...from the Grower's Desk
Many gardeners have similar questions. Using the FAQ menu bars in this department, you can focus on your specific need. And the answers are from hosta growers with "hands on" experience!
| Hosta Flowers | Lighting |
| New Gardener | Hosta Pests |
| Dividing Hosta | Planting Hosta |
| Hosta Maintenance | Improving the Soil |
| About Singletree Farm |
Q. I don't like the tall flower stems
on my hostas. Can I cut them off?
A. Certainly. You can trim them off at any point in the growth
process...as the stems emerge, during the blooming phase, or after
the blooms are spent.
Q. After the hostas bloom, the stems
turn brown in the fall. Should I cut them off or leave them?
A. Strictly a personal choice. There is no value or harm to the
plant. Some gardeners trim them down in the fall. Some leave them
for spring cleanup.
Q. Some of my hostas have more flowers
than others. Why is this?
A. Some varieties bloom more than others. It's a part of their
genetics. Also, location and age are a factor. Mature plants will
produce more flowers. Some direct sunlight also improves flowering.
Q. Should I mulch my hostas?
A. Always a good idea and especially for hostas that have been
recently planted. Roots have not yet had an opportunity to adhere
to the soil. Ground heaving with temperature fluctuations during
the winter could result in exposed crowns. Crowns exposed to cold
wind could result in injury or death. Mulch also helps retain
moisture during mid summer heat.
Q. My large leaf hostas sometimes get
brown edges on the leaves when it gets hot mid summer. Why is
this?
A. Brown edges are usually an indication of lack of water. Large
leaf varieties, older plants with extensive roots and leaves,
and in general, all hostas during hot weather need more water.
Keep the soil moist and avoid drying out between watering. Mulch
will help maintain an even temperature and moisture level.
Q. Do I need to fertilize my hostas and
if so how often?
A. This depends on your soil. But, hostas are heavy feeders. A
spring application of a well balanced slow release granular fertilizer
will boost your growth. Follow this up with a well balanced liquid
fertilizer every two weeks. Discontinue fertilizing mid summer.
Note: Many gardeners never fertilize their hostas and are satisfied
with their growth and performance. The rapid growing varieties
are best suited to a low maintenence environment.
Q. Is it mandatory to use a slow release
fertilizer? I've seen other gardeners use 10-10-10 quick release
on their hostas.
A. Quick release fertilizer (i.e. the type you put on your lawn)
will release nitrogen very quickly. Too much nitrogen can burn
roots. A heavy rain can dissolve the entire application in one
evening. Burned roots usually result in serious injury to your
plant. And, injured plants are susceptible to other problems.
When you order from us, we enclose with your hostas a copy of our Planting and Maintenance Guide. We discuss fertilizing new arrivals and annual maintenance.
Q. My blue leaf hostas turned green mid
summer. Why is this?
A. Blue leaf hostas have a coating on their leaves. Mid summer
heat, especially with some sun exposure, will cause the blue coating
to "melt off". You can delay this process if your plants
are in deep shade and/or planted in the coolest spot in the garden.
But the color will change. Of course, it happens quicker in zone
9 vs zone 3. Many gardeners plant hostas of contrasting colors,
i.e. golds, or colorful annuals with their blue hostas. Even when
the color transition begins, you'll still have a nice contrast.
Hint: Avoid planting your blue hostas under trees with messy sap.
If you try to rub off the sap, you'll rub off the blue color too!
Q. My gold leaf hostas aren't really
gold. They look like a deep lime to me. Am I doing something wrong?
A. There is a broad spectrum of color in the gold category. From
lime green, to chartreuse, to pale gold, to bright yellow gold.
Lighting is a key to gold leaf color and that may be your situation.
The same hosta from deep shade to 2 to 3 hours of sun to 3/4 day
sun will have a different color. The more sun (up to a point),
the lighter...or "golder" the color. Plant genetics
plays a part in this too. Some hostas have a brighter color from
shade to partial sun.
Q. My hostas with white centers look
nice in the spring but begin to get thin and burn by mid summer.
Am I growing these in too much light?
A. Your problem is probably a combination of heat and mid summer
lighting. For best color all season, the white centered hostas
need a delicate balance. Direct morning sun in the spring will
give you good growth and a bright white. Mid summer shade or dappled
light under a deciduous tree, for example, is best. If you are
experiencing a lot of burn on your plants, move them to a shadier
location. Watch the lighting patterns in your garden for the best
planting sites.
Q. I've never grown hostas before. Where
do I start? There are so many to choose from.
A. Start with the hostas we rate as rapid growth. They're hardy,
easy to grow, and usually less expensive. If you're interested
in experimenting with different colors, sizes and leaf shapes,
consider our Hosta Sampler. Each year we offer a "Sampler"
group that's designed for the New Hosta Gardener. Hosta Sampler
can be found in the Singletree Farm Collections.
Q. How far apart do I plant my hostas?
A. This depends on what you are trying to do. We list mature sizes,
height and width, in our descriptions. These are approximate numbers.
There will be some variation from garden to garden depending on
location and care given. If you want "quick cover" with
no spaces in between, plant closer than the dimensions we provide.
If you are planning a specimen bed and prefer the hostas remain
seperated...even when mature...use our dimensions and perhaps
3 or 4 more inches.
Q. When is the best time to divide hosta?
A. Spring and Fall. Temperatures are cooler. Avoid extremely hot
(90+ degrees F) weather and droughts. Newly divided plants need
frequent watering.
Q. How do I divide large older hostas?
A. Soak the ground around your hosta the day before digging. Dig
out in a circle similar to the area of the leaves. Dig 12-18 inches
deep. If you are digging your plant out in the fall, you may want
to cut the leaves off. Leave stubs about 2 inches tall. Your plant
will be easier to dig and divide. Once you've loosened the root
ball and lifted it out of the hole, wash off loose soil. This
will help you determine the cuts. Using a long serrated bread
knife works well for dividing. Your first few cuts will be rough.
You will lose roots. Once you divide the plant into smaller portions,
wash again. Then decide if you want to divide more or plant as
is. Keep newly divided plants well watered and mulch for the winter.
Divided plants will temporarily revert back to the juvenile leaf.
You may not see mature leaves for several years. It depends on
the variety.
Q. My hostas are huge. Do I need to divide
them?
A. It is not necessary to divide them. We have seen 20 year old
plants that look great! Of course, older plants have an extensive
root system. This means more water during the summer and a spring
application of fertilizer is suggested.
Q. My soil is heavy clay. What should
I do before I plant my hostas?
A. Hostas prefer a slightly acidic, moist loamy soil. Mixing in
peat moss and/or pine bark mulch will do a lot to improve the
drainage and moisture retention of your soil. There are a lot
of additives available besides the two mentioned. Wood chips,
leaf mulch, gypsum, perlite, well rotted manure, top soil, and
potting mix are just a few. When available, we like a mixture
of additives versus a lot of one item. Each ingredient breaks
down at a different rate. We suggest you remove 1/3 to 1/2 of
your clay from the planting site. Replace with your additives
and mix well with the remaining clay. Improving poor soil is always
a good investment. Your plants will reward you with better growth.
Q. I have what I consider to be poor
soil...a lot of clay. I'm not really interested in spending a
lot of time or money on soil improvemernts. I just want to plant
some hostas to cover a shady area. What do you suggest?
A. Not every gardener is a "slave" to the soil. We suggest
you plant only rapid growing varieties. Choose tough varieties
such as Golden Tiara, Lancifolia, Erromena, or one of the hostas
in the fortunei group i.e. Albo marginata, Aureo marginata, etc.
Your hostas will thrive but will not multiply as fast as an improved
soil garden. If you're trying to "cover" the area you
may want to plant closer than the mature widths stated. Your soil
may not retain moisture as well as amended soil. During hot weather
check the soil and water as needed.
Q. When is the best time to plant hosta?
A. Spring to early summer and late summer to fall are the two
choice times. Temperatures are cooler and rainfall is usually
plentiful. Hosta can be planted at any time during the growing
season-even mid summer. More maintenance on your part is required
for mid summer plantings. Your new arrivals will have to be watered
frequently. Note: If you were transplanting established hostas
the preferred times would be the same.
When you order from us, we enclose with your hostas a copy of our Planting and Maintenance Guide. We explain how to plant your new arrivals and annual maintenance.
Q. Every summer my hostas get large holes.
Do I have slugs? How do I get rid of them?
A. Slugs and/or snails may be your problem. Rainy spring weather
is usually when they flourish and begin to damage leaves. Many
gardeners report good results using organic remedies. What works
for one will not for the other. Slug and snail pellets can be
scattered starting in the spring when warm weather begins. You
can buy this at your local nursery center. Starting early and
reapplying every two weeks will keep your population down. We
consider this to be the quickest, most effective route to slug/snail
elimination. But, you are using a chemical. Read the instructions
and use good judgment.
If the non-chemical methods aren't working for you and you do
not want to use chemicals, we suggest the following:
1. Avoid thin leaf hostas and especially the ones with a lot of
white in the center.
2. Avoid damp deep shade areas.
3. Keep your garden cleaned up i.e. damaged/broken leaves.
4. Leave space between your plants. This improves air circulation.
Q. In the spring something is biting
my hosta shoots. I find some completely bitten in two and others
that are just cut. What's doing this? Will my shoots re-grow?
A. Rabbits sometimes nibble on tender shoots. Hosta is not their
food of choice but from our experience they sometimes sample.
Your shoots will not re-grow. But, new ones will emerge. This
is typically an early spring problem only. The rabbits usually
lose interest when the shoots begin to firm. If you have a prize
hosta...especially a slow growing variety...you may want to place
a wire cage around it for the first few weeks.
Note: The only other time we have seen damage from rabbits
was in an extreme drought. With no water source available, they
began to eat mature leaf stems-leaving behind the leaves. It is
our theory that they were seeking water since we keep the hosta
rows well irrigated. And the damage was only in rows next to a
wooded area. We sunk trash can lids to ground level and made little
drinking ponds. The damage stopped and birds, squirrels, and rabbits
drank from the tin ponds.
Q. Will deer eat hosta?
A. Yes. Fortunately, we are not plagued with this problem. But,
our sources say the most effective prevention is a high fence.
We have also heard good reports on hot pepper spray applied to
the leaves. Sprays are temporary remedies and if not reapplied
on a rigorous schedule, the deer will return.
Q. Do moles eat hosta roots?
A. Not usually. But, when digging tunnels, they can sever roots.
Voles will eat hosta roots. Pine voles are typically in wooded areas.
If you are finding hostas with root systems completely gone, then
you may have voles. There are all sorts of traps. Our best success
has been using a mouse trap and peanut butter. Place your trap
under a bucket next to the wooded area. They like to work surface
tunnels under mulch/leaf debris. Moles tunnel for food such as
grubs. If you eliminate the food source they will move on. You
can find chemicals at your garden center for killing grubs. If
you prefer a non chemical route, ask your garden center or Agricultural
Extension Agent about Milky Spore. It takes longer to see results
and you'll need to dedicate time to a seasonal and annual application
plan.
Cats that like to hunt will also keep your mole/vol population
in check.
Gardeners sometimes ask where we are located and if we have a retail outlet.
Singletree Farm is located in Western North Carolina in the Asheville area and south of Asheville.
We do not have a retail outlet for plant pick up or purchase. Our staff is kept hopping with plant needs and filling orders.
We are mail order only. We ship premium plants all over the world.
All of our plants are field grown. Our fields and beds are not consolidated. As much as we would like to visit with fellow gardeners, our days are full. Field operation tours are not permitted.