Pre-Ordering Hostas: How It Works, When We Ship and What to Expect
Quick answer
Order and pay now, and your bare-root hostas ship from 1 March. Here is how pre-ordering works and what to expect when your plants arrive.
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By Vitaliy Tonenchuk, Dutch Bulbs B.V. Updated 2 November 2026.
When you order a hosta from Funckia today, it does not ship tomorrow. Our hostas are pre-orders: you order and pay now, and the plants ship from 1 March, as spring planting begins. Here is why they are sold this way, what arrives, and how to use the winter to prepare.
Quick answer: Order any time and pay at checkout; your hostas ship from 1 March to EU countries as dormant bare-root divisions, two plants per pack, ready to plant in March or April. Ordering early secures the varieties you want while all 300 are available.
Why are hostas sold as pre-orders?
Hostas are dormant from late autumn until early spring: the best moment to dig, divide and ship them, and also the best moment to plant them. University of Georgia Extension advises planting and dividing in early spring as the leaves begin to emerge, and University of Minnesota Extension names spring as generally the best planting time. Pre-ordering means the plants reach you dormant, in time for that window, rather than forced into leaf in a winter greenhouse.
How does it work?
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Now to February | Choose your varieties, order and pay at checkout. Plan the beds. |
| From 1 March | Plants ship from Holland to all EU countries. |
| On arrival | Unpack, soak the roots for an hour or two, plant with the crown level with the soil. |
| Spring | Leaves unfold within a few weeks. Keep the soil moist and watch for slugs. |
| Early summer | Mulch once the soil has warmed, keeping it off the crown. |
What will arrive?
A bundle of fleshy roots with pointed buds on top and no leaves yet: exactly how a healthy dormant hosta should look. Each pack holds two plants. Our guide bare-root hostas: what arrives and how to plant it shows the planting step by step, and bare-root or potted? explains why we sell them this way.
Where do you start choosing?
| You want | Start here |
|---|---|
| Blue leaves | Blue hostas and our guide to the best blue hostas |
| Pots and edges | Miniature and small hostas |
| A bold focal point | Large and giant hostas |
| Fewer slug problems | Slug-resistant hostas |
| A sunnier spot | Sun-tolerant hostas |
Hosta Big Daddy – 2 plants · €7.90
Extra large, with thick puckered blue leaves that slugs leave alone. Pay now, ships from 1 March. If anything arrives damaged, contact us and we will put it right.
Pre-order Big Daddy → Browse all 300+ varieties
We ship within the EU.
How can you prepare while you wait?
- Pick the spot: light or dappled shade, moist humus-rich soil (sun or shade).
- Check drainage. University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension warns that poorly drained sites cause root and crown rot (best soil for hostas).
- Plan slug protection (what really works).
Frequently asked questions
When will my hostas ship?
From 1 March. Spring planting is typically March to April, once hard frost has passed.
Do I pay now or at shipping?
At checkout, when you order.
Will the plants have leaves?
No. They are dormant; leaves appear a few weeks after planting.
Do you deliver outside the EU?
No, EU countries only.
