{"id":6388,"date":"2015-03-08T12:00:34","date_gmt":"2015-03-08T16:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/?p=6388"},"modified":"2014-10-13T13:00:18","modified_gmt":"2014-10-13T17:00:18","slug":"basic-hosta-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/2015\/03\/08\/basic-hosta-facts\/","title":{"rendered":"Basic Hosta Facts"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"'Golden<\/a>

‘Golden Scepter’ Hosta in Kingwood Center gardens in Mansfield, Ohio<\/p><\/div>\n

Hostas are the most popular shade perennial in the U.S. They prefer a moist, compost-rich, well-drained soil.\u00a0In northerly areas (USDA hardiness zones 4-5),\u00a0where summers are\u00a0cooler, most hardy cultivars grow in full sun. In warmer zones those in full sun must be\u00a0irrigated frequently.<\/p>\n

Blue leaf cultivars\u00a0look their best only\u00a0in shady areas; the white waxy coating, responsible for their\u00a0bluish\u00a0foliage color, melts off quickly under high light. By\u00a0late summer most of the leaf wax has weathered away even\u00a0under shade.<\/p>\n

While mostly free of diseases and pests, many cultivars are susceptible to foliar\u00a0injury from slugs and snails. Deer are also a serious menace.<\/p>\n

Hostas should be divided every 5 -6 years, usually in the early spring when\u00a0emerging shoots poke through the ground\u00a0or in early autumn as leaves decline. Exact timing is not critical. Dig up the entire clump and divide with a sharp knife. Each division should contain at least 3 eyes (growing points).<\/p>\n

In frigid northern areas, hostas should be mulched with a layer of finely shredded organic material to prevent frost heaving, particularly newly divided plants. Mulch is also reduces soil moisture evaporation; unfortunately it serves as an an ideal\u00a0home for slugs.<\/p>\n

Holes in leaf centers\u00a0are a symptom that snails and slugs are present. Apply a commercial slug bait in early spring as shoots emerge to reduce their numbers. In the fall\u00a0rake up and dispose off\u00a0(do not compost)\u00a0all hosta foliage to reduce slug and\u00a0leaf-eating insect populations.<\/p>\n

Depending on cultivar hosta’s funnel-shaped white or\u00a0purple flowers arise equal to or several inches above the\u00a0foliage. Yes,\u00a0flowers are fragrant, but their scent is\u00a0rarely overwhelming unless a fragrant cultivar is\u00a0present in large numbers.<\/p>\n

American Hosta Growers Organization\u00a0offers different sizing\u00a0standards for cultivars for the North and South*:<\/p>\n

Type\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 North<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0South<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mini\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Up to 8 inches\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Up to 7 inches<\/p>\n

Small\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a09-14 inches\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a08-11 inches<\/p>\n

Medium\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 15-22 inches\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 12-18 inches<\/p>\n

Large\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a023-29 inches\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a019-24 inches<\/p>\n

Giant\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a030 inches\u00a0and above\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a025 inches and above<\/p>\n

* Interstate 80 divides the U.S. horizontally using North (above I-80) and South (below I-80)
\nBelow Interstate 40 designated for the South. The area between these two Highways is designated Middle<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hostas are the most popular shade perennial in the U.S. They prefer a moist, compost-rich, well-drained soil.\u00a0In northerly areas (USDA hardiness zones 4-5),\u00a0where summers are\u00a0cooler, most hardy cultivars grow in full sun. In warmer zones those in full sun must be\u00a0irrigated frequently. Blue leaf cultivars\u00a0look their best only\u00a0in shady areas; the white waxy coating, responsible […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[444,665,877,628,730,731,551,625,843,812,933,1031,629,962,630,706,646,861,113,819,455,642],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6388"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6388"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6388\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6832,"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6388\/revisions\/6832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatgrowsthere.com\/grow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}