Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube
    GardenBeast
    • All Articles
    • Sections
      • Features
      • Food
      • Plants
      • Flowers
      • Shrubs
      • Trees
      • Palms
      • Succulents
      • Cacti
      • Backyard
      • Reviews
      • Entertainment
      • Questions
      • Homesteading
    • Free eBooks
    • About
    • Contact
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube
    GardenBeast
    Plants

    Hostas Guide: How to Plant, Grow & Care for Hosta Plants

    Read our complete guide to Hostas for everything you will ever need to know! Tips for planting, growing and caring for the Hosta plant.
    Hollie CarterBy Hollie CarterFebruary 10, 2023
    Hostas Guide
    Hostas Guide: How to Plant, Grow & Care for Hosta Plants
    Affiliate Disclosure: We independently test & research all products reviewed on the site. We may earn a small commission if you buy through one of our links. This does not affect our reviews or placement of products on the site.

    Perennial plants are excellent, low-maintenance plants for your garden. Perennials survive for years without dying like other seasonal plants as the winter arrives. Hostas offer temperate shade for the garden, and there are countless varieties available to plant in your garden.

    Hostas interbreed easily, so it’s possible to create a new variety if you allow them to pollinate each other. Hostas come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, with hearty-shaped, rounded or oval foliage that features lines of cream, yellow, or white running down the center or edges of the leaves.

    Many varieties produce blossoms in lavender, purple, blue, or white, emitting a pleasant fragrance into the air around the plant, attracting pollinators and birds to your garden. There are many breeders of these plants, and there is a new breed of hostas produced every 12-hours.

    Hostas are similar to orchids in that breeders are always looking to cross-breed species to produce a new plant. There are hundreds of orchids varieties and thousands of hostas species available. Some of these specialist varieties, such as the ‘Poke Salad Annie,’ fetch more than $200 per plant.

    Getting started with growing hostas in your garden doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. Visit your local nursery, and you’ll find dozens of varieties available for an affordable price.

    Variegated Liberty Hosta
    Variegated Liberty Hosta

    Table of Contents

    • How to Grow Hostas
    • How to Plant Hostas
    • Hostas Care
    • When to Divide Hostas
    • Companion Plants for Hostas
    • Pests Affecting Hostas
    • Recommended Hostas Varieties

    How to Grow Hostas

    Hostas grow readily in all climate conditions, from Canada to San Diego. We recommend hostas for any garden that resides in USDA zones 3 to 9.

    Hostas produce beautiful flowers with a powerful fragrance in the summer, and they enjoy overwintering in colder climates. Most growers notice that a cold winter will cause the hostas to flower more in the following summer.

    Hostas that enjoy growing in USDA zone 7 to 3 are larger species, with bigger root systems that can survive the cold winter. However, there are heat-tolerant varieties, such as the “Royal Standard,” that do well in warmer climates in USDA Zone 10 as well.

    When selecting the right hostas for your region, plants with bluish-colors in the foliage are suitable for colder regions, while those with yellowish foliage can take stronger sunlight conditions. When planting, checking, monitoring, and maintaining your soil is paramount.

    Bestseller No. 1
    Live Perennial Hosta - So Sweet (3 Per Pack), Beautiful Accent Plant, 10' Tall by 6' Wide in 1 Quart Pot
    Live Perennial Hosta - So Sweet (3 Per Pack), Beautiful Accent Plant, 10" Tall by 6" Wide in 1 Quart Pot
    • SHADE PLANTS: Hosta 'So Sweet' is a wonderfully fragrant hosta, hence its name. It is a rapid grower with very shiny, dark green leaves and yellow margins in Spring.
    • GROWTH: This hosta grows to be about 12 inches tall and 22 inches wide.
    • CARE: All hostas need some shade and few, if any, will do well in strong direct sunlight. Water regularly. They will fully mature in four to eight years. For the best care of hostas, plant them in rich organic soil with a slightly acidic pH.
    • FUN FACT: Hosta, also known as plantain lily, is a genus of about 40 plants native to Eastern Asia.
    • LIVE PLANTS: Our plants are grown exclusively for Deep Roots and The Three Company, shipped fresh directly from our greenhouse to you!
    $21.56 Amazon Prime
    View on Amazon
    Bestseller No. 2
    Hosta Bulbs Planting Pots to Grow Ornaments Perennial Garden-3 Bulbs,a
    Hosta Bulbs Planting Pots to Grow Ornaments Perennial Garden-3 Bulbs,a
    • The hosta are self-sufficient, but multiple hosta are recommended for the best harvest.
    • Hosta growth is moderate and sunny.
    • Plant form: hosta root.
    • Very hardy.
    • Recommended distance between hosta is 6 feet - 8 feet.
    $10.44
    View on Amazon
    SaleBestseller No. 3
    Live Hosta 'Patriot' - Flowering Shade Perennial - Healthy Spring Plant - 12' Tall by 8' Wide in a 2.5 Qt Pot
    Live Hosta 'Patriot' - Flowering Shade Perennial - Healthy Spring Plant - 12" Tall by 8" Wide in a 2.5 Qt Pot
    • SHADE PLANTS: This Patriot hosta has ovate leaves that have dark green centers and outstanding, crisp white, streaked margins. The margins are creamy-yellow in Spring.
    • GROWTH: Patriot hostas can grow up to 20 inches tall and 30 inches wide.
    • CARE: All hostas need some shade and few, if any, will do well in strong direct sunlight. Water regularly. They will fully mature in four to eight years. For the best care of hostas, plant them in rich organic soil with a slightly acidic pH.
    • FUN FACT: Hosta, also known as plantain lily, is a genus of about 40 plants native to Eastern Asia.
    • LIVE PLANTS: Our plants are grown exclusively for Deep Roots and The Three Company, shipped fresh directly from our greenhouse to you!
    $18.75 Amazon Prime
    View on Amazon

    Last update on 2023-07-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

    How to Plant Hostas

    You can buy hostas from your local nursery, and the nursery will likely stock plants that suit growing in your local environment. Most hostas are only available in the springtime, and you can get them as bare-root divisions or as pot plants.

    When planting your hostas, it’s vital that you choose a planting site with soil that drains well. Hostas don’t like to get their “feet wet,” meaning that soggy soil around the roots might result in the onset of root rot and disease in the plant.

    Make sure that your soil has plenty of nutrients from mulch and other organic matter. When planting your hostas, make sure you give the roots ample room to grow and don’t plant them near other shrubs or trees.

    Digg a hole in your flowerbed, and line it with potting soil. When placing the hostas in the ground, make sure that the crown of the plant is still visible above the soil line. Covering the crown results in rot, and your hostas will die.

    After planting, lightly water the ground around the roots until the soil turns moist. Don’t overwater, as you might encourage root rot in the plant at this sensitive stage in its life cycle.

    Freshly Planted Hostas
    Freshly Planted Hostas

    You can plant hostas in the shade if you like, but we prefer areas of the garden that receive around 2 to 3-hours of sunlight in the morning. Avoid planting your hostas in direct sunlight, as they might burn in warm weather.

    If you live in the Southern states of the U.S, below USDA zone 7, then we recommend that you plant your hostas in the shade, as these plants will perish under direct sunlight in these areas.

    Those gardeners living in southern Florida and the Gulf states need to plant heat-resistant varieties like “Hosta plantaginea,” and you’ll need to ensure that you increase the plant’s water requirements, especially during the peak of summer.

    Established Hostas in Flower Bed
    Established Hostas in Flower Bed

    Avoid planting your hostas in clay soil. Clay has the worst drainage, and you’ll end up with your hostas developing root rot. Always plant in loose, loamy soil that has plenty of nutrients.

    Feed your hostas during the early spring, using a slow-release fertilizer like blood meal or fish meal. Always follow the instructions on the fertilizer before feeding. We prefer using liquid fertilizers over granules for our hostas. Feed your plants again during the peak summer, and then leave it for the rest of the season.

    Hostas Care

    Water your hostas in the early morning to prevent evaporation, especially in the warmer regions of the United States. Watering in the midday sun wastes this valuable resource, and you’ll need to double your watering requirements at this time of the day.

    When watering, make sure the soil is moist, but not saturated. Hostas have sensitive roots, and if you overwater the plant, it could result in the onset of root rot. Mulch around the base of the plant to stop evaporation, but make sure that you don’t cover the crown of the hostas with mulch.

    After the plant is finished flowering, remove all the dead flowers to inspire a secondary flowering phase in the late summer. Remember to clean the floor around your plants and remove any dead organic materials. Dead leaves and flowers attract pests and disease, running your hostas.

    Transplant your hostas to another area of the garden, or remove it from a pot and plant it in the ground. These plants are hardy and can withstand transplant stress. However, we recommend that you do this task in the early spring as the first leaves emerge. Always transplant on a cloudy day, and remember to water after you finish planting.

    When to Divide Hostas

    Divide your hostas in the late spring, as well. To split the plants, you’ll need to dig up the roots. After three or four years of growth, your hosta will form clumps that are suitable for dividing and spreading to other areas of the garden.

    Mature plants may provide you with as many as four or five divisions, and you’ll know it’s time to divide the plants when the hosta grows clusters of shoots around the base of the plant. Lift the entire plant out of the soil and wash the roots with water.

    Use a sharp knife to cut between the shoots, leaving you individual shoots that have the roots still attached. After dividing, replant all of the divisions in prepared planting sites, and water them thoroughly to reduce transplant and division shock.

    Hostas in Pots
    You can also grow Hostas in pots

    Companion Plants for Hostas

    Hosta is a beautiful plant, especially when it starts to flower. Surround your hostas with companion plants that enhance the beauty of its floral display. Try combining broad-leaved hostas with other perennials that have thinner foliage, such as wild columbines, ferns, and astilbes.

    Create a pastel color palette in your garden by adding plants with contrasting colors. Here are some of our top choices for companion plants.

    • Solomon’s seal.
    • Golden Japanese forest grass.
    • Ogon sweet flag.
    • Wild ginger.
    • Lily-of-the-valley.
    • ‘Mrs. Moon’ lungwort.

    Pests Affecting Hostas

    There are a variety of pests and diseases affecting your hostas. The most common pest in the suburbs is deer. These animals love feeding on hostas, and a single deer can reduce your plant to a stump overnight.

    • Your only defense against deer is to either enclose your garden or use deer repellant on the plants. Other than deer, hostas are relatively pest-resistant, and most bugs leave these plants alone.
    • Rabbits are also an issue for hostas growers. These rodents like to chew on the stems of the plants, and you’ll notice the damage as a clean scrape on the stem. Check around the garden for signs of droppings and torn leaves for evidence of rabbits eating your plants.
    • However, there are a few that take a liking to hostas, so make sure you watch out for signs of slugs and snails. If these pests are a problem in your garden, then plant the varieties that have thicker leaves, such as “Elegans,” and “Halcyon.”
    • Voles also like to feed on the roots of hostas. If you live in an area that has voles, then don’t mulch your pants, as you won’t see the signs of voles dining on the roots of your plants. For those gardeners with voles lurking in the soil., we recommend you plant your hostas with gravel around the roots and use a product called “volebloc” to make it hard for the voles to feats on your hostas.

    Recommended Hostas Varieties

    We recommend the following varieties of hostas for newbie gardeners.

    • “August Moon” – Features white blossoms with chartreuse leaves, reaches a maximum height of 20-inches. This plant sprawls out twice as wide as it is tall.
    • “Halcyon” – Featuring powder-blue leaves and flowers, this plant reaches around 18-inches in height and almost 3-feet in width.
    • “Royal Standard” – Featuring green leaves with deep veins and white blossoms that emit a pleasant fragrance. This variety grows up to 2-feet tall and 4-feet in width.
    970
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleManjula Pothos Guide: How to Grow & Care for “Epipremnum Aureum Manjula”
    Next Article Strawberry Begonia Guide: How to Grow & Care for “Saxifraga Stolonifera”
    Hollie Carter
    Hollie Carter
    • Twitter

    Hollie is a life-long gardener, having started helping her Dad work on their yard when she was just 5. Since then she has gone on to develop a passion for growing vegetables & fruit in her garden. She has an affinity with nature and loves to share her knowledge gained over a lifetime with readers online. Hollie has written for a number of publications and is now the resident garden blogger here at GardenBeast. Contact her at hollie@gardenbeast.com or follow on twitter https://twitter.com/greenholliec

    Related

    Oregano Guide: How to Grow & Care for “Origanum Vulgare”

    August 10, 2023

    Corn Plant Guide: How to Grow & Care for “Dracaena Fragrans”

    August 10, 2023

    Comfrey Guide: How to Grow & Care for “Symphytum”

    August 10, 2023

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Follow Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    Welcome

    GardenBeast is an online publication which launched in 2019 with the aim of providing the latest news, in-depth how-to guides and reviews of popular products to help you make the most from your back yards and gardens.

    Kooc Media Ltd
    Company No.05695741
    International House,
    61 Mosley Street, Manchester,
    M2 3HZ
    UK

    Email
    hello@gardenbeast.com

    Hours
    Monday—Friday: 9:00AM–5:00PM
    Saturday & Sunday: 11:00AM–3:00PM

    Download Free eBooks

    Download Free eBooks

    GardenBeast
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube
    • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    As Seen in GardenBeast is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
    GardenBeast™ Copyright © 2019 - 2023 Kooc Media Ltd. All rights reserved. Registered Company No.05695741 // Online Resource for Gardening

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.