I grew hosts with gorgeous leaves: I share simple secrets

Fiery fireworks, fellow flower growers!

Looking to grow a hosta with truly decorative foliage? Give the unpretentious plant a little of your precious attention. In the article you will find out why it is worth examining the host every year, how to water and sometimes feed it, and whether it is necessary to cut off the flower stalks for a fluffy hat.

From the author: I have a special relationship with the hosts. My heart is forever conquered by decorative flowering plants both in the country and in the house. But it is the hosts, even those belonging to the simplest varieties from the USSR, that make me admire. Who is left indifferent by these gorgeous balls of large leaves?

50% of success depends on the location of the hosts in your garden

The host is called "The Queen of the Shadow" for a reason. Most garden plants lose in decorativeness if they are planted somewhere under a spreading lilac bush. But not the hosta - in the shade and partial shade, it grows large and beautiful leaves.

On a note: Variegated varieties are more suitable for growing in the sun. Whereas true greens feel great where shade or partial shade reigns most of the daylight hours.

Be sure to find your host a decent spot in the garden. One where she will not be constantly bothered by direct sunlight.

Annual attention

The host needs a periodic transplant, but not as frequent as they write in wild advice to change their place of residence every 2-3 years. I noticed that the bushes of 4-5 years old look the most beautiful. And then you can already transplant it to a fresh place.

The only caveat is that you need to ensure that the hosta rhizome does not stick out from the ground. Yes, there is such a "sin" behind the plant. As a result, the rudiments of leaves in the spring are unprotected against the cold and partially freeze.

... And the decorativeness of the leaves suffers, to which I now sing an ode. Therefore, be sure to spud the hosta in the fall and spring if the rhizome is on the surface.

Briefly about watering

The host loves moisture. And the larger the bush, the more water it needs. Indeed, in hot weather, a huge area of ​​leaves evaporates moisture at lightning speed, and the roots pull everything they can from the ground.

Therefore, be sure to pamper your host with watering when the topsoil dries out. Be especially attentive, comrades, on hot summer days. It is not necessary to pour out a lot: the plant's root system is not so deep. For an adult plant, I pour about 8 even liters, for an average plant - 2-3. Enough!

From the author: In cloudy and cool weather, I forget about the watering can. And the host doesn't mind!

How to feed the hosta so that it has beautiful and large leaves

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I already wrote that you do not need to transfer hosts often. But when a plant sits in one place for a long time, it consumes all the nutrients of the soil. Therefore, in order for the host to receive enough nutrition to build up a beautiful and large crown, fertilizers must be used.

Nitrogen is an invariable ingredient in hosta dressings. After all, it is he who is responsible for the growth of green mass. I will write my own feeding schedule. And you can repeat it in full or select individual items:

• In the spring, as soon as the hosta began to wake up, I add calcium nitrate or urea. The first option is more to my liking, because calcium is also needed for a gorgeous crown.
• A couple of times over the summer - Nitroammofosk, in which the main mineral substances are contained in equal parts: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. You can naturally ask, but where does the phosphorus and potassium. And I will answer: although nitrogen is still responsible for the leaves, other macronutrients are needed for the full development of the aboveground and underground parts of the plant. We need a healthy host. Is it true, comrades?
• "Pampering"- foliar nitrogen fertilization. I do it when I want to pamper the host with something special. For example, a solution of urea or ammonia is used.

I use calcium nitrate and Nitroammofosk as a solution. An option for the lazy is to scatter the granules in the near-stem circle of the flower, and then pour abundantly with warm water.

The hosta has grown a peduncle: should it be cut or not?

I've read a lot of advice that hosts need to remove stalks. So that the plant does not waste energy on them, which could be used for the growth of leaves.

Well, I don’t know, comrades... I tried for the sake of experiment and did not see any difference. I like the blooming of the hosta, and it never occurs to me to cut off the flower stalks. What do you do with them? Write in the comments!

Do you like the host and the article was interesting? Please put "Thumbs up" in response! Thank you, my dear ones - I'm trying for you 🌹 And if you also, by a happy coincidence, grow garlic, then I strongly advise you to read: At the end of June, I definitely feed winter garlic in order to collect large heads. I share recipes (+ no chemicals!)