Growing: Hosta
| Botanical Name: | Hosta |
| Life Cycle: | perennial |
| Planting Time: | spring or fall |
| Height: | 2 inches to 4 feet |
| Exposure: | light to full shade |
| Soil: | rich, evenly moist soil |
| Hardiness: | generally hardy to zones 3-9 |
| Bloom Time: | summer |
| Flower: | lavender, purple or white flowers on spikes; generally grown for foliage |
| Foliage: | blue, yellow, green, spotted, splashed or striped leaves |
| Propagation: | division |
| Suggested Use: | shade beds, borders, edging, and containers |
| Growing Hints: | Purchase plants in spring or fall and place in deep holes supplemented with nutrient compost to encourage roots to spread. Hostas take two to four years to reach their full size so make sure you give each plant enough room to spread. Certain varieties are known to grow at faster rates and tend to be less expensive. If division becomes necessary due to plants outgrowing their space, use a sharp spade or knife to cut off and relocate some of the small suckers around the plant's main clump. |
| Interesting Facts: | Slugs are common pests to Hostas and can munch large, unsightly holes in their leaves. Creating a barrier of coarsely crushed eggshells around the base of plants will make slugs think twice about crossing. Varieties with thick textured leaves also tend to have fewer problems with slugs. |
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By Sharon L Martin (Guest Post)
07/18/2006
beer for slugs does work.
By
07/07/2006
I have the blue broad leaf type and in full sun they grow quite large and very fast. In my deepest shade they grow slower and not as big. I have not tried this but am getting ready to since the slugs are very bad this year. Put a small (petrie size) dish of beer out in the middle of your plants. I understand the slugs cannot resist it and crawl in and drown. I may end up with a leaf or two left yet this summer!
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07/07/2006
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