Planting
Most hostas prefer shade or part shade, but some cope with much more sun if the soil stays moist. Gold and yellow varieties colour best with plenty of light, while blue and white-centred ones fade or scorch first. Even sun-tolerant hostas need afternoon shade in hot, dry weather, and sun tolerance is never the same as drought tolerance.
4 min read
Planting
Hostas grow best in moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Dig plenty of compost or well-rotted manure into the whole bed before planting: it helps clay drain and sandy soil hold water. Avoid ground that stays waterlogged, mulch every spring and feed lightly, because good soil matters more than fertiliser.
4 min read
Planting
Plant hostas in spring, as soon as the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged, and up to early summer: bare-root divisions establish best then and have a whole season to root before winter. Potted hostas can also go in during autumn while the soil is moist. Avoid midsummer heat and midwinter cold.
9 min read
Planting
A bare-root hosta is a division of a mature plant: a crown with one or more buds and its roots, without soil and usually without leaves. It is not a bulb. Unpack it on arrival, give the roots 1–2 hours in a bucket of water and plant it with the crown at or just below ground level.
8 min read
Planting
Most hostas grow best in partial shade: a few hours of gentle morning sun and shade for the rest of the day. Blue and white-centred varieties want the most shade, gold and yellow ones colour best with some sun, and sun-tolerant varieties cope with more light as long as their soil stays moist.
9 min read
Planting
Yes, hostas can grow under trees, but the soil there is dry as well as shady, so plan for water. Choose thick-leaved or plain green varieties, plant small divisions in pockets between the roots without piling soil over them, mulch well and water deeply whenever it is dry, all through the first growing season.
8 min read
Planting
Yes, hostas grow very well in pots. Choose a frost-proof container with drainage holes, fill it with free-draining compost, and water whenever the surface feels dry. Feed through spring and early summer, check under the rim for slugs, and leave the pot outdoors in winter, because hostas need a cold rest to grow well the next year.
9 min read
