When to plant a hosta for seedlings. Hosta plant - growing from seeds, care and reproduction

Hosta (Hosta), the second name is Funkia, belongs to perennial herbaceous type. Represents the Asparagus family, although until recently it belonged to the Lilein family. The culture owes its first name to the doctor and botanist of Austrian origin Nikolaus Hosta, 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, therefore 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 host was brought to England, the inhabitants of Foggy Albion were not impressed. The Americans reacted to it in a completely different way, which made it one of the most popular in the New World.

Hosta from seeds at home

Hosta and flower pot. Regardless of where you will plant the resulting seedlings, it is worth learning the tricks of sowing hosta with seeds. The disadvantage of this method lies in the poor germination of seeds, which is only 70-80%. Therefore, in order to use this propagation method, the seeds should be treated with a growth stimulator before planting. By placing them for only 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 seed stratification to increase the percentage of germination, when the seeds are placed in a cold place (for example, the vegetable section of the refrigerator), kept there for 1 month.

An important factor is the sterility of the prepared soil substrate. Various microorganisms, fungi contained in the soil, greatly harm seedlings, causing disease and death of young shoots. That is why the substrate is recommended to be purchased in specialized stores. It contains a balanced mixture of vermiculite, perlite and peat.

When to sow the host for seedlings? In the spring, at the end of February-March, 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 a substrate and moistened. It is left for a while so that the soil is well saturated with water, and only then the host is sown, spreading rather large seeds as little as possible on the surface of the substrate.

The same ready-made substrate is used as a powder on top. Its thickness should not exceed 5-7 mm. To ensure the preservation of moisture, a plastic film is pulled over the pot or covered with glass. Make sure that the temperature of the soil at the time of germination is between +18 and 25 °C.

Compliance with all recommendations allows you to expect the first shoots of a week in two or three. It is important to remember that direct sunlight, excessive watering and excess condensation on polyethylene film detrimental to plants. It is best 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. Seedlings dive into separate pots, the soil in which a quarter consists of sand. These pots are placed in a pan filled with water in order to provide them with bottom watering.

Until the water hydrates upper layer soil, pots from the pallet can not be removed. At the next stage, the picked seedlings are subjected to hardening. To do this, the film is removed and the host is exposed 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 landing site hosta. Choosing a place is the main thing you need to pay attention to when landing a hosta. By planting a flower in one place, you can enjoy its beauty for twenty years, even without a transplant. The choice of location is significantly influenced by the color of the leaves of the hosta. For varieties with bright leaves containing white and yellow blotches, choose areas that are more illuminated, as they are light-loving plants.

It is very important for a hosta with variegated leaves that at noon a shadow falls on it, 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 a sunny presence. The size of the leaves of the flower directly depends on the shade. The more intense the shading, the larger the leaf plate and the higher the bush. But at the same time, the hosta is growing very slowly.

The only thing that no flower variety 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 site is covered with a ten centimeter layer of organic matter and dug up. During the winter, everything will perepreet 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 host, look at the video:

Hosta Landing Rules

The distance between the holes depends on what type of plant is planted in the ground.

• For a hosta from a group of small and medium size, 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.

In order for the transplant to be successful, in advance in pots. Move it to the ground along with a clod of earth from a 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 hostas are planted by dividing the bush, then dry leaves, damaged roots are removed from each division, adding mulch in the form of crushed bark to the root area.

Propagation of hosta by dividing the bush

Divide the hosts begin after the flowering period or before the start of active growth. To do this, dig a bush well so that there is enough space around the root. With a shovel, they pry the root from below and take out the bush. They are divided into several parts with growth points, the leaves are cut at a height of 10-15 cm so that only petioles remain, and planted as independent plants. You can leave 2-3 leaves to control vegetation.

Rooting hosta lasts approximately four weeks. The bush delenki will become full-fledged bushes in 2-3 years. They sit down, adhering to the gap between the bushes of 20-30 cm. When planting, the pits are made wider, since the growth of the roots goes in a horizontal plane. Planting depth does not change. At the end of the work, the host is well moistened. No later than mid-September, planting is completed so that the autumn cold does not interfere with the rooting of transplanted plants.

How to share a host, look at the video:

How to take care of your hosta

Garden work to care for the crop is reduced to a minimum. If all the rules for preparing the soil were followed during planting, then the host can not be fed at all for the first three to four years. In subsequent years, every autumn, humus or compost is introduced under the bushes. Mineral granules can be scattered once a season over the area after rain. Until the middle of summer, liquid fertilizers are applied under each bush.

Longer time feeding leads to the growth of hosta leaves, and not to preparing it for winter. AT summer period the soil around the hosta is constantly moistened. If the tips of the leaf blade begin to darken, then the plant does not have enough moisture. When watering, do not spray water over the host, this will damage the leaves. It is better to spend a long time in the early morning. Direct a quiet stream under the root.

To make the bush look attractive and not fall apart, remove flower stalks in time. The hosta needs loosening the earth and weeding from weeds only in the first period, until it has grown strong and grown. Every 3-4 years the flower is divided. To do this, they dig it up and separate the young cuttings from the root so that the flower does not grow much.

Hosta diseases

Americans associate the appearance of diseases in the host with large quantity varieties in one area. In frostbitten bushes, a fungal disease often occurs phyllosticosis, which looks like brown-yellow spots on the leaf blade.

Peduncles threatened with fungal infection Phyllosticta aspidistrae Oud. To deal with it, one method is used: complete removal bush with its subsequent burning and disinfection of the soil.

Among the diseases, gray rot is distinguished - Botrys cinerea, which affects the leaves, and sclerotinia - Sclerotinia, which envelops the root collar, like a cottony white mold, and destroys it. Fungicides are used against gray rot, Dichloran is used against sclerotinia. The main pests of the flower.

The slug is one of the main pests of the hosta.. Traces of its vital activity, and these are holes in the leaves, become immediately visible and reduce the visual appeal 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 vegetative period, larvae will hatch from the eggs and the radius of damage to plants will increase. Invasion of insects such as caterpillars, grasshoppers, which only one night is enough to turn a healthy plant into an unsightly bush, cannot be avoided. Only pesticide treatment can help deal 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 site with the host is abundantly moistened, the bushes that have grown over the summer are dug up and divided, leaving one or more rosettes of leaves on each part.

To insulate a piece of land with hostas for the winter, mulch it with leafy soil. First of all, this applies to those flowers that grow under big trees. This action solves several problems at once, such as warming the host and its nutrition. Mulching helps raise the level of the flower bed, which has a positive effect on soil drainage.

Description of hosts Photo compositions in garden design

Hosta serves as an excellent background for other flowers and is able to 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 culture do not have a stem and have a grassy structure.

Its rhizome is compactly thickened and has many branches in the form of laces, which allow the plant to hold firmly in the ground.

On a long, unleafed peduncle, rising high above a rosette of leaves, flowers are collected in neat brushes. They can be white, bluish, pink, purple, simple or terry.

Usually the flowers of 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 inflorescences of the racemose type and have a funnel-bell-shaped appearance or funnel shape.

The fruit is a leathery trihedral box, which contains numerous seeds. The main advantage of the plant are the leaves. They are basal, have a lanceolate or heart-shaped shape, smoothly turning into a sharp point at the tip of the leaf.

Veins are clearly visible along its entire length. The color of the leaves deserves a separate topic of discussion. It fully depends on the variety, varies and can be with a hint of green, white, yellow and even blue.

On one sheet in the form of spots, strokes, stripes, several colors can be combined at once. By texture, the leaves can be pressed and waxy, glossy and matte, with a metallic sheen and simply wrinkled.

What is the size of the host?

The average height of the hosta is 55 - 80 cm, although dwarfs are also cultivated, up to 15 cm high, and giants, which reach up to 1.2 meters.

Varieties and types of hosts with photos and names

Let's briefly present the varieties of hostas with photos and names. Culture is widely used in the design of the landscape zone, due to the variety of species. Selection work has borne fruit. Now there are more than 4 thousand hybrid varieties of hosta. Several species were taken as a basis, which laid the foundation for varietal diversity.

Bloated Hosta ventricosa

Up to 0.5 m high, the leaves are pointed at the end, for example the Thomas Hogg variety.

Wavy Hosta undulata

Reaches 75 cm in height, its leaf blade has a wavy edge, a white middle and a green border, as if applied in strokes. An example is hosta Undulata Mediovariegata.

High Hosta Hosta elata Hylanger

It grows up to 0.9-1 meters, its rather large size glossy leaves are cast in dark green. A characteristic representative is Variety Tom Schmid.

Hosta sieboldiana Hosta sieboldiana

60 cm high, has deep veins. Variety Elegans.

Curly-tailed Hosta crispula

Curly host Hosta crispula variety ‘Thomas-Hoog’ photo

Rarely exceeds 0.5-0.6 m in height, with wide dark green leaves bordered with a white stripe. An example is the Dream Weaver variety.

Plantain Hosta plantaginea

Half a meter high, has bright glossy green leaves. Grade Royal Standard.

Hosta fortunei

Hosta Fortunei Aureomarginata photo

It also does not grow more than 0.5 meters, has green leaves with a cream border. For example, hosta variety albopicta.

The classification of varieties also goes according to:

• sheet coloring;
• sheet size.

Depending on the color of the leaf plate, varieties are conditionally divided into 5 groups:

1. Blue hosta (blue hosta (B)) - its leaves with a bluish-gray tint.
2. Yellow hosta (Go) - yellow-leaved.
3. Green hosta (Gr) - united the entire green leaf hosta.
4. Hosta variegata (V) - varieties with variegated leaves and all those that have a white border.
5. Hosta mediovariegata (MV) - light-leaved varieties with a green border around the edge.

According to the height of the plant (size), the division goes into the following 6 groups:

1. The dwarf group Draft (D) combines all species below 10 cm, such as Blue Mouse Ears with bluish leaves resembling mouse ears.
2. Hosta is miniature, Miniature (Mini), its height is in the range of 10-15 cm, for example, La Donna variety with bluish-yellow-green leaves.
3. Small hosta Small (S), with a maximum height of 16-25 cm, an example is the Gold Tone variety with green leaves and stripes of white or yellow, and Headsmen Blue with bluish-green leaves.
4. Medium-sized hosta Medium (M, Med), growing up to 30-50 cm in height, its representatives are the following varieties: Night Before Christmas, with a white middle and a dark green wide strip along the edge, So Sweet, its green leaves are bordered white and cream striped, White Feather is a unique white hosta that changes its color to green after a certain amount of time.
5. A group of large Hosta Large (L), reaching a height of 0.5-0.7 m, is represented by varieties: Alvatine Taylor, in which a yellow-green border runs along its bluish-green leaves, Golden Meadows with pressed, rounded golden leaves in the middle dotted with pale green strokes and bordered by a wide strip of green.
6. Giant hosts Giant (G), over 70 cm tall, for example, the Blue Vision variety with bluish green leaves and Sum of All, which has a green leaf center and a wide, golden border.

There are very important points that southern gardeners - lovers of hosts should definitely pay attention to. Planting and caring for it in the Kuban have certain features, because the sun and heat are not always favorable for this plant. But shady corners and we want to decorate by planting beautiful plants. And the hosta in the garden, in the open ground, is very decorative. It will ennoble any area, regardless of whether it blooms or not. The main wealth of the hosta is the leaves. They can be with even or wavy edges, narrow or wide, with or without edging, light or dark, striped or speckled, high or low. Where to plant, how to care for the host in the south?

A huge bush of plants of one variety or of several will look beautiful.

Hostas in the garden

This plant is not for nothing called the "queen of the shadow." She loves shade, moisture, and there are certainly cozy shady places in any garden. But it is unacceptable to refuse to grow this lush, incredibly diverse in shape, beauty leaf color, even in our sunny hot climate.

Many Kuban gardeners do this very well. No need to rack your brains: what to plant in the shade! Of course, hosts!

Buying at least one copy this plant, you will love forever this goddess of shady places. Lush balls of dense bright leaves of different colors, shapes, placed together with other plants or separately, look great. Any, even the most abandoned shady corner of the garden will acquire the atmosphere of the tropics.

And delicate flowers, at least for a short while, will delight you with their delicate aroma. To make a lush bush feel great in the Kuban, you need to know some secrets.

How to plant a hosta, where and when

First of all, you need to determine the time and place for this oriental beauty.

The dry, hot air of the Krasnodar Territory is a real test for a plant brought to us from East Asia. And the sun's rays are a serious enemy for its juicy foliage.

When is the best time to plant a hosta, when to transplant? The plant is picky, but we really need our seedlings to take root, develop well, don't we?

If you are going to plant a hosta in the fall, then you should know that the seedlings after planting should have time to take root, get stronger before the onset of frost. If they are planted in late autumn, they may not survive until spring - they will freeze due to the lack of natural shelter - snow. Although some impatient gardeners take the risk of planting a newcomer late in the fall, one must hope for luck or not.

Therefore, the best time to plant a new pet in open ground in the Kuban is spring, when frosts have already passed. Most likely, this is the month of April or the beginning of May.

It is not recommended by specialists, experienced flower growers to plant it in the summer (in the south) - heat, dry air, even in the shade, can interfere with the rooting and development of the plant. It will not soon acquire a magnificent, chic look. But if such a need nevertheless arose, then one of the conditions is to plant it with a large clod of earth so that the root system is not exposed or damaged.

When choosing a place, it must be taken into account that not all varieties prefer shading and coolness. The lighter the leaves are colored, the more sun the bush requires.

The main rules for landing, choosing a place are as follows:

• Plants with dark green, bluish foliage should be planted only in the shade.
• Light varieties can be planted in partial shade, where the sun is until 11 or after 16 hours.
• It is allowed to be placed in sunny places with lacy shade from trees or shrubs at noon.
• The hosta is not very picky about the soil, but if you want your pet to thank you with beautiful, lush foliage, it is worth preparing a place with her needs in mind. The soil should be fertile, light, moist. Which, unfortunately, is not found everywhere in the Krasnodar Territory - in our country it is most often heavy black soil. Moisture is the most best friend these plants.
• The acidity of the soil is not important, alkaline is also suitable for the root system of this plant. Only one thing needs to be taken into account: the oriental madam does not tolerate sandy and heavy clay soils.
• When choosing a seedling, pay attention to its roots. They should be at least 10 cm long (optimally 10-15 cm), juicy, elastic (live). The more buds a seedling has, the better. But 2-3 is good too!
• Before planting, study the characteristics of the selected variety, especially consider its size in adulthood, because its bushes are also gigantic.

So, we land or transplant the host!

It is better to choose the landing time in the evening, after 18 hours, when the sun is not so hot anymore, and the air temperature drops slightly. So it will be easier for a young seedling to endure stress.

1. We dig a fairly deep (about 25-35 cm), wide hole. The width of the planting hole is important because the roots grow horizontally underground, close to the surface. If we plant several specimens, then we place the pits according to the scheme 30 × 30 cm or 50 × 50 cm (the distance depends on the varietal characteristics of the size of an adult plant).
2. We add compost or rotted manure to the bottom of the planting pit, thereby improving the nutritional value of the soil. It will be good if there is peat - add it for breathability, splendor of the root pad. If the soil is acidic, add a couple of tablespoons of ash so that the bush does not waste energy on all sorts of nonsense.
3. A little trick for the hot Kuban: add a plant hydrogel (moisture accumulator) to the soil mixture, which will absorb water, nutrients, and then become their source, thereby preventing the roots from drying out, which can damage the beautiful hosta in our hot climate. In the presence of hydrogel, the reserve "reservoirs" formed by it will contain moisture, even if the earth dries up. The root system of the bush will “pump out” as much liquid from them as it needs. This, believe my experience, is a real find for Kuban gardeners! It is necessary to add the gel already swollen, saturated with water.
4. We fill 2/3 of the planting pit with the prepared soil mixture, spill it well with water.
5. At the bottom of the pit we form a mound from the soil. We lower the seedling, spreading all the roots down the mound. We fall asleep with earth, pressing down with our hands. Sprinkle with water again.
6. Important: all kidneys must be above ground level.
7. It is desirable to mulch the soil around in order to retain moisture, to protect it from the formation of a crust - this often happens during the heat. For mulch, you can use peat - scatter it under the plant about 2 cm thick. Mulch will replace loosening, which can damage the roots due to their close location to the surface of the earth. Do not use tree bark for mulch, as it can become a pathogen, especially when soaked after rain.

Everything! Your plant is ready to delight you with its beauty, unless, of course, you follow certain rules.

Hosta cultivation and care

The main thing is regular watering, which should be done after sunset, but not too late - the leaves should have time to dry by night.

The bush will thank you with its beauty, splendor, if you sometimes spoil it with an evening shower.

But remember: blue varieties cannot be watered from above, since the leaves of this species are covered with a thin layer of wax, which is washed off with such irrigation. Firstly, the leaves remain unprotected from external influences, and, secondly, they lose their decorative effect, since it is the wax that gives the leaves their blueness.

It is advisable to feed the hosts several times per season:

• in the spring, after the appearance of the first rudiments of leaves,
• during flowering
• after the plant has flowered.

Alternate organic and mineral fertilizers.

In the spring, you can make compost "tea" - a real energy drink for all plants, including fruit species. This is the secret of many gardeners.

It is easy to prepare: put fully “ripened” (this is important!) compost in a gauze bag (about 3-5 glasses), tie it up. Dip the compost bag into a bucket filled with water. Infuse "tea" for about 3-4 days, stirring occasionally. When the color of the solution begins to remind you of strongly brewed tea, you can use it to feed plants without diluting, concentrated.

But if the resulting compost "tea" has an unpleasant putrefactive odor, then it cannot be used.

During flowering, any fertilizer containing potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus is suitable. And after the hosta fades or in the fall, you can put ready-made dry compost or humus under the bushes.

The magnificent view of the beauties of the garden also implies the timely removal of yellowed old leaves, flower stalks, weeding, replenishment of mulch if necessary.

These are frost-resistant plants, but in very severe frosts, in the absence of snow, rare collection varieties can be covered with spruce branches or white covering agromaterial of good density in two layers.

They do not like to be disturbed, they can grow in one place for a long time. They can not be transplanted for twenty years.

If the sockets have grown a lot, having conquered the allocated space too tightly, then the division of the bushes is still recommended to be carried out once every 5-6 years.

Reproduction of hostas, how best

By the way, reproduction by division is the most reliable way buy a beauty for your garden. The best time for this procedure in the Kuban - spring. The bushes are divided simply - you don’t have to make much effort. Sometimes a rough division with a garden shovel is required. But be sure to dry the sections, sprinkle with ashes.

Again, advice: rare collection varieties should be divided carefully, without aggressive intervention, as they are more capricious. Divided bushes are planted in the same way as described above.

Hostas in the garden - landscape tricks

Host usage landscape designers very varied. These magnificent plants are very beautiful throughout the growing season from spring to autumn. They can be planted both in flower beds, where they decorate other plants that have lost their attractive appearance, as well as in separate groups, for example, in the middle of a lawn or near a fence.

A hosta border looks great, giving a finished look to flower arrangements. What can we say about artificial or natural ponds! Chic leaves of one or different shades along the coast will complete the landscape. After all, these succulent "pillows" in the wild often grow along water bodies, on mountain slopes, and forest edges.

They look very beautiful together with the stones laid out between them.

Variety Wide brim (Wide Brim)

Plant a flower bed consisting of hostas of different varieties in a shaded corner of your garden, place small solar-powered lanterns between them, bring a bench - here is a place for you to relieve fatigue in the evenings, personal thoughts, family conversations.

Hosts go well with ferns, geyhers, lungworts, brunners. Gardeners' favorites will look just as great as framing coniferous compositions.
The right place can change the whole look of the garden.

It often happens that if there is a lot of shade, then the flower bed looks somehow gloomy. You can plant there hosts with leaves that have a bright, light edging, for example, a white-edged Marginata variety - a dark place will immediately come to life.

Grade Albomarginata (Albomarginata)

There are some more landscaping tricks when planning a hosta flower bed.

Plant spring bulbs between them - crocuses, muscari, pushkinia, chionodoxes, blueberries, etc. It can be a flower bed with daffodils, that is, with flowers that do not require annual digging. In the spring you will have a blooming flower bed of primroses, because the host has not yet woken up after winter. But in the summer, a lush powerful bush will close the empty places where the first spring flowers pleased the eye not so long ago.

Variety Paradise Island (Paradise Island)

In general, you can come up with a lot of compositions, of course, not to list them all. But one of the main rules is the observance of contrast, then it will definitely be beautiful!

Hosta diseases and their treatment

Root collar rot

One of the most famous, dangerous diseases of the host. Symptoms: the diseased bush stops growing, the leaves become colorless, die off.

Treatment: if you notice these signs, then it is urgent to dig out the diseased plant, cut out the damaged tissues with a sharp knife, and dust all the sections with any fungicide. Be sure to transplant the plant to another place, and on the former land must be replaced.

Viral disease Hosta Virus X (HVX)

They only affect hosts. Most often, blue varieties are susceptible to this disease, for example, Siebold's host. Be careful when dividing the bush, as well as trimming leaves, inflorescences with non-disinfected garden tools. The virus enters the plant through the juice on the cuts.

Symptoms: the leaves are covered with light, yellow-tinged dots, rounded spots. Often, such spotting is not paid attention, since it is very similar to the natural color of the plant.

Treatment or prevention: the first thing to remember is to always disinfect the instrument after each division or trimming operation. The biggest problem is that the virus may not immediately manifest itself, but already be a source of infection for its neighbors.

Viral diseases are not treated. Therefore, if you see signs of a viral disease - immediately, even ruthlessly destroy it completely - dig it up, burn it. It's better to delete one than to lose the whole collection.

But the good news is that the virus can only survive in living tissues. Dead, rotten parts do not contain the virus. Even if pieces of roots remain in the soil, they are not dangerous. It will take two weeks and you can safely plant new plants in this place.

After removing the infected specimen, the instruments must be disinfected with formalin.

Secondary anthracnose infection

This is infection. For the first time it appeared far from Russia, but it settled here recently. During a hot rainy summer in the Kuban, due to high temperatures, high humidity there is a high chance of this infection. The cause of this disease can also be phosphorus-potassium starvation, so you should not forget about top dressing.

Symptoms: reddish spots on the leaves. Sometimes at first the spots have a light color with a red border, and then they change color completely - they become burgundy-brown.

Treatment: to fight the disease, you need to apply a fungicide, for example, Fitosporin, Abiga-Peak, Acrobat MC, and if there are serious lesions, you will need Fundazol, Ridomil Gold MC, Skor or the like. But, unfortunately, the spots will not disappear, they will remain until the end of the season.

Rust

This disease is more common in yellow-bordered cultivars, as well as hosts from the Sieboldiana family. It occurs due to the wrong choice of place, irresponsible care, too long a dry period.

Symptoms: dehydrated leaves, lethargic, sometimes completely dried.

Treatment: in order to reanimate the plants, it must be transplanted to a shady place, do not be lazy to water abundantly.

Phyllosticosis

A fungal disease that affects weak or frost-affected leaves.

Signs: large yellowish-brown spots appear on the leaves, gradually growing together with each other. It happens that flower stalks suffer. Later, the spots are covered with a grayish coating from the sporulation of the fungus, then the spots crack and finally fall out.

Treatment: first, remove, burn leaves affected by the fungus, reduce watering of the plant. Spray the bush with antifungal drugs, for example, a solution of Strobi fungicides (4 g / bucket of water), Vectra (3 ml / bucket of water), Abiga Peak (50 g / bucket of water). Repeat the treatment in 10-12 days. If the flowers are affected, then they should be sprayed with a 1% solution of sulfur or copper sulfate.

Botrytis (gray rot or mold)

Signs: the disease begins with the leaves, their tips seem to rot. And then the rot completely affects the entire leaf. If nothing is done, your beauty will become a rotten bunch in a short time. Therefore, treatment is recommended to start at an early stage.

Control measures: at the initial stage of the disease, it is necessary to spray the foliage with Bordeaux liquid, Abiga-Peak, Oxych, Hom, Kuproskat, Topaz, Champion preparations. If the bush is already heavily affected by mold, then, unfortunately, the treatment is already useless, you should dig it out completely and burn it.

In fact, the cultivation of beautiful beauties in the Krasnodar Territory does not have any special wisdom. They are almost immune to disease. More often than not, hosts lose their decorative look not from diseases and pests, but from the hot sun or a little snowy winter. In the south, you need to follow this more closely, choosing the right place for your pet, carefully caring for it.

Well, we have considered all the rules, tricks, features of growing hosts. Planting and care is not difficult, even for novice gardeners. If you are imbued with sympathy for a magnificent host, then settle her in your place. This charming, mysterious Asian will transform your site beyond recognition. An abandoned shady place will become the most comfortable corner.

Photo hosts

Corner of the garden - variety Plantain
Grade Green Gold
Variety Gypsy Rose (Gypsy Rose) and Risks Business (Risky Business)
Sort Plantain (Hosta plantaginea) Grade France (France)
Variety Wheee

Hosta (lat. Hosta), or Funkia- This is a genus of herbaceous perennials of the Asparagus family, although it was previously assigned to the Liliaceae family. The host was named in honor of the Austrian botanist and physician N. Host, and its second name - funkia - it received in honor of G.Kh. Funk, a German botanist. In total there are about 40 plant species.

Historical range of the host - East Asia (Korea, China, Japan), southwest Far East, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. Moisture-loving hostas grow along the banks of rivers and streams, on mountain slopes, on forest edges ... The Japanese consider the hosta flower a sacred plant, and the leaf petioles are used as food as a delicacy. Having appeared in England, the host was not immediately able to impress the locals, but, once in New World, very soon became the most popular plant. So much so that its popularity has spread to other continents.

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Planting and caring for a hosta (at a glance)

• Landing: spring or late August-early September.
• Bloom: mostly ornamental and deciduous plants, the peduncles of which are recommended to break out before flowering, but some species and varieties attract with one-sided racemose inflorescences of various colors that appear in mid-late summer.
• Lighting: bright light, partial shade, shade.
• The soil: any, except for dry and sandy, as well as clay untreated soils. The optimal soil is a nutritious, humus-rich, well-moistened and drained loam with a slightly acidic to slightly alkaline reaction (pH 6.5-7.5).
• Watering: under the root early in the morning. The soil around the bushes should be slightly damp all the time.
• Top dressing: when grown in fertile soil after planting, do not feed for 3-4 years. During the season, if necessary, until mid-July - with solutions of mineral complex fertilizers once every two weeks, after that, top dressing is stopped. In autumn - mulch from humus or compost.
• Reproduction: seeds, dividing the bush, cuttings.
• Pests: slugs.
• Diseases: phyllosticosis, gray mold, sclerotinia.

Read more about growing hostas below.

Hosta flowers - description

The host plant has many faces. That is why it will fit into any garden composition. This is an ornamental rhizomatous plant that can grow very quickly into entire plantations. The main decoration of the host is its large leaves, which exist in all sorts of variations depending on the type and variety of the host. Hosta is versatile and unpretentious, cold-resistant and drought-resistant, grows well in the shade and is a worthy background for other plants. The hosta reaches its peak of beauty in the fifth year of growth.

Despite the variety of species and varieties, all hostas are stemless, herbaceous plants, thickened compact and short-branched rhizomes of which have many cord-like roots, allowing the plants to firmly gain a foothold in the soil. Bluish, white, pink and purple hosta flowers, simple and double, collected in brushes, effectively rise on tall, almost non-leafy peduncles above a leaf rosette. Unlike all other shade-loving plants, whose flowers are usually a pitiful sight, the flowers of the host are really beautiful: funnel-shaped or funnel-bell-shaped, collected in one-sided racemose inflorescences. The fruit of the hosta is a leathery trihedral box with numerous seeds that remain viable for about a year.

The leaves of the host, basal, lanceolate and heart-shaped, long-petiolate, pointed, having noticeable veins and striking in their color variety, are still their main advantage. The colors of the leaves vary depending on the type and variety of hostas, from green in all shades, blue in all shades, to white and yellow. Moreover, there are also a great many options for combining these colors on one sheet: strokes, spots, stripes, and so on. The texture of hosta leaves is also diverse: crumpled, wrinkled, waxy, with a metallic sheen, just glossy or matte ... Plant height is on average 50-80 cm, but in culture there are both dwarf varieties not exceeding 15 cm, and giants above 120 cm.

Growing hosta from seed

How to grow a hosta in a pot

Hostas are propagated by dividing the bush, seeds, and cuttings. For those who prefer breeding hosta with seeds, you should know that growing hosta in this way depends on the pre-sowing treatment of the material with growth stimulants (soaking for half an hour in Epin, Kornevin, Zircon or aloe juice), since the germination of hosta seeds is weak - 70-80% .

To improve germination, some flower growers advise resorting to the stratification method (keeping seeds for a month in the cold).

The second very important success factor is the sterility of the substrate, in which there should be no fungi and other microorganisms, otherwise the seedlings may grow sick, so it is best to buy the substrate in specialized stores. The composition of the substrate should include perlite, peat and vermiculite.

In April-May, a drainage layer is placed in a pot previously treated with medical alcohol or a solution of potassium permanganate, the substrate is poured and it is well moistened. Then the seeds of the hosta are scattered over the surface, sprinkled on top with a layer of substrate 5-7 mm thick, slightly compacted and, in order to retain moisture, cover the pot with glass or film. During germination, the soil temperature should be 18-25 ºC, and then shoots will appear in two or three weeks. Keep seedlings out of direct sunlight provide them with moderate watering, remove condensate in time. The seeds don't need bright light, so keep them in a light shade until germination, but then place them in a well-lit spot.

In the photo: Growing hosta seedlings from seeds

It is necessary to dive seedlings into separate pots after the appearance of a pair of leaves: seedlings are transferred to the soil, a quarter covered with sand. To moisten the dived seedlings, bottom watering is used: the host in a pot is placed in a deep pan with water and remains there until the top layer of soil “gets wet”. Now the seedlings need to be hardened: remove the film or glass for several hours. After a week, remove the cover completely, and expose the host for a short time to fresh air, provided that the temperature is not lower than +18 ºC.

Keep in mind that hosta seedlings develop very slowly, and in general, hosta grown from seed often loses varietal traits.

Planting hostas in the garden

When to plant a hosta

Before you plant a hosta, you need to choose a site where she will be comfortable. Remember that the hosta can grow without a transplant in one place for up to twenty years, and every year it will only be more beautiful. The optimal performance is partial shade with protection from drafts, but remember: the brighter the hosta leaf, the more white and yellow fragments on it, the more photophilous the variety. To motley hosts it is desirable to grow in a place shaded at noon, but illuminated by the sun in the morning and evening. Blue varieties need to be planted only in the shade, they will need two sundial in a day. The thicker the shadow, the slower the hosta grows, but the larger the leaves and the taller the bush.

In the photo: Sprouted hosta seedling

Hostas need moist, humus-rich, neutral to slightly acidic soil with good drainage. Only hostas dislike sand and heavy loam. It is best to prepare the ground for spring planting in autumn: spread a layer of organic fertilizers 10 cm thick over the allotted area and dig the earth to the depth of a bayonet shovel. By spring, the soil on the site will be ready for planting. Planting hostas in the ground is carried out when the threat of frost has passed. In our latitudes, this is the end of April - the middle of May.

How to plant a hosta

Seedling holes are placed at a distance of 30-60 cm, depending on the variety of the planted plant. For giant hostas, the distance between the bushes should be 80-100 cm. If you plant seedlings from pots in the ground, water them a few hours before planting. If you combine landing with dividing the host bushes, then remove the dried, rotten or damaged roots from the delenki. Seedlings are placed in the prepared holes from a pot with a clod of earth (or delenka) 2-3 cm below ground level, the roots of the hosts are carefully straightened, covered with earth, crushed and watered abundantly. The area around the root is mulched with crushed bark.

In the photo: A mulched hosta seedling in the open field

Host care

How to care for a hosta in the garden

If the hosta grows in fertile soil, then it can be left without feeding for three to four years. The main top dressing for the host is humus and compost, which are applied in the fall in the form of mulch. It is undesirable to get involved in mineral fertilizers, but if you decide that they are needed, scatter granular fertilizers around the host after rain or heavy watering. Plants are fed with liquid fertilizers (root and foliar) once every two weeks until mid-July, and then they stop, otherwise the host will continue to grow new leaves and will not have time to prepare for winter.

How to Grow Hyacinths - When to Plant and How to Care

The soil around the plants should be kept moist at all times, especially around young hostas, so it is very important to water the plants on time, and watering must be carried out in the early morning and under the root, and not on the leaves, which deteriorate from getting water on them. In addition, the water jet should not be strong so that the soil does not compact, but, on the contrary, can be saturated with water as deeply as possible. A signal that the plants do not have enough water is the darkening of the tips of the leaves of the hosta.

In the photo: Growing a host in the open field

If you are interested in making the hosta bush look neat, you will have to break out young flower stalks, otherwise the hosta will “fall apart” after flowering. The host needs to be loosened and weeded only at first, when it grows, the weeds will no longer be afraid of it. After three or four years, the hosta needs to be divided, as it will grow strongly. Dig up the hosta and separate the young cuttings from the main root. It won't harm a healthy plant.

Hostas are unpretentious plants, but the Americans say that the more host varieties in your collection, the higher the risk of getting an infected specimen. Sometimes weak or frost-bitten hostas strike phyllosticosis- a fungal disease that manifests itself in the form of yellow-brown merging spots on the leaves. Sometimes flower stalks are affected by the fungus Phyllosticta aspidistrae Oud. Infected plants are removed and burned, and the soil in this place is disinfected.

In the photo: Hosta leaves turn yellow

The host suffers from gray mold (Botrys cinerea) and from sclerotinia (Sclerotinia). The rot affects the leaves of the host, they fight it with fungicides, which are based on folpet. Sclerotinia is a fungus, white cotton mold, detrimental to the root neck of the host. It is eliminated with dichloran.

The main plant pest slugs. A sign that the hosta has attracted these garden pests is big holes on the leaves. Dealing with them is easy: place bowls of beer around the host, and a day later go and collect the slugs that have crawled down to drink beer.

In the photo: Slugs on hosta leaves

In addition to slugs, they are not indifferent to the host stem nematodes. Signs of their vital activity look like necrotic yellow spots spreading between the veins of the leaves. A simple test will help to detect the appearance of nematodes: put finely chopped hosta leaves in a thin-walled glass, fill them with water for half an hour, and then look at the contents in the light. If there are nematodes, then you will see how the worms swim in the water. It is impossible to fight nematodes, since chemicals will not destroy the eggs they lay, and they will give new nematodes the next year. Plants will have to be exterminated within a radius of two meters from the affected specimen.

In the photo: Collecting hosta seeds after flowering

Hostas are dangerous caterpillars, which, appearing unexpectedly, can destroy the entire plant in just one night, as well as beetles and grasshoppers, after the invasion of which the leaves look like Swiss cheese. Only insecticides can rid the host of insects.

Hostas after flowering

After the flowers fade, the flower stalks must be removed. In September, the preparation of the host for the dormant period begins. At the same time, flower growers seat the host. First, half an hour before seating, you need to water the area where you have to work well. Then the bushes are dug up and divided in such a way that each part has one or more leafy rosettes. They are seated at a distance of 25-35 cm from each other, digging in to the same depth at which the mother plant was located. The roots of the host grow horizontally, so the holes should be wide.

After planting, the plants need to be watered abundantly at first. You need to complete the process of dividing and planting the host before mid-September, so that the "newbies" have time to take root in a new place before the onset of autumn cold weather. Young hosts will need four weeks to root. From spring, these delenki will begin to grow quite quickly: in two or three years they will become adult large plants.

In the photo: Hostas in the garden after flowering

In autumn, work is carried out to insulate the area with hosts in anticipation of winter. To do this, the site is mulched with leafy soil. Especially hostas growing under trees need this: thanks to the mulch, the host will not lack nutrients absorbed by the roots of the tree. Mulch, among other things, raises the level of the flower bed, and this improves soil drainage.

Types and varieties of hosts

The hosta flower in all its variety of species and varieties finds wide application in landscape design. Hosta hybrida has more than 4000 varieties today. But the main types on the basis of which this diversity arose are not so many. Host species that served as the basis for selection:

• Hosta curly(height 60 cm, leaves are wide, dark green with a white border, for example, Dream Weaver).
• hosta high(up to 90 cm tall, leaves are large, glossy, dark green, for example, the Tom Schmid variety).
• Hosta Fortune(height up to half a meter, leaves are green with a creamy border, for example, hosta albopicta).
• Hosta Siebold(up to 60 cm tall, leaves with obvious veins, for example, variety Elegans).
• Hosta wavy(up to 75 cm, leaves with a wavy edge, the middle is white with a green border in strokes, for example, hosta Undulata Mediovariegata).
• Hosta swollen(up to half a meter, leaves with pointed tips, for example, the Thomas Hogg variety).
• Hosta plantain(up to half a meter, the leaves are bright green, glossy, for example, the Royal Standard variety).

Hosta, in other words - funkia, is valued primarily for the decorativeness of the leaves, and even non-flowering specimens give flower beds a special charm and originality. Hosta prefers loamy humus soils with acidic reaction and high humidity.

Hosta belongs to perennials and is distinguished by its longevity, therefore, when choosing a place for its cultivation, one should take into account the lighting regime, the relation to which various kinds hosts are different. For example, green-leaved plants are especially valuable for areas with strong shading, where they grow and develop well. For variegated forms (with patterned leaves) a bright place is required. Although they also feel great in the shade, the characteristic color of the leaves disappears, which is why the decorative effect is lost.

Hostas reproduce mainly vegetatively (by dividing rhizomes and cuttings), but often there is a need to get a plant from seeds, which is quite problematic, and without knowledge of the specifics of agricultural technology, growing hostas is doomed to failure.

Choice of landing site

It is desirable to plant the host in the shade or partial shade. The host herself can tell you which place appeals to her. The more white and yellow stripes on her leaves, the more favorable she is to sunshine. The more shade, the more sprawling and beautiful bush. But it grows more slowly than in the sun. When the landing site is chosen, you should take care of the soil.

Hosta will grow in any soil, but light loams with a neutral reaction are considered the best for it. Sandy soil slows down plant growth but improves color quality. Damp areas for the plant are not suitable. Groundwater must pass at a sufficient depth so that the roots do not hurt and do not rot from an excess of moisture.

It is advisable to add a little humus, rotted organic matter, peat and mineral fertilizers to the planting pit. Mineral fertilizers can be taken complex in terms of a tablespoon per bucket of water or a tablespoon of superphosphate, ammonium nitrate and potassium sulfate for each plant.

soil for host

Hosta likes moist, humus-rich, neutral to slightly acidic soil with good drainage. But she does not like sand and heavy loam.

The most suitable time for planting hostas is in the spring, when the threat of frost has passed (usually in late April - the first half of May). At the same time, the soil has been prepared since autumn: any organic fertilizer is scattered on the site (a layer of about 10 cm) and the earth is dug up to the depth of a shovel bayonet.

You can also plant hosta from late August to mid-September. With a later planting, the plant may not have time to take root before the onset of frost. At this time, the soil is not prepared in advance, but only plentifully watered a few hours before planting.

Planting hostas in open ground

Planting and transplanting plants produced during the entire growing season. However, the most successful time for planting hostas is spring. The work is carried out according to the following scheme:

Dig a planting hole that matches the seedling's root system. The land in the place where the host is planted should be fertilized and dug up to the depth of a shovel bayonet in the fall.

1/3 cut the roots of the planting plant.

Place the hosta in the center of the hole 2-3 cm below ground level and level the roots.

Fill completely with soil and tamp lightly.

Pour abundantly under the root and with dry earth, mulch the surface of the soil near the plant.

When planting a host group on a flower bed, you should adhere to a distance of 20-100 cm between them, depending on the varietal dimension. When landing hostas in summer time the leaves of the seedling must be cut in half. Large leaf petioles are removed completely.

In the next 5-6 years, unless absolutely necessary, it is better not to disturb the bushes.

Growing hosta from seed

The key to success when growing this plant from seed is sterile soil and containers for planting. It is better to buy the substrate in the store, because it does not contain fungi and other microbes.

You can prepare the land for growing hosta yourself. To do this, peat must be passed through a sieve to grind. Then add perlite and vermiculite to it. The mixture prepared for planting is poured with potassium permanganate (strong solution) and treated with water vapor for 30 minutes. Cooled to 20 ° C, the soil is ready for planting. Special cassettes with compartments (or cells) are ideal as containers. It must be treated with potassium permanganate or alcohol. In the same way, you need to sterilize the instruments that are necessary for sowing.

Landing rules:

• Place drainage at the bottom of the compartment.
• Then put the substrate.
• Water the soil.
• Compact the substrate with a spatula.
• Sow the seeds to a depth of 7 mm.
• Compact again.

Compaction is necessary so that the seeds, in contact with the soil, can better germinate.

By the way, to maintain the required humidity, the container must be covered clear glass. If hosta germination conditions are optimal, seedlings will appear after 2 weeks.

When one true leaf appears, the plants dive. To do this, use a more nutritious sterile soil. A small layer of river sand is poured on top of it. Watering is carried out by placing the container in a container of water.

Host Care

Hosta is an undemanding beauty. However, sometimes this plant requires attention. What is hosta care?

In Europe, the hosta occupies the first place as a plant for landscaping. It has been very popular with us lately. But not everyone knows that this undemanding plant still needs care. And even if this flower can grow without top dressing, but if you compare a well-groomed and “abandoned” host, it will become clear: a little attention to the plant still does not hurt.

It is often not necessary to transplant and divide the hosts. You can disassemble the bush into separate sockets only at 4-5 years of age. Plant the hosta in partial shade, as it will not grow luxuriantly in the sun, and the leaves will turn pale. In addition, varieties with variegated foliage may completely lose their charm: only one memory will remain of light stripes.

Feeding for host

They are fed twice during the summer (in May, June) with mullein infusion (1:10) with the addition of ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium sulfate in a ratio of 10:20:10.

Plants are fed with organic and mineral fertilizers. organic fertilizers(compost, leafy soil, rotted pine bark, etc.) are most often applied in the form of mulch, that is, in the fall they cover the area where the hosts grow. At the same time, some gardeners believe that if the soil in which the hosts were planted was well seasoned with organic fertilizers, then there is no need to feed the plants, they will have enough nutrients contained in the soil, and they need to be mulched with nutritious earth mixtures only after 3-4 of the year.

If necessary, you can feed the hosts with mineral fertilizers, not forgetting that they are only an additive, a kind of vitamin in the "diet" of plants. The main power supply is the host organic matter introduced into the soil in the form of compost. They not only enrich the soil with nutrients, but also improve its structure, stimulating the development of soil-forming microorganisms and small animals.

For normal growth and development, plants need many elements. The main ones are sodium, phosphorus and potassium. The first top dressing is carried out in the spring, when the leaves begin to grow (most often in April), the second - after six weeks (end of May), the third, last - in July. It is best to feed plants with granular mineral fertilizers after rain or after watering the area. Then they will be faster and better absorbed by plants. The granules are scattered carefully so that they do not fall on the leaves, especially on young ones, and do not cause a burn.

Watering the hosta

The large size of hosta leaves leads to increased evaporation of moisture. Therefore, without watering, your plant will grow much more slowly. The darkening of the tips of the foliage indicates a lack of moisture in the soil. It should be noted that the hosta does not tolerate waterlogging, therefore, during rainy periods, it does not need additional watering. The root system of young hostas is located close to the surface, therefore, it should be watered with such an amount of water that the soil is wet to a depth of about 10 cm.

An adult plant develops a powerful, deep into the ground root system and less sensitive to drought. Sprinkling of bushes is useful, through which the leaves are quickly replenished with moisture. To prevent the occurrence sunburn, the event is held early in the morning or after sunset.

Enliven your garden with colorful greenery, and take the host as an assistant for this. It is unpretentious when planting, in care and cultivation. This plant is popular in landscape design, because its leaves have different shapes and colors, depending on the variety.

Description, varieties and varieties

The beauty of this plant is in the leaves, not the flowers. From green to golden and white, from long to round and heart-shaped, this is what a hosta is. Planting and caring for it in the open field is very simple - another reason to pay attention to this perennial.

Hosta will be a wonderful decoration of the garden from early spring to late autumn.

Having decided to start growing hosta, see how it looks in the photo. Choose your favorite from over 3,000 varieties. By color scheme foliage they are combined into 5 groups:

• green;
• blue (with a bluish tinge);
• yellow;
• variegata (this includes hostas variegated and bordered in light color);
• mediovariegata (leaves are light, with green edges).

There is a huge variety of types of hosta

Those who grow hostas in open ground are also familiar with the classification of varieties by size:

• dwarf (up to 10 cm);
• miniature (10-15 cm);
• small (16-25 cm);
• medium (30-50 cm), the most numerous group;
• large (55-70 cm);
• giant (from 70 cm).

The main species, which, among other things, are used for breeding:

Among the hosts there are chameleon varieties that change color during the summer season. Some species of this plant are difficult to classify, because their leaves have a blurry color. And foreign breeders brought tricolor hybrids. There are plenty to choose from!

Landing hosta

The optimal time for planting hostas in the open field is early spring or late August-early September. It is not worth postponing to a later time. Choose planting material carefully. The roots should be elastic, 10-12 cm long. It is best if the sprout has 2-3 buds.

Advice. If you bought a hosta, but it's too early to plant it, store the sprouts in a cool and dark place at t + 5-10 ° C. A basement, the bottom shelf of a refrigerator or an insulated balcony will do.

Traditionally, the hosta is considered a shade-loving perennial. But there is a pattern: the lighter the foliage, the more sun the plant needs. Dark green and blue varieties must be planted in the shade. Partial shade or even a sunny place is suitable for growing light hostas. Make sure that the plant is not under direct rays, otherwise burns on the leaves cannot be avoided.

Hosta can be planted in shade or partial shade.

Good for planting and propagation in open ground suitable light, drained, wet soil. Holes should be made wide, about 30 cm deep. The distance between them should be from 30 to 100 cm (depending on the size of the plant).

Fill each hole about 2/3 with compost, peat, form a mound. Place the roots of the seedlings on it, but so that there are no empty spaces. Spread them out, fall asleep fertile soil, compact. Finish planting with abundant watering. Mulch the roots with crushed bark or peat. This will help retain moisture. Repeat the watering procedure several more times every 3-4 days.

Advice. The buds of the plant during planting should be at ground level. If necessary, pour additional soil under the root.

plant care

Although not demanding hosta, planting and caring for her require compliance with the rules.

Fertilizer and fertilizing hosta

How plants look in your garden depends on care, including the intensity of fertilization. The hosta, which is fed 3 times per season, looks more decorative:

• during the period of growth;
• during flowering;
• after him.

The hosta needs to be fed several times a season.

For these purposes, fertilizers with nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus are most often used. Compost and humus are also useful for hosts. They are best applied in the fall. Organic fertilizers are preferable to mineral ones. " Golden Rule» care - do not overdo it. Too frequent or heavy feeding can cause a burn.

Plant propagation

There are 3 ways to propagate hostas:

• division;
• cuttings;
• growing from seed.

The bushes are usually divided in May or late summer. The smaller the split off part, the more time it will take for it to grow. Another method of propagation, cuttings, involves the separation of a sprout from an adult bush with a part of the rhizome. Cuttings are planted in open ground immediately, they are watered and shaded.

Division of the hosta bush

Growing hostas from seeds is a time-consuming and laborious process. The germination of the material is 70-80%, so before sowing it must be treated with growth stimulants. Another way is to keep the seeds in the cold for 30 days. It is also important to ensure the sterility of the soil and containers for planting. Before sowing hostas, pots must be disinfected with potassium permanganate or alcohol.

Propagation by seeds should begin in April or May. Pour drainage into containers, then soil mixture, water it. Spread the seeds, sprinkle them with soil on top (layer thickness - 5-7 mm). Slightly crush it, cover the container with glass or film and place in a shady place. The hosta germination temperature is + 18-25º C. Under such conditions, seedlings appear in 2-3 weeks.

hosta seeds

At this time, the care of young seedlings consists in moderate watering and removal of condensate. Keep the sprouts in a lit place, protecting from direct sunlight. When the first pair of leaves appears, dive the seedlings. The soil in new containers should be ¼ covered with sand. To water, put the pots in a deep bowl and wait until the top layer is wet. Harden the sprouts: remove the glass or film for a while, and remove them altogether after about a week.

If the air temperature is already above +18º C, leave the containers with seedlings for a short time fresh air. Experienced gardeners be warned: despite proper care, the host develops very slowly. In addition, it often loses the signs of the variety.

Diseases and pests hostas

The host rarely gets sick, but one of its most characteristic ailments is phyllostictosis. Yellow-brown spots appear on the leaves. Affected plants must be burned, and the soil must be disinfected. If you notice gray mold or sclerotinia on the leaves, apply fungicides.

Phyllosticosis hosta

The pests that make big holes in the beautiful hosta foliage are slugs. To scare them away, mulch the soil with something caustic: rubble or broken shells. Help and beer bait. Place containers with this drink around the bushes, and in a day select slugs from them. Use insecticides to control insects (caterpillars, grasshoppers).

Hosta: combination with other plants

Hosta leaves create harmonious combinations with brunnera, geyhera and ferns. These plants look advantageous against the background of conifers. Also try compositions with primrose, geraniums, Goryanka. Make a beautiful landscape with lungwort, anemone, foxglove, astilbe.

Hosta in the flowerbed

There is an opinion that you should not combine the cultivation of roses and hosts. This is explained by the fact that they have different lighting requirements. However, in landscape design, this combination is quite common. In these cases, gardeners recommend planting the host on the north side of the bush.

Hosta in landscape design

There are many options for using this perennial in landscape design. First of all, the hosta is a ground cover plant for shady places. She creates coziness in gardens stylized as natural nature. If you still decide to combine the cultivation of roses and hostas, decorate with them, for example, the shore of a reservoir.

Hosta in landscape design

Use this plant for decoration garden paths, framing lawns. When growing a hosta in pots, decorate your patio or gazebo with it. It is also good for vertical flower beds. Phloxes or daylilies will be a good addition in this case.

Whichever way you choose to decorate your garden, the hosta is unlikely to disappoint you. Rather, on the contrary: seriously and for a long time will conquer with its charm and unpretentiousness.

Growing hosta: video

Varieties of hosts: photo