The hosta flower is one of the amazing and mysterious plants that delight us with its unusual greenery and interesting flowers.
The “Queen of Shadow,” as she is also called, adorns garden plots, their shady and damp places.
Native to East Asia, it grows along river banks, streams and in marshy areas. Among the Japanese, the plant is considered sacred, and leaf cuttings are eaten as a delicacy. In Russia it grows by Kuril Islands, Far East, Sakhalin, but it is gaining popularity all the time large areas. The hosta flower is very popular among gardeners in many countries.
Hosta flower in the photo Hostas: varieties and types, photos
There are many species of this plant in nature. In garden conditions, only a few of them are used for growing.
- Hosta inflated is a powerful plant up to 80 cm high. beautiful leaves heart-shaped and delicate purple flowers in the form of bells.
- Hosta Siebold has large leaves of a bluish tint with a matte coating. The flowers are pale lilac or white, hidden in the abundant foliage. Prefers shady places.
- White-edged hosta is the most common type of plant; it is very loved by many gardeners who are happy to grow it on their plots. It got its name from the white edges on the edges of the leaves. Her flowers evoke admiration and awe!
- Hosta wavy is distinguished by its original wavy two-color leaves with curved tips. Funnel-shaped flowers light purple grow on a long stem.
Planting and growing
Garden hosta, planting and caring for which is very simple, the plant is unpretentious, it will not be difficult to grow it even for a novice gardener.
- The easiest way to grow a flower is from seeds, which are pre-frozen in the freezer all winter and then kept in a growth stimulant solution for two days before planting.
- You should not sow seeds directly into the garden, but it is better to grow seedlings from them, which are planted in a place prepared in advance in the garden, where the hosta will grow for many years.
- The site for planting is chosen based on the fact that the plant loves moisture and shade, and also depending on the variety. If the leaves of the hosta dark color, then heavily shaded places are suitable for it - the more light colors in the color of the leaves, the more light the plant will need. The soil should be fairly fertile with neutral acidity.
- Seeds are sown in peat pots in April. The first shoots will appear in three weeks. Seedlings should be protected from direct sunlight.
- If the place for planting the hosta has been selected and the soil is prepared, then in May you can plant the plants in open ground. The hosta planting pattern depends on the variety you choose. Eat giant species plants, and the distance between them needs to be large, as they will grow quickly. Choosing a hosta variety and planting them is not difficult.
Video: Hosta flower, planting and propagation
Care
Due to the unpretentiousness of hosts, planting and care open ground will be very simple.
- The most important thing is weeding around the flower, loosening the soil to enrich it with oxygen, moderate watering as needed, as well as fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers. It's best to alternate them.
- If planting was done in fertile soil, then fertilizing can be canceled and resumed only after three to four years.
- Water the plants either early in the morning or in the evening, after sunset, strictly at the root - do not allow moisture to get on the leaves, as this will cause them to deteriorate.
The beauty of garden hostas, the flowers in the photo, are simply captivating.
Hosta is a beautiful ornamental plant that grows quickly and pleases not only with its greenery, but also with its beautiful flowering. Different varieties differ in foliage and flowers. Gardeners have long loved the plant for its ease of care and beauty. In our article we want to talk about how to grow hosta on your site, the flowers of which will decorate any flower bed.
Queen of the Shadow
Hosta is a unique flower. Its greenery looks much more impressive than flowers. But the combination of foliage and inflorescences makes the plant very attractive. Recently, hosta (photo given in the article) has become very popular among gardeners. The plant was brought to Europe from southeast Asia. At first, it did not take root very successfully in flower beds. However, later the culture gained public recognition for its easy care and incredible decorativeness. Nowadays it is very actively used by landscape designers to decorate their backyard areas. The mysterious flower received the title of Queen of the Shadow.
And it’s hard to argue with this, because the plant really loves shady places. The bell-shaped flowers of the hosta are not amazingly beautiful; the main advantage of the plant is the leaves: light green, green, golden yellow, bluish-gray, spotted and striped. They can be long and narrow, large and small, round and heart-shaped. Hostas resemble green fountains decorated with modest flowers. And yet they are so beautiful that they decorate many gardens and personal plots.
Types and varieties of flowers
Hosta has many species (about 40). Some of them:
- Tall hosta has large leaves, colored dark green color, oval shape. The height of the plant can reach one meter. Flowering period is June and July. Hosta flowers are colored in a light lilac shade.
- Fortune boasts green leaves with a cream rim. It blooms in June with lilac flowers. The bushes are small, their height does not exceed 50 centimeters.
- Curly hosta has oval dark green leaves. It grows up to 60 centimeters in height. The plant begins to bloom in late spring.
- Hosta Siebold is perennial with bluish foliage. Flowering begins at the beginning of June and lasts for almost a month. The flower stalks of this variety reach a height of 40 centimeters. A special feature is its special shade tolerance.
- The wavy hosta is a medium-sized plant with oblong foliage. The unique color of the leaves resembles watercolor painting. The middle of the leaf is painted white, and bright greenery surrounds it. The wavy hosta blooms with purple flowers from July to late August.
- The swollen hosta has dark shiny leaves. It blooms in July and delights with flowers until the end of August.
- Plantain hosta has a fairly impressive size and wrinkled foliage with a corrugated structure.
There are even more varieties of hosta - more than 600. Different varieties of hosta differ in size. Among them there are tall, medium-tall and dwarf forms. The latter are considered the most capricious and demanding to care for. But the tallest forms are the least whimsical and hardy. Most interesting variety- Royal Standard. Its peculiarity is that plants of this type give abundant flowering even in very dense shade. Varieties Elegance, Hercules and others are used by breeders for landscape design. An interesting miniature variety is Teaspun. He, unlike most dwarfs, is very stable. First Frost is a very popular chameleon variety. Over the course of the season, the plant changes shade from dove-blue to green. Lakeside Dragonfly is a compact variety with narrow green-blue leaves and a cream-colored edge. T. Rex is a giant hosta with stunning greenish-gray leaves.
Description of the plant
Hostas are many-sided plants that amaze with their diversity. Every gardener has the opportunity to choose the most interesting variety for himself, which will become a real decoration of the garden. It was the spectacular appearance of the hosta flower that made it so popular. The plant grows very quickly and turns shaded areas into blooming green plantations. The culture is loved for its bright and unique foliage, colored in the most bizarre way. The plant tolerates cold and drought well, thrives in the shade and is an excellent background for other flowers. Over the years, the plant becomes more and more beautiful. However, the peak occurs in the fifth year of the flower's life.
The description of hosta should begin by saying that all plant varieties are herbaceous forms. The thickened rhizome of the bush has a large number of cord-like branches. It is thanks to them that the plant is firmly fixed to the surface of the soil. Hosta peduncles are devoid of foliage and rise above the green rosette. The inflorescences are racemose with simple or double flowers. Hosta in a flowerbed always stands out due to its greenery, even if it does not bloom.
Most plant varieties have light lilac flowers. This is the most common shade. But there are pink and white varieties, as well as purple ones. The plant differs from other shade-loving forms in its rather beautiful flowers.
The average height of hosta bushes is in the range of 50-80 centimeters. But among them there are real giants, whose height reaches 1.2 meters. And here dwarf varieties in height do not exceed 15 centimeters.
Plant propagation
garden plant does not require special skills to grow it. Therefore, every gardener can plant such a flower in his garden. Hosta propagation is not difficult. It is possible to obtain a young plant in three ways - by dividing the bush, by seeds and by cuttings. Before planting a plant, you need to choose the right variety for your site, which suits you in terms of the degree of illumination, soil fertility, and soil moisture.
To propagate the plant by dividing the existing bush, hosts older than four years are used. If you try to divide a young flower into parts, you can slow down its further development. It is believed that the plant can be propagated in this way in the spring. However, practice shows that gardeners use this method throughout the entire growing season, and quite successfully.
Its essence is quite simple. An adult bush is dug up and removed from the ground in whole or in part. Shoots with roots are removed from it. You can use a knife or something sharp. At first glance, it seems that this method is very traumatic. But this is not the case, since space for growth is freed up for an adult plant. The resulting space is filled with fertile soil, not forgetting to add fertilizer. New seedlings are planted in another area.
Propagation by cuttings
Planting a hosta flower is also possible in another way. If you have a shoot with a small part of the rhizome, then you can also get a young plant from it. To do this, it is planted in a small greenhouse in the shade. The shelter can be made from ordinary plastic bottle. In this case, the green part of the shoot must be removed. The rooting process of the cuttings will last for several weeks. During this period, the seedling will have to be watered regularly.
Propagation by seeds
Hosta can also be propagated by seeds. But this method is not used for all plant varieties. Most often, plants obtained from seeds do not have the same varietal properties as the mother bush. Therefore, gardeners do not use this method of flower propagation. Planting hostas by dividing the bush is much easier and more effective.
Seed propagation is actively used by breeders, since it allows them to obtain varieties with properties that have not been repeated before. This method is very long. With its help, a full-fledged plant can be obtained in four to five years. Of course, hosta seeds have very high germination rate, but it’s still much easier and faster to purchase ready-made bushes or cuttings.
Cultivation care
What conditions must be created for a hosta flower? Caring for it is quite simple. The plant must be periodically weeded and loosened the soil around it. It is also worth applying fertilizers suitable for the flower. The host needs to be watered regularly, especially during hot periods, increasing the amount of water. It is better to do this in the morning so as not to leave burns on the foliage of the plant.
If the bushes are planted in a nutrient medium, fertilizing may not be applied for three to four years. In autumn, the ground around the plant is mulched with humus or compost, thereby feeding the flower. Hosta does not need a large amount of fertilizer, but if necessary, it can be distributed around the bush. Fertilizer is sprinkled on wet soil. Liquid fertilizers Apply up to twice a month until approximately mid-summer. Next, feeding should be stopped, otherwise the plant will not have time to prepare for winter.
The soil around the bushes, especially young ones, should always be wet. Morning watering is recommended for the plant. Moreover, it must be organized in such a way that water does not get on the foliage, since it leaves marks and spoils decorative look hosts. The water pressure during watering should be very weak so as not to clog the soil around the bush. Lack of moisture affects the condition of the foliage; its tips become brown.
To preserve the beautiful appearance Plants need to remove faded flower stalks. Weeding of bushes is carried out only at the beginning of cultivation. Subsequently, the plants grow so much that they choke out the weeds. After three to four years, the bush can be safely divided and replanted. This procedure is not harmful for a healthy plant.
Preparing for winter
All varieties of hosta (photos cannot convey all their beauty) are very resistant to cold weather. But still experienced gardeners It is recommended to prepare plants for wintering. One of best methods is mulching. Substances used as covering materials will simultaneously protect the plant from freezing and at the same time enrich the soil. For example, shavings or sawdust can be used for mulching fruit trees, mown grass, straw, pine needles, peat, rotted manure, compost. In late autumn, hosta greens lose their attractiveness. At this time, you can prepare it for wintering. To do this, plantings are covered with pine needles or non-woven material. In snowy winters, the plant does not require shelter.
Pests
Hosta is disease resistant. And yet the plant fights such a fungal disease as phyllosticosis. The disease manifests itself by the appearance of brownish spots on the foliage, which subsequently cover the entire green part. Another fungus that attacks flower stalks is no less dangerous. Unfortunately, infected plants must be removed from the site and destroyed.
Quite dangerous for hostas and gray mold. Fungicides are used to combat it. If you notice whitish cotton wool on the plant, this is a sclerotinia fungus. Affected bushes must be treated with dichlorane.
The main enemy of the plant can be safely called slugs. Their presence can be recognized by the appearance of large holes on the foliage. You can easily remove slugs in a simple way. It is necessary to place vessels with beer near the bushes. After a day, they can be removed along with the slugs that crawled to the smell of the drink.
Caterpillars may appear on bushes. They eat leaves very quickly. But dealing with them is quite simple. All kinds of insecticides will help with this.
Room hosts
It is worth noting that, in general, indoor flower the host may well exist. Although she is not one. Many plant varieties can be grown at home before planting in the ground. Young plants need to get stronger before entering the flowerbed. At home with proper care Hosta is even able to please with flowering. To transplant a hosta flower, you need to choose a pot of the appropriate size. It should hold enough soil and all root system. Very important for hosts drainage system so that there is no stagnation of water.
When growing crops in a container, frequent watering and fertilizing are necessary, since all useful substances are washed out of the soil by water. Bushes in pots should not be kept in the sun; they may simply burn. If you decide to grow hosta in a container, then you cannot leave it outside for the winter. Hosta can only overwinter if it grows in open ground. In a pot, its roots will simply freeze. It is worth remembering this and putting the plant indoors for the winter.
The main condition for keeping hosta at home is regular watering, since the culture is moisture-loving. And in pots, the roots of the plant are at risk of drying out. With proper care, the bush grows quite quickly and requires transplanting into the ground.
Description and features of the hosta flower
Hosta flower perennial, which can serve as an excellent decoration for any site. The main highlight hosts not in its flowering, but in its large and luscious foliage.
Its leaves may be different shapes and have every possible shade. The leaves can be either green or blue, with a golden tint or even striped. In September, the leaves become yellowish-golden and this amazing color will last until the first frost.
Hosta is popularly called the “queen of shadows” and there is a reason for this. After all, this particular flower loves more shady areas. It will grow great there. Hosta is considered very popular in the USA. Numerous professional and amateur gardeners want to purchase it.
Hosta has a lot positive aspects. It is not whimsical and feels great in shady places in the garden. It is not for nothing that the hosta ranks first among the favorite annuals. Every year it grows and becomes more magnificent and attractive. Its foliage takes on a brighter color and gains power.
The photo shows a hosta flower can once again prove its superiority and beauty. Many people prefer hosta leaves to complement any landscape arrangement.
Hosta flower in the garden will be able in an ideal way complete any composition. Hosta in the garden behaves like a queen among the rest and plants. People have been breeding hostas for a long time; thanks to breeding, completely new varieties are obtained. There are about 2,000 varieties of this flower in America.
Hosta Flower Types
Plantain hosta is the most popular. The foliage is large, rich Green colour. During flowering, the flowers slightly resemble white bells. Suitable habitat is damp and shady places.
In the photo, plantain hosta
Green Fontaine - leaves are large, bright green in color. The length of such leaves is up to 8 cm. The flowers are not large with a lavender tint.
Hosta Green Fontaine
White-edged Marginata - the leaves are green and their edges are white. It will look great as a decoration in the garden. The flowers of this variety are white, and may also have a tinge of lilac or purple.
In the photo the hosta flower is white-edged Marginata
Hosta flower varieties
Hosta flower varieties They have a wide variety and are able to satisfy every consumer’s taste.
The night before Christmas - The leaves are compacted green, they are decorated with white stripes in the middle. The flowers are a beautiful lavender color. This hosta grows up to 50 cm high.
Hosta Flower The Night Before Christmas
Alex Summers - large from the outside looks like a vase. The leaves are fleshy, green with blue tint, and the edges are golden. lilac shade.
Hosta Alex Summers
Allegan Fog - emerald green leaves with a white center. The variety is distinguished by the fact that its leaves are twisted. The flowers are lilac in color, the height of the peduncle is up to 40 cm.
Allegan Fog hosta
Ann Kulpa – leaves are green. There is a cream stripe in the middle of the leaf. Flowers can be white or lavender.
Ann Kulpa
Atena - elegant foliage bright green color and on each leaf you can see a peculiar pattern.
Host Atena's photo
Atlantis – green leaves framed with a yellow border. The foliage has an elongated shape and sharp tips. It can feel good in the sun.
In the photo there is a flower of the Hosta Atlantis
Moon of August - in the spring the leaves are green, and then they turn yellow. Flowers white.
Hosta Moon of August
Avocado has convex leaves. Their color is golden-green. quite large.
Hosta Avocado in the photo
Wavy Queen - wavy leaves. Their color is green-yellowish. Has a lavender hue.
Hosta Wavy Queen
Planting and propagating a hosta flower
commit planting a hosta flower preferably at the end summer season or in September. Planting a hosta plant is quite simple. It's important to find appropriate place. The first rule is shady places. Hostas are not at all picky about soil, but they like it to be moist.
Very often, hosta is planted using the method. In March-April you need to plant hosta seeds in a container or pot. The seedlings will show their first spouts in approximately 3-3.5 weeks.
The young one cannot be placed in the open sunny places. At the end of summer it can be planted on permanent place residence, open ground. Hosta is usually propagated in three ways: dividing an adult bush, by seed or by ordinary cuttings.
Dividing the bush. You can start propagating the hosta plant by dividing the bush in early April, when the first shoots appear, or in early September.
The mother bush is carefully divided into small bushes, and then each bush is planted in an earthen hole (the soil must be watered before planting). The depth of such holes is recommended to be no more than 20 cm. The planting must be watered for the first few days.
Seed method.Hosta seeds will germinate soon. It happens that some germinate earlier and others later. After new and young leaves appear, you can safely plant them in open ground. For planting, you should choose dark seeds; they have good germination.
Hosta cuttings.This propagation method is recommended to start at the end spring period. Only young shoots of the flower are taken for cuttings. At first, in a new place, the cuttings may be overworked, as adaptation takes place. After a few days, the leaves will begin to grow vigorously.
Hosta care
Host flower care It's not a complicated procedure at all.
Hosta flower price
Hosta flower price depends on the varieties. You can buy them in flower shops, family supermarkets, or you can order them online. The approximate price for one seedling will range from 180 rubles to 400 rubles. They are also actively sold at flower markets and in a network of specialized stores.
What flowers go with hostas?
The many-sided hosta will look great on landscape design with heucheras. Heuchera has red leaves and they will look even richer next to green hostas.
Decorative hostas will look good next to a slide. Very often they are planted along borders or in a group with other perennials. Will look good next to hosts coniferous trees. They can create the perfect composition together with phlox and.
Will look good next to hosts decorative flowers, herbs and other plants, such as lungwort. Grains (reed grass or miscanthus) are often used for decoration. It is also recommended to plant plants with orange and yellow flowers or leaves next to the hosta.
Hosta (Hosta), also known as Funkia, belongs to the herbaceous perennials. It represents the Asparagus family, although until recently it belonged to the Liliaceae family. The culture owes its first name to the doctor and botanist of Austrian origin Nikolaus Hosta, and the second to the German botanist Heinrich Christian Funk.
Scientists have described up to 40 of this plant. Hosta originates from East Asia. It is very moisture-loving, so it is found in the wild near streams and along river banks. For the Japanese, this flower is considered sacred, and the petioles are a local delicacy. When the hosta was brought to England, the residents of Foggy Albion were not impressed. The Americans treated it completely differently, making it one of the most popular in the New World.
Hosta from seeds at home
Host and flower pot. Regardless of where you plant the resulting seedlings, it is worth learning the tricks of sowing hosta seeds. The disadvantage of this method lies in the poor germination of seeds, which is only 70-80%. Therefore, to use this propagation method, you should treat the seeds with a growth stimulant before planting. By placing them for just half an hour in products such as Kornevin, Aloe Juice, Zircon or Elin, you can increase the percentage of germination.
Among gardeners, there is also the practice of stratifying seeds to increase the percentage of germination when the seeds are placed in a cold place (for example vegetable department refrigerator) and kept there for 1 month.
An important factor is the sterility of the prepared soil substrate. Various microorganisms and fungi contained in the soil greatly harm seedlings, causing diseases and death of young shoots. That is why it is recommended to purchase the substrate in specialized stores. It contains a balanced mixture of vermiculite, perlite and peat.
When to sow hosta seedlings? In the spring, at the end of February-March, the pots are prepared by treating them with medical ethyl alcohol or a weak concentration of potassium permanganate. Drainage is placed at the bottom of the pot, supplemented with substrate and moistened. Leave it for a while so that the soil is well saturated with water, and only then sow the hosta, spreading the rather large seeds over the surface of the substrate as rarely as possible.
The same ready-made substrate is used as a powder on top. Its thickness should not exceed 5-7 mm. To ensure moisture retention, the pot is pulled plastic film or cover it with glass. Make sure that the soil temperature at the time of germination is between +18 and 25 °C.
Following all recommendations allows you to expect the first shoots in two to three weeks. It is important to remember that straight Sun rays, excessive watering and excess condensation on plastic film harmful to plants. It is better to keep the pots indoors where there is light shade. And only when the first shoots appear, it will be necessary to provide them with good lighting.
With the formation of the first two true leaves they begin. The seedlings are planted in separate pots, in which a quarter of the soil consists of sand. These pots are placed in a tray filled with water in order to provide them with bottom watering.
Until the water moistens upper layer soil, pots cannot be removed from the tray. At the next stage, the picked seedlings are hardened. To do this, remove the film and expose the host to air, the temperature of which should be above +18 °C. Seedlings with this type of propagation grow slowly and almost always lose the characteristics of the variety.
Planting hostas in open ground
How to choose a place to plant hosta. Choosing a location is the main thing you need to pay attention to when planting a hosta. By planting a flower in one place, you can enjoy its beauty for twenty years, even without transplanting. The choice of location is significantly influenced by the color of the hosta leaves. For varieties with bright leaves containing white and yellow inclusions, choose areas that are more illuminated, since they are light-loving plants.
For hostas with variegated leaves, it is very important that shade falls on it at midday, while in the morning and evening it needs good lighting. As for the blue varieties, they grow only in shaded places and almost do not need sunny presence. The size of the leaves of a flower directly depends on the shade. The more intense the shading, the larger the leaf blade and the taller the bush. But at the same time, the hosta grows very slowly.
The only thing that not a single variety of flower likes is drafts. The soil for planting should be loose, well-drained, nutritious and have a high degree of moisture. Its pH value is neutral or slightly acidic.
If the hosta is planted in the spring, then the ground is prepared in the fall. To do this, the area is covered with a ten-centimeter layer of organic matter and dug up. Over the winter, everything will rot and after spring frosts, somewhere in the beginning or middle of May, it will be possible to plant the plant in the ground.
How to plant a hosta, watch the video:
Hosta planting rules
The distance between the holes depends on what type of plant is planted in the ground.
- For hostas from the small and medium-sized group, it is enough to make holes at a distance of 0.3-0.5 m.
- Giants require an increase in distance to 0.8-1.0 m.
To make the transplant successful, do it in pots in advance. Move it into the ground along with a lump of earth from the pot. Sprinkle soil on top and compact it around the plant so that the ground level in this place is a couple of centimeters lower. If the hosta is planted by dividing the bush, then dry leaves and damaged roots are removed from each division, adding mulch in the form of crushed bark to the root area.
Hosta propagation by dividing the bush
Hostas begin to be divided after the flowering period or before active growth begins. To do this, you should dig up the bush well so that there is enough space around the root. Use a shovel to pry up the root from below and take out the bush. Divide into several parts with growing points, cut the leaves at a height of 10-15 cm so that only petioles remain, and plant them as independent plants. You can leave 2-3 leaves to control the growing season.
Hosta rooting takes approximately four weeks. Delenki bush in 2-3 years will become full-fledged bushes. They are planted, keeping a gap of 20-30 cm between the bushes. When planting, the holes are made wider, since the roots grow in a horizontal plane. The planting depth is not changed. At the end of the work, the hosta is thoroughly moistened. No later than mid-September, planting is completed so that the autumn cold does not interfere with the rooting of the transplanted plants.
How to divide the hosta, look at the video:
How to properly care for hosta
Garden work to care for the crop is kept to a minimum. If during planting all the rules for preparing the soil were followed, then for the first three to four years the hosta does not need to be fed at all. In subsequent years, humus or compost is added under the bushes every fall. Mineral granules can be scattered once a season over the area after rain. Until mid-summer, liquid fertilizers are applied to each bush.
Feeding for a longer period of time leads to the growth of hosta leaves, and not to preparing it for winter. IN summer period The soil around the hosta is constantly moistened. If the tips of the leaf blades begin to darken, it means the plant does not have enough moisture. When watering, do not spray water over the hosta, as this will damage the leaves. It is better to spend a long time early in the morning. Direct a quiet stream under the root.
To make the bush look attractive and not fall apart, remove the flower stalks in time. The hosta needs loosening the soil and weeding from weeds only in the first period, until it has become stronger and has grown. Every 3-4 years the flower is divided. To do this, dig it up and separate the young cuttings from the root so that the flower does not grow too much.
Hosta diseases
Americans associate the appearance of diseases in hostas with big amount varieties in one area. Frostbitten bushes often develop the fungal disease phyllosticosis, which looks like brown-yellow spots on the leaf blade.
Peduncles are at risk of fungal infection Phyllosticta aspidistrae Oud. To combat it, one method is used: complete removal of the bush, followed by burning it and disinfecting the soil.
Diseases include gray rot - Botrys cinerea, which affects leaves, and sclerotinia - Sclerotinia, which envelops the root collar like cotton wool. white mold, and destroys it. Fungicides are used against gray rot, and Dichloran is used against sclerotinia. The main pests of flowers.
Slug is one of the main hosta pests. Traces of its vital activity, and these are holes on the leaves, become immediately visible and reduce the visual attractiveness of the plant. To combat this pest, small flat containers are used into which beer is poured. Slugs love these places where they are collected and then destroyed.
With the advent of a new growing season, larvae will hatch from the eggs and the radius of damage to plants will increase. It is impossible to avoid the invasion of insects such as caterpillars, grasshoppers, which only need one night to transform healthy plant into an unsightly bush. Only pesticide treatment can help cope with this scourge.
Hosta after flowering Preparing for winter
If the flower stalks were left, then after flowering the hosts remove them. At the very beginning of autumn, plants begin to prepare for winter. To do this, the area with the hosta is moistened abundantly, the bushes that have grown over the summer are dug up and divided, leaving one or several rosettes of leaves on each part.
To insulate a plot of land with hostas for the winter, mulch it with sheet soil. First of all, this applies to those flowers that grow under big trees. This action solves several problems at once, such as insulating the hosta and feeding it. Mulching helps to raise the level of the flower bed, which has a positive effect on soil drainage.
Description of hosta Photos of compositions in garden design
Hosta serves as an excellent background for other flowers and can decorate any garden composition. The plant has very remarkable leaves: they are large and, depending on the variety, have an original color.
It grows very quickly, forms entire plantations and after four years of growth reaches the peak of its attractiveness. Absolutely all types of crops do not have a stem and have a herbaceous structure.
Its rhizome is compactly thickened and has many branches in the form of cords, which allow the plant to stay firmly in the ground.
On a long, unleafed peduncle, rising high above a rosette of leaves, there are flowers collected in neat brushes. They can be white, bluish, pink, purple, simple or terry.
Usually flowers shade-loving plants do not have visual appeal, but with hosta flowers everything is exactly the opposite. They are truly beautiful, collected in one-sided racemose inflorescences and have a funnel-bell-shaped or funnel-shaped appearance.
The fruit is a leathery triangular capsule containing numerous seeds. The main advantage of the plant is its leaves. They are basal, have a lanceolate or heart-shaped shape, smoothly turning into a point at the tip of the leaf.
The veins are clearly visible along its entire length. The color of the leaves deserves a separate topic of discussion. It completely depends on the variety, varies and can be tinged with green, white, yellow and even blue.
Several colors can be combined on one sheet in the form of spots, strokes, or stripes. The texture of the leaves can be wrinkled and waxy, glossy and matte, with a metallic tint and simply wrinkled.
What size is the host?
The average height of the hosta is 55 - 80 cm, although dwarfs, up to 15 cm high, and giants, which reach up to 1.2 meters, are also cultivated.
Varieties and types of hosta with photos and names
Let us briefly introduce the varieties of hosta with photos and names. Culture is widely used in decoration landscape zone, thanks to the variety of species. Selection work has borne fruit. Now there are more than 4 thousand hybrid varieties hosts. Several species were taken as a basis, which laid the foundation for varietal diversity.
Swollen hosta Hosta ventricosa
Up to 0.5 m high, leaves pointed at the end, for example the Thomas Hogg variety.
Wavy hosta Hosta undulata
Reaches 75 cm in height, its leaf blade has a wavy edge, a white center and a green border, as if applied with strokes. An example is the hosta Undulata Mediovariegata.
Tall hosta Nosta elata Hylanger
It grows up to 0.9-1 meters, its rather large size glossy leaves are cast in a dark green color. A typical representative is the Tom Schmid variety.
Hosta Siebold Hosta sieboldiana
60 centimeters high, has deep veins. Elegans variety.
Curly hosta Hosta crispula
Curly hosta Hosta crispula variety ‘Thomas-Hoog’ photo
Rarely exceeds 0.5-0.6 m in height, with wide dark green leaves edged with a white stripe. An example is the Dream Weaver variety.
Plantain hosta Hosta plantaginea
Half a meter tall, has bright glossy green leaves. Royal Standard variety.
Hosta fortunei Hosta fortunei
Hosta Fortune Hosta ‘Fortunei Aureomarginata’ photo
It also does not grow more than 0.5 meters, has green leaves with a cream edging. For example, the hosta albopicta variety.
The classification of varieties is also based on:
- leaf color;
- sheet size.
Depending on the color of the leaf plate, varieties are divided into 5 groups:
- Blue hosta (blue hosta (B)) - its leaves have a bluish-gray tint.
- Yellow Hosta (Go) is a yellow-leaved plant.
- Green hosta (Gr) - united all green-leaved hosta.
- Hosta variegata (V) - varieties with variegated leaves and all those that have a white edge.
- Hosta mediovariegata (MV) is a light-leaved variety with a green border around the edge.
According to plant height (size), the division is into the following 6 groups:
- The dwarf group Draft (D), unites all species below 10 cm, such as Blue Mouse Ears with bluish leaves resembling mouse ears.
- Hosta is miniature, Miniature (Mini), its height is in the range of 10-15 cm, for example, the La Donna variety with bluish-yellow-green leaves.
- Small hosta Small (S), having a maximum height of 16-25 cm, an example is the Gold Tone variety with green leaves and stripes of white or yellow color, as well as Headsmen Blue with bluish-green leaves.
- Hosta of medium size Medium (M, Med), growing up to 30-50 cm in height, its representatives are the following varieties: Night Before Christmas, with a white center and a dark green wide stripe along the edge, So Sweet, its green leaves are bordered White and cream striped, White Feather is a unique white hosta that changes color to green after a certain amount of time.
- A group of large hostas Large (L), reaching a height of 0.5-0.7 m, is represented by the following varieties: Alvatine Taylor, in which a yellow-green border runs along its bluish-green leaves, Golden Meadows with crinkled round leaves of golden color in the middle dotted with pale green streaks and bordered by a wide green stripe.
- Giant hostas Giant (G), over 70 cm tall, for example, the Blue Vision variety with green-bluish leaves and Sum of All, which has a green center of the leaf and a wide, golden border.
Hosta is a real decoration for any flower bed. A perennial plant from the lily family. Hosta grows in almost any area, it is easy to care for, it grows larger every year, and most importantly, hosta is not afraid of pests.
Insects do not eat the plant for its bitter juice, despite the fact that the hosta grows in the shade; mold and mildew avoid it. The plant is distinguished by beautiful carved leaves of multi-colored green and white shades.
Hosta grows mainly in width, the leaves can even cover an entire flower garden, resulting in a thick green head.
The maximum length and width reaches one and a half meters. Hosta blooms with small white flowers that grow from the top of the stem. The flowers themselves are pale purple and small in size.
Hosta is not valued for its flowering; the main decoration of any site is its gorgeous green, dense leaves.
There are many varieties of hosta, they differ only in the color and shape of the leaves.
Hosta is not at all fussy to care for; it can survive for several years in a row without pruning or feeding. Hosta can grow up to 20 years.
The hosta looks beautiful in the evening or early in the morning, when droplets of dew cover the green leaves, which results in an even greater volume of leaves. The plant is filled with freshness, juiciness, and is covered with moist pollen.
Hosta is most often planted together with thuja, conifers ornamental plants. It is not necessary to weed the ground around the flower; the bush has wide leaves, it is always dark under them, and weeds practically do not sprout.
Hosta tolerates winter well, but gardeners still recommend covering it with sawdust or moss. The plant is able to wake up early after frosts, even at the beginning of May, when the frosts continue, the plant opens, turns green, and develops. At this time it is necessary to cover it.
How to choose seedlings?
Hosta is planted in a flower garden as seedlings, which you can grow yourself, or you can buy ready-made young bushes.
If the root system is open: in this case, the roots themselves seem to not exist yet, there is only a bud that is rooted into the ground. Such a hosta will be able to bloom no earlier than three years. The seedlings are planted in the ground, in a small hole, sprinkled with earth.
If the root system is closed: in this form it is much easier to plant the plant, it will take root faster, unlike the previous method. The seedlings are buried in the hole and then sprinkled with soil, while the soil should be lightly crushed. After this, the earth is moistened.
It is better to buy hosta in trusted places or large flower shops; it is advisable that the root system is closed with small leaves. This way, in the fall you will have a young plant, quite ready for full development and flowering.
Before planting a flower, you must also check the integrity of the roots; they should be dense, hard, and white.
If the roots are slightly damaged, they should be cut off, but such roots should not be taken; if you have a choice, it is better to buy a healthy ovary.
Hosta, planting and care?
Planting a hosta in the ground is not a troublesome task; it should grow in a shady place, protected from the wind. In the sun, the plant burns, the leaves turn brown and curl. Each variety requires a specific place; some varieties of the flower love light.
Hosta is planted in April, but if you plant it in the fall, you may not have time before frost, the roots may not develop and the plant will die from frost in winter.
The main requirement for soil is that it is light and loose, it should not be dense or heavy, there should be good air flow to the roots and water should not stagnate. You can add peat or sand to the soil if the soil is dense.
To prevent water stagnation, expanded clay is added to the roots; it serves as drainage to remove moisture. After planting, the hosta is watered.
Now it has become known how to choose a hosta plant; planting and caring for it in the open ground as described above is also not a difficult task.
Hosta types
There are quite a few varieties of the flower. Pay attention to the photo of the hosta; depending on the variety, the plant differs from each other.
Curly - distinguished by bright green leaves with a white border along the edges. The leaves grow upward to form a lush bush.
White-bordered hosta variety is similar to the curly hosta variety, only it grows in width.
Siebold is a unique hosta variety with leaves with a rough surface, soft, wide, and dark green.
Plantain - this hosta is found on summer cottages, abandoned roads. Many people confuse it with plantain because of its similar appearance.
Wavy - very beautiful view. The leaves of this plant are white with a green border around the edges. Due to the predominance of white color on the leaves, the hosta appears voluminous.
What can a host suffer from?
Although this plant and is resistant to various pests and diseases; it can be affected by gray mold, snails, slugs, and nematodes. In case of one of the diseases, the plant is sprayed with a special composition.
Absolutely everyone likes the hosta flower, photo pictures show the beauty of its bloom.
Photo of the Hosta plant
