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Hosta Care
Getting good Hosta care beside a pond is surprisingly easy. This plant thrives on a constant supply of moisture.
This plant does thrive in constant moisture and will quickly grow to mature size given adequate water. It does prefer shade to full sunlight but (with this moisture) it will grow comfortably out in full sunshine. What you will find however is that some varieties will change color in the full sun. Generally, they will be paler in shade than if they are grown in their preferred part shade to shade garden. This means the golds will wash out and the blue toned plants will tend to go greener. You will likely find spring color to be fine but as the heat of the summer progresses, there will be a color shift and you'll have to decide if this is the “look” you're after in your design.
Hosta are hardy into USDA zone 3 with few problems. Propagation in the home garden is easily done first thing in the spring with a sharp shovel and cutting off a section that contains a growing “eye” or growing point. You'll be able to see them as they sit at or just below ground level. Get some roots along with the eye (aiming the shovel straight down usually does this well) and you'll be fine. They will also produce copious amounts of seed and you'll find baby hosta popping up around the mother plant. This is quite fun but please understand that the modern hybrids (produced in test tubes) will not likely come true from seed and the babies will not likely resemble their parents.
The primary problem of hosta are slugs, slugs and more slugs. This pest loves hosta leaves and will decimate a plant as quickly as they can. There are organic products easily available in all garden shops now made with iron phosphate. This is a product found naturally in soil and slugs can't resist eating it. This gives them iron poisoning and they die. Read the label before using.
As long as you put the “eyes” of the plant at or just below the surface of the soil, you'll be fine. This is a very tough plant, extremely winter-hardy and not likely to die unless very very abused. Hosta care is simple gardening. The only thing I caution is not to try moving it when in full leaf in the middle of the summer. This makes it unhappy. Move around the garden or divide them in very early spring or mid-fall for best results. I tend to move mine in early spring. Click here for free newsletter and to ask about hosta care
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