes feel best in the shade or in partial shade.

A shaded area is considered to be an area where the sun’s rays are no more than 3 hours a day. Blue or dark green varieties like George Smith or Color Glory will do well here. They are planted under trees with a sparse crown or near a wall. But the shadow should not be too thick, otherwise the perennial will die. Penumbra are areas where the sun is from 3 to 6 hours a day. It is best that it be in the morning. The bright midday sun is harmful to the plant. In partial shade, emerald varieties and green varieties with a white border such as White Bikini, Honeybells will take root perfectly.

Beautiful flowering and yellow varieties need more sun. They are best planted in sunny areas, but provided there is a little shade. Varieties like «Gold Regal», «Gold Standard» or «Summer Fragrance» will feel good here.

The brighter and more colorful the color of the leaves, the more light the plant needs. Without the sun, the colors become faded, the leaf plate fades. In addition to lighting, wind protection is also important. Culture does not tolerate cold drafts. The soil should be light and fertile.

Planting a perennial

The instruction on how to plant a hosta is very simple. First prepare the hole. Dig it to a depth of 30-40 cm, make the same diameter. Drainage is laid at the bottom of the hole: expanded clay, crushed stone, pebbles. This is necessary so that moisture does not stagnate in the roots. A mound of nutrient substrate is poured on top: humus or compost mixed with 50 g of any complex fertilizer. A seedling is placed on the resulting mound. Gently straighten its roots.

Holding the bush with your hand, cover the roots with a substrate. So that the root neck is buried no more than 150-200 mm. Otherwise, she will rot. The soil in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe outlet is compacted. Then the seedling is abundantly watered. After the moisture has been absorbed, the surface is mulched with crushed bark or cones, peat, sawdust.

perennial plant care

In summer, hosta care is easy. Regular abundant watering is important. The soil mixture near the bushes should always be slightly moist. Watering is best before 10-11 hours, while there is no bright sun. Pour water under the spine so that it does not fall on the foliage, otherwise the appearance of the leaf plate will deteriorate. In addition, moisture attracts slugs, which are very fond of feasting on perennial leaves.

The first three or four years of life, until the bush grows, it needs regular weeding and loosening. After the foliage grows, it is no longer necessary to do this. For three to four years, a properly planted bush does not need top dressing. In the fifth year, organic matter is introduced. It is best to do this in autumn or late spring. Feed with mulch. To do this, the ground around the stems is covered with a layer of peat, rotted manure, compost or freshly cut chopped grass.

Sometimes the plant suddenly loses its decorative effect. Spots and borders lose their original color, the leaf plate becomes faded. This is a signal of a nutritional deficiency. It is replenished with mineral supplements. Use any balanced complex. Before winter, the leaf mass is cut off a little above ground level. This is done as soon as the foliage turns yellow. It is advisable to cover the stems for the winter with leafy soil.

We figured out how to properly plant the host in open ground. Decorative perennial is unpretentious and does not require special care. If you choose the right variety and place for planting, it will decorate the garden with itself for many years.