Tips On Growing Giant Hosta.
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- Опубліковано 28 чер 2020
- A more in depth tour of my main garden, with some tips on getting the best performance out of your plants.
GROWING GIANT HOSTA
1. Site the plant properly:
Hostas are not shade lovers, they tolerate shade. They want 3-4 hours of direct sun a day. I dont think the time of day is as important as is generally believed. High dappled shade for the rest of they day will help with improving the colour. They'll grow anywhere, but this is the "goldilocks zone" for them.
Hostas love rich well drained soil.
They also LOVE water so avoiding too much tree root competition is key.
Tree roots are the #1 reason hostas under perform. The worst offenders, which are quite common in subdivisions here, are Norway maples, Lindens, and fruit trees (e.g. flowering crabapple). They are all shallow rooting, and aggressive growers. My best success has come with Japanese maples, honey locusts, and oaks.
Tip#1 prune your trees fairly high. I prune mine to around 5-6 feet.(1.5-2m).
You have to plan ahead. What I really mean is you have to leave it alone. Pick where you want it to go and dont disturb the roots ever again. Hostas never need to split to improve growth. It can take 7-8 years for alot of the giant cultivars to mature. The "fairy ring" older hostas exhibit are not a sign that it needs to split. That's the mature growth habit if a healthy hosta.
Planting depth is key. Keep the crown of the plant no more than 1/2" (1.5cm) below soil level..
Overly deep planting is probably the #2 reason hostas fail to perform.
2. Proper Care.
To get good growth year to year, make sure the ground stays relatively moist. I think the rule of thumb is 1" (2.5cm)/week. The giant ones may need more, depending on the cultivar.
I fertilize 3 times a year. I'm in zone 5 so I give a heavy dose last week of april when the "bullets" are poking through, a much lighter dose in first week of June, and an even lighter one at the end of June. This is when the roots start growing in earnest, so a little extra boost pays dividends for next year.
Tip #2. Always overhead water directly after applying pellet fertilizer. The pellets will burn the leaf if not washed off.
I mulch with a natural forest mulch ( hemlock, but there are lots of types) as it retains moisture, suppreses weeds, and breaks down to enrich the soil.
Buy healthy plants from a reputable local nursery. The hosta virus x (HVX) is very prevalent at the big box store's garden centers.
Lots of info online about it.
It's incurable and the plant has to be destroyed.
Tip#3 when purchasing plants always peruse the hostas for awhile, if any plants show HVX dont buy anything, even if it looks healthy.
Tip#4 buy the larger size 2-5 gallon plants if available. Quicker gratification.
I think that's it
If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
Cheers
James.
It’s beautiful! In my previous house, I had a garden like that. All the hostas came from my grandmother’s backyard. There are still hostas that came from 80 years ago, but the people in my previous house, that are not nice people, won’t let my take any divisions. I may steal some in the night!!
I’ll say one big difference… I’m in the Deep South and hostas definitely like full shade here
definitely the most beautiful collection of hosta I have seen
Thank you.
Best hosta garden I've ever seen.
Thanks so much. For the kind words.
Beautiful variety of Hosta...
Love the variety! Beautiful garden!
Want want want 😍🤩🥰 I didn't realize the competing would affect the growth so radically. Thanks for sharing
Absolutely gorgeous Hostas!
Thanks for the tour, gorgeous!
Your garden is perfect!
The most beautiful collection Ive seen yet!
Wow...i really love your choicez of hosta.Thanks for sharing.
Amazing collection.
Love your hosta garden awesome like a lot.
Beautiful hosta plants. I wish I could have all those.
Thanks they look wonderful
Very beautiful garden! Helped convince me to getting those hostas I’ve been putting off for a while. Thank you 😊
Very beautiful hosta garden 👍🏾
Fun to watch. Love that you name them. Gave me ideas! I have finally reached the point I'm souring on huge hosta. Have run out of room!
“He” didn’t name them. Those are actually the specific names of the varieties
James I love your Hostas. I only have 12 Hostas and I love them. I have this one Hosta, it is not variegated it is very dark green and that thing is over 3 feet wide this year and still growing, I can’t believe it but where that Hosta is it floods so I guess it likes it. Thank you this was beautiful.
Absolutely beautiful. I’m envious.
Excellent sharing
Beautiful garden 💗🌸🥰
Beautiful gardens. I only have three small plants that I’ve had for about four years. I learned a lot from your video and I’m inspired to grow a hosta garden.
Do it! It can be a bit addictive though.
Soooo beautiful!!!! Tx for posting this, buddy. They're amazing... (= Hugs from Brazil. I just subscribed!
Wunderschön, ich bin auch ein Fan von Hostas und habe einige Exemplare, ich habe bei Ihnen so viel verschiedene Sorten gesehen die ich bei uns in Deutschland leider noch nie gesehen habe. Wunderschön.
Very informative! The comparison between the two beds is particularly useful. Your garden is beautiful!
@@dudley0826 Your garden is beautiful. Sorry, I don't know what happened to the "beautiful."
@@Graycat1735
N.P. lol
Very nice collection, I’m thinking Bridal Falls is going to be a fantastic hosta. Love all your plantings , thanks for sharing 👍❤️😊
Really nice hostas
Beautiful!
Khub sundor seyar valo laglo sathe thako
So beautiful 😍
Beautiful hostas
Thank you.
Stunning
Beautiful hostas…!
I’m envious 😊
Very inspiring, thank you for sharing. I've had two varieties for 30 years but, just now starting to collect.
Enjoy your new addiction.
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Omg. So good. Hostas are my favourite. I have over 100 in my garden.
Wow!
Just getting into hostas, didn’t know there are so many varieties, love it now!
@@mnik8501
There are over 7000 named cultivars!
The wild rabbits are eating my beautiful new hostas!
@@mnik8501rabbits piss me off too
This is great & I want to do right off my back patio. Thanks for discussing the amount of soil you pulled in.
Thank you. Good soil is the key.
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got some gems in there mate!
I finally bought Goodness Gracious and hopefully it will be as gorgeous as yours. Thank you.
It's a great plant. Grows fast as well. Enjoy
Thank you so much
I wish I could grow them here... the deer and heat won't allow - these are so beautiful!
Bravo Sooo Beautiful
Your hostas are so gorgeous and radiant. I loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Love it.
The proof is in the pudding. THIS IS SO PRETTY!
Beautiful
Thank you
Gorgeaus❤
Nice job dude….😊
awesome
I find that the lighter colored and variegated varieties can stand more sun. But they also LOVE water! Lots and LOTS of water! Then I use Miracle Gro for tomatoes every 2 weeks.
Lots of water is key.
Bravo
ВАУ 👍 восхитительно
it's beautiful plants
Thanks 😊
Miracle Grow for tomatoes helps A LOT
Ok. Thanks for that.
Where did you get the ones that are unusual,the larger ones! I know the big box stores are limited.They are Beautiful ! Thanks for the video! Happy Planting!
You make me Sooo Jealous,!!!!! I love 💕 ❤️😘 your precious wisdom how to grow your hosta's
Humble respectfully greetings from Suriname
I just plan my first. Hopefully it grow well, can't wait, 5 years to long, guess I'll wait.
It takes a long time to mature, but you can enjoy the garden at all its stages.
I am always surprised how much sun hostas can take. Most of my collection are in pots on my patio which doesn't get much shade but they still seem to do OK. Perhaps it's because I live in the UK probably not as hot as where you are. The thing l like most is how easy they to grow. Apart from slugs they seem to have very few problems with pests. They also give a long season of interest
Mark I'm in Canada. (Southern Ontario) it's been an unusually hot June after an unusually cold May here. I agree with all your points. I have some nice Hemerocallis, and asiatic lillies, but they are really only nice for a few weeks every season. Hostas give interest from early May until August. After that they do get a bit ratty looking.
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Tengo una variegada la compre hace unos meses esta preciosa la mia No tiene bulbos o rizomas solo raíces porque
Me dicen es de bulbos la tengo en maceta cada cuanto es recomendable cambiarla para que se agrande o que tanto debe ser el tamaño de maceta a ocupar para inducir su crecimiento
Tiene 30 de alto y de ancho como 45 aprox
Beautiful Hostas. Do you ever have any problems with slugs ?
What hosta is that at 4:47 top right. looks tropical.
I have a small one in the front yard in Florida one of the leaves got brown what is it lacking please help thanks
“I do fertilize fairly heavy”… details maybe!?
James, what is the plant in the corner of your main garden (to the upper left of Atlantis at 7:02)...it looks like a type of ginger but really big, Thanks
That is "gentle giant"
nice video. I'm making plans on how to improve my one year old Hosta garden this season. Mine has root competition from Maple trees!! Bummed this will hold them back some. Is this a good plan to try?: apply a good layer of compost as plants start to show through soil, add drip irrigation to improve moisture consistency and apply liquid fertilizer regularly? any other advice? I really want this garden to succeed. Thanks
It'll be tough, what ever you do the tree will take the majority. Try some hosta in the "tiara" clan they seem more tolerant.
I live in NE Texas and it gets 110 in the summer full sun, can I grow hostas???
Hosta garden looks great. Same problem had two huge beds under red maples and had to move nearly all my hostas to another bed. What fertilizer do you use?
I use an 18-18-18 I get in 25kg bags from the farm supply store.
What’s the name of fertilizer
You have the most beautiful hosta garden! What type of hosta is that at 44 sec?
Thanks so much for your kind words. The big blue is Blue Angel. Its super common.
Beautiful! What fertilizer do you use and how often do you apply it?
Whatever is on sale at the farm supply store. Usually 10 10 10. But it doesn't really matter.
I’ve never seen such a beautiful hosta garden. So many shapes and colors. It’s an inspiration.
Thank you for the kind words. Its a labour of love.
I appreciate the hosta names, but wish you had carried on naming the other varieties. It helps when shopping for some, having seen how they look in someone else’s garden. But thanks for the growing advice as well, helpful.
I'll be posting another video soon. I'll go more into naming them. Thanks for watching.
@@dudley0826 ok thank you, I subscribed. I went to a big hosta sale a couple days ago and was able to pick up several of the varieties that you showcased in your garden. It really did help me make a list of what to buy. Appreciated 👍
Nice. You definitely got the Hosta bug! Ever have any Vole issues?
Nope.
How do you keep them from being eaten?
Is that Humpback Whale to the right of your bigger Sum and Substance? I LOVE that foliage!
To the right I have "sagae", and right of that is "empress wu"
@@dudley0826 No I mean the one directly in front of sagae
@@wasachevyguy
"World Cup"
Your hostas look so healthy ! Some of mine are not growing much this year, when they used to ! Also new ones I bought last year are barely growing and leaves are turning brown. Any suggestions ? Fertilizer ? What type ? Thanks !
Are they planted under trees?. If so, the plants are getting choked out by the trees roots, or you may have them planted too deep. These are the main reasons hosta underperform.
What kind of fertilizer do you use
@@melanieharris5595
I get mine from the farm supply store. 18-18-18
@@dudley0826 awesome thanks.
I’ll look for this at my local nursery
Hello ! You have a lovely Hosta garden. I would like to plant few hostas in shade under a tree which gets morning sunlight. Can you please suggest which fertilizer you use?
I would also like to know where to buy it. Thank you !
The farm supply store. The fertilizer is 18 18 18.
How do you keep weeds out of the garden ? I have tried some things but did not work.
Mulching is a big deal. Use a natural forest mulch ( e.g. hemlock, or equivalent) the dyed black or red mulch gives a very unnatural look. It also isn't great for the soil.
Your hostas are gorgeous! I love hostas too. But the deer loves them too. What to do ? 🤓
Try a product called Liquid Fence Deer and Rabbit. It smells until it dries and count on taking a shower and washing your clothes ASAP. It dries on the plant and keeps the critters uninterested! Good luck, God Bless your gardening.
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Very nice Hostas. Regarding your triple mix we are heavily discouraged here in the England to buying peat and peat based composts. Concerning your corner bed - could you increase the depth of the bed - it won’t dry out so quickly. Maybe remove soil and put in pond liner - refill - that’d keep it nice and moist. Hopefully.
How do you care for them in winter?
Simple, I do nothing. Rake out the dead leaves in the spring, remulch every 2 years
James, nice garden! what is this "triple mix" and how long has your empress wu been in the spot where it is now?
Triple mix is a blend of peat moss, manure, and black earth. The EW has been there for about 4 years.
@@dudley0826 is the triple mix available at local stores like Lowes?
What’s the best time of year to move them ? What fertilizer do you recommend?
In Zone 5 I like to move mine mid May.
I like 10 10 10.
Can you have these plants as indoor plants?
No. They need 3+ months of dormancy at 0 degrees Celcius to thrive.
Yeah I'm from Pennsylvania and I I I have 30 gardens at memorial Park going off sorry and I use egg yolk and that deer repellent stuff only have to do it one time a phone keeps going off sorry yeah yolks in a bottle with water and shake it and spray it only have to pay it one time and when I first when they first start coming up I know that cuz it really does work I've been doing it for years now talk to you later you have a you have a good show bye for now
👍👍👍🇧🇾
do you have a favorite online hosta plant store?
I dont purchase hostas online. Land of the giants is pretty reputable I've heard.
i want to buy some hostas seeds where can i bought
Typically hosta aren't sold as seeds.
Which hostas are nearly as big as the Empress Wu, and look better? Could you name a few, please?
Check out "His Honor", "Victory", "Spacious Skies", "Humpback Whale" for a start.
'Sum and Substance' is big and vigorous!!
@@symbiosisnursery3187 I have two of them, and a couple of sports like "Beauty Substance", "Winter Snow", "Final Summation" and "Titanic".
You have a Japanese grass in the front
What's the name of the orange flowers at 8:50 ?
"Maltese Cross "
@@dudley0826 Thank you.
Do you cut your hostas back every year?
No. They die back every October. If you want them to get big you shouldn't split them.
@@dudley0826 thanks much. So that explains it😂 I’ve been cutting mines back every October and splitting them.
I’m going to definitely leave them alone.
Will full sun kill them?
Full sun won't kill them, but it change the growth habit. The leaves will be smaller and more densely packed. The colour will change as well.
My yard is 90% full sun…the hostas I have planted have died off because of to much sun
Hi , plant deep rooting trees or choose hosta that tolerate sun....Happy gardening 😊
I have hostas and they love pee and I mix it with water and that does great.along with used. coffee and tea .. Try out Fox Farm Products
That is a mighty strange comment 🤔
@@dudley0826 Ha ha Strange ,crazy,, yes I reckon so but it really works and the used coffee and tea makes it much greener with no burning issues ...Fox Farm has an organic liquid mix called Big Bloom with earth worm and bat guano and it is super stuff along with their other products..
How do you keep slugs away? I have a terrible slug problem.
I do nothing. Slugs aren't a problem for me. Alot of my plants are "slug resistant ". Google it.
@@dudley0826 that’s awesome, I certainly wish my hostas were slug resistant
Aren't hostas great!
Please speak up louder
Speak too low can’t hear